Spotlight on Clonguish in the intriguing battle for the Longford SFC title

PADRAIC O'BRIEN has a look at what might happen in the Senior Football Championship with six games in Round 1 scheduled across this Friday and Saturday

While the spotlight is firmly focused on the gradual emergence of Clonguish as a force in Longford club football, there are a number of other genuine contenders in the probable competitive battle for the 2025 senior championship title.

The subject of a flurry of bets with the local bookies suggests that this might well be the year that the Newtownforbes outfit will end the long wait for Connolly Cup glory stretching right back to 2009 when a replay was required to settle the decider against Dromard.

On the evidence of winning the Division 1 competition in capturing the Skelly Cup, a most significant league double was complete this season when the boys in green claimed the prestigious Leader Cup for the second year in succession to remain on course for a clean sweep of the senior football titles.

While the Clonguish team management of Liam Belton and John Twaddle do not need to be told that their defence will need to tighten up, there is plenty of scoring power in the attack with the lethal Matthew Carey leading the charge.

Jack Duggan and Michael Flynn are also expected to make a notable impact in the dangerous forward division with their ability to shoot two-pointers and there is no doubting that the young Clonguish squad possess the potential to go all the way this year.

Supposedly learning from the experience of their unlucky loss against Killoe by a solitary point in the 2023 county final, it all ended in bitter disappointment last season when they suffered a narrow defeat against Colmcille at the quarter-final stage. 

The journey on the road to redemption for the clearly talented Clonguish team will begin at Emmet Park in Killoe this Friday night (throw-in 8pm) when they meet neighbouring rivals Longford Slashers in the opening round for the third year running.

Slashers sprang a surprise in holding the hotly fancied opposition to a draw last season and will be quietly confident of repeating the dose.

Darragh O’Brien missed the 2024 championship campaign but he is back in action and his powerful presence is a big boost for the new manager Conor Clarke.

Clarke, of course, guided the Slashers ladies to the All-Ireland Intermediate club title in 2022 and while he has developed a winning habit the odds are stacked against the men in the sky-blue colours in the race for the Connolly Cup. 

 Slashers ended up in a relegation scrap in the Division 1 league but succeeded in avoiding the drop after surviving in the extra-time thriller against Granard.

Also on Friday night is the meeting of Colmcille and Carrickedmond at C&D Devine Park in Edgeworthstown (8pm) and last year’s beaten finalists will be missing the driving force of the injured Cathal McCabe.

McCabe was one of the better players on the Longford senior team this season and while he is currently on the casualty list the lively attacker is expected to return at some stage, probably before the conclusion of the group stage.

Some other key players were missing in the Leader Cup final against Clonguish, notably the Macken brothers Enda and Jack along with the vastly experienced Vinny Hourican, and Colmcille will be a different proposition when they are back at full strength.

At this moment in time, Colmcille will be very wary of the Carrickedmond challenge and a place in the quarter-finals is a realistic target for Eugene McCormack’s side.

Carrick caused a big upset in the defeat of Clonguish in the group stage last year which eventually culminated in a right mess and they have a ‘point’ to prove in the current championship season. 

Completing the Friday night programme is the meeting of Abbeylara and Fr Manning Gaels at the redeveloped Dromard grounds (8pm) and this game will surely result in an easy win for the reigning county champions.

Frankie Dolan is back in charge of Abbey after working wonders last season and the former Roscommon star will be hoping for more of the same from a very committed bunch of players who have become a tough nut to crack.

With a number of players absent, it is a mission impossible for last year’s Intermediate title winners Fr Manning Gaels and their new manager Trevor Clendenning is only too well aware that the Drumlish/Ballinamuck side are facing a fierce struggle to avoid an immediate return to the Tier 2 grade. 

The most interesting game on Saturday evening is the clash of the 2023 champions Killoe and Granard at McGee Park in Aughnacliffe (7pm).

While a surprise win for St Mary’s cannot be ruled out with a fresh Darren Gallagher very much the main man in the battle for midfield supremacy, Emmet Og are packed with the value of experience with Michael Quinn leading the charge.

Their new manager is Jimmy Higgins from Cavan, assisted by Abbeylara clubman Donal Ledwith, and Killoe are title contenders despite their indifferent league form and a late lapse in their failure to reach the Leader Cup semi-finals.

Coming into the championship somewhat under the radar, Emmet Og will be taking absolutely nothing for granted against a youthful Granard team with another Cavan man, Paul Lynch, back at the helm with the blues for another year.

Fermanagh native Pat Cadden is the new manager of Mullinalaghta and their opponents in the first round fixture at the Slashers grounds Fay Park on Saturday evening (7pm) are Rathcline with one of their own, Gareth Johnston, returning for another stint in control.

Oran Kenny, as always,  is a potential matchwinner for the shannonsiders who did well to escape from the relegation issue in the league and the ‘Raths’ are capable of springing a surprise in the championship.

That is unlikely to happen against St Columba’s who are backboned by a lot of quality players and while there are many who believe that the men in maroon are gradually fading out of the picture, their championship challenge cannot be ignored.

You write Mullinalaghta off at your peril but the same cannot be said about Dromard who will be playing in the Division 2 league next season after suffering the bitter disappointment of relegation.

The numbers are tight in Enda Macken’s squad with the United States based Joseph Hagan proving to be a major loss, not forgetting the injury problems. 

Having said that, Dromard will not be lacking their usual gutsy spirit and the tough north Longford men are strongly fancied to make a winning start against Mostrim at Maguire Park on Saturday evening (7pm).   

With Darragh ‘Doc’ Doherty departed to Australia on his travels, the Edgeworthstown outfit struggled to make a decent impact in Division 2 of the league and there is really little that can be done to change the grim situation.

Jack Lynn is back as the Mostrim manager and he will be doing really well to keep his native club in the senior grade.

When it comes to the topic of predicting the eventual winners of the Connolly Cup, a hesitant vote goes to Clonguish to capture the county title for the first time in 16 years with Colmcille the main opposition while it would be foolish to forget about the chances of Killoe in the battle for championship glory.

Prediction: Clonguish 

Next Best: Colmcille

12 clubs will compete in the race for the Connolly Cup

After their dramatic last gasp victory over Sean Connolly’s in last year’s Intermediate Football Championship final, Fr Manning Gaels are back in the senior grade and will play the title holders Abbeylara in the first round clash at the Dromard grounds this Friday night, throw-in 8pm. 

12 clubs will compete for the Connolly Cup with the top four teams in each group qualifying for the quarter-finals: 1 v 4 & 2 v 3. 

 The bottom two teams in the groups will battle it out in the round-robin relegation play-offs with TWO clubs demoted to the 2026 Intermediate Championship. 

2025 Peter Hanley Motors Senior Football Championship

Group 1

 Killoe Emmet Og, St Mary’s Granard, Dromard, Mostrim, Colmcille and Carrickedmond 

Group 2

 Longford Slashers, Clonguish, Mullinalaghta  St Columba’s, Rathcline, Abbeylara and Fr Manning Gaels

Round 1 Fixtures 

 Group 1

Friday July 18 - Edgeworthstown, C&D Devine Park: Colmcille v Carrickedmond

Prediction: Colmcille  

Saturday July 19 - Aughnacliffe, McGee Park: Killoe v Granard

Prediction: Killoe 

Saturday July 19 - Ballinalee, Maguire Park: Dromard v Mostrim

Prediction: Dromard

 Round 1 Fixtures  Group 2

Friday July 18 - Killoe, Emmet Park: Longford Slashers v Clonguish

Prediction: Clonguish

Friday July 18 - Dromard, Pairc Na nGael: Abbeylara v Fr Manning Gaels

Prediction: Abbeylara 

Saturday July 19 - Slashers, Fay Park: Mullinalaghta v Rathcline

Prediction: Mullinalaghta 

Quarter-Finals Qualification Prediction 

Group 1 - Colmcille, Killoe, Carrickedmond and Granard

Group 2 - Clonguish, Mullinalaghta, Abbeylara and Longford Slashers