Longford SFC: Killoe will be difficult to dethrone but Clonguish are a serious threat

While it is the same prolonged format in the group stage (a total of 30 games) to determine what 8 teams will eventually make it through to the Longford Senior football championship quarter-finals, a most significant change to the start of the 2024 Connolly Cup campaign is a midweek fixture. 

The clash of the 2022 and 2023 title winners, Colmcille and Killoe, at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Tuesday evening next (July 16) is the opening match (8pm throw-in) on the packed programme that will stretch into September before the serious business begins.

Having said that, there will be at least one notable casualty before then in the Group 2 minefield with Longford Slashers in a possible vulnerable state and particularly so in the absence of the powerful target man Daire O’Brien who is spending the year in New York and will not be available to assist his club.

Joining Slashers (now managed by former Killoe supremo Tommy Donohoe) in the so called ‘group of death’ are Clonguish, Dromard, Abbeylara, Mullinalaghta and Carrickedmond and the pressure will be on from the outset with two clubs being relegated to the 2025 Intermediate Championship. 

The other group is clearly less difficult and Pearse Park will also host the meeting of St Mary’s Granard and Rathcline on Thursday evening next week (July 18) with a 8pm start. 

It is back to the regular regional venues for the remaining Round 1 fixtures that weekend featuring Dromard v Carrickedmond at Lynch Park on Friday July 19 (8pm) along with Abbeylara v Mullinalaghta St Columba’s (Emmet Park), Clonguish v Longford Slashers (Maguire Park) and Mostrim v Kenagh (Clonbonny, Lanesboro) on Saturday July 20 (7pm).   

The Mulleady Group 2024 Intermediate Football Championship Round 1 fixtures are scheduled for Friday July 19 and Saturday July 20.

Seven clubs are involved in the battle for the Hennessy Cup - Ardagh Moydow, Ballymahon, Ballymore, Cashel, Fr Manning Gaels, Killashee and Sean Connolly’s - with the top four advancing to the semi-finals. 

The bottom two teams in the round-robin group stage will be relegated to the 2025 Junior Championship.  

Reflecting back to what might materialise in the main event this season, the general opinion is that the current County Kings Killoe will be difficult to dethrone with a repeat of last year’s final against Clonguish a distinct possibility.

Emmet Og were without several regulars in the recent win over the 2024 Division 1 league champions Granard in the Leader Cup semi-final, most notably county players Michael Quinn, Daniel Mimnagh, Paddy Kiernan and Liam Hughes.  

Nobody can argue with the fact that Killoe have the strongest squad, causing a selection headache for the manager Luke Dempsey and his assistant Stephen Coy, and they are expected to cruise through the group stage with Colmcille the closest challengers. 

Coached by Killoe clubman Ger Carberry with former Granard boss Ryan Casey also part of the management team, commanding Colmcille were way too strong for all the other lower ranked clubs in their runaway Division 2 league title success and will be quietly confident of making a big impact in the championship. 

Spearheading the Clonguish challenge in the coaching capacity are joint managers  Liam Belton and John Twaddle and the boys in green are serious title contenders such is the large pool of talented young players at their disposal.

While Killoe and Clonguish are dominating the county title discussion, it would be foolish to write off the chances of the vastly experienced St Columba’s side with the Longford captain Patrick Fox leading the charge for another crack at Connolly Cup glory. 

Let us not forget that Mullinalaghta were crowned Leinster Club champions back in 2018 after completing a magnificent three-in-a-row of county titles and will make it difficult for all those standing in their way in the hope that another Longford senior championship can be won.

With Matt Duffy departed for a different life in Australian Rules Football, along with the probable absence of Longford defender Oisin O’Toole who is committed to working abroad, it could develop into a dogfight for Dromard under the guidance of joint managers Gareth Johnston (Rathcline) and one of their own in Enda Macken.

Former St Brigid’s (Kiltoom) and Roscommon star Frankie Dolan, who played such a major role in Ballymahon’s solitary senior championship success back in 2002, is the new Abbeylara manager while Eugene McCormack is back for another stint in charge of his native club Carrickedmond.

Mullahoran man Paul Lynch deserves considerable credit for guiding Granard to a notable Division 1 League title success this season and while an extended run in the championship is now the target for St Mary’s they could be hard pressed to beat the regular surprise-packets Rathcline in the first round. 

Although drawn in the easier of the groups, it is looking like a struggle for Mostrim and last year’s Intermediate champions Kenagh to survive in the top flight and avoiding a relegation play-off will probably prove to be a tough task.

At the other end of the scale, quite a few shrewd observers believe that Clonguish might make a breakthrough in their bid to capture the Connolly Cup for the first time since 2009.

Just a solitary point (1-8 to 0-10) separated the sides when Killoe came out on top in last year’s title decider but on the basis of what was their third senior championship triumph in the space of five seasons the often dreaded favourites tag is attached to Emmet Og.

Let’s wait and see what happens along the way and there will be the usual dramatic moments in the eagerly awaited 2024 County SFC!

Six SFC games down for decision in Round 1 next week

12 clubs will compete for the Peter Hanley Senior Football Championship title, including last year’s Intermediate winners Kenagh, 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 relegation play-offs with TWO  clubs demoted to the 2025 Intermediate Championship. 

Peter Hanley Motors 2024 Senior Football Championship

Group 1

Killoe

Colmcille

Rathcline

Kenagh

Granard

 Mostrim 

Group 2

Clonguish

Dromard

Slashers 

Carrickedmond

Abbeylara  

Mullinalaghta

Round 1 Fixtures 

Tuesday July 16

Group 1 

Glennon Brothers Pearse Park: Colmcille v Killoe Emmet Og, 8pm 

Prediction: Killoe

Thursday July 18

Glennon Brothers Pearse Park: Rathcline v St Mary’s Granard, 8pm 

Prediction: Granard

Friday July 19

Abbeylara, Lynch Park: Dromard v Carrickedmond, 8pm 

Prediction: Dromard

Saturday July 20

Lanesboro, Clonbonny: Kenagh v Mostrim, 7pm 

Prediction: Mostrim

 Group 2

Killoe, Emmet Park: Abbeylara v Mullinalaghta St Columba’s, 7pm 

Prediction: Mullinalaghta

Ballinalee, Maguire Park: Clonguish v Longford Slashers, 7pm 

Prediction: Clonguish 

Quarter-Finals Qualification Prediction? 

Rathcline  

Abbeylara

Relegation 'Hot' Pot Prediction?

Mostrim

Longford Slashers