St Brigid's the team to beat as Ros' SFC begins

AS the 2012 Roscommon SFC prepares to begin this weekend, there's little doubt St Brigid's are once again the team to catch and they remain red-hot favourites to make it three Fahy Cups in a row. The Kiltoom/Cam men have claimed an impressive six county titles since 1997 - two of those coming under the tutelage of now former manager Noel O'Brien in 2010 and 2011. O'Brien certainly had a massive impact upon the club's fortunes during his two years at the helm, also guiding them to two Connacht Club titles, and of course, the All-Ireland club final in 2011, when they suffered defeat to Crossmaglen Rangers. A year later, O'Brien again helped Brigid's to the All-Ireland semi-finals, where they were beaten by close neighbours Garrycastle. After immersing himself in the role for two years, O'Brien decided to step away as manager following the loss to Garrycastle, and has since been replaced by a high-calibre management team. Former Mayo hero Kevin McStay (resident in Roscommon town for many years and a former county title winner as manager of Roscommon Gaels) is the new manager, with fellow Mayo legend Liam McHale and St Brigid's stalwart Brendan 'Dixie' O'Brien working alongside him. Their new charges have been performing well in the league, but their real mandate will be to continue pushing St Brigid's at county, provincial and All-Ireland level. The latter two competitions are some way down the line, though, and for now the focus is entirely on retaining the Roscommon championship. St Brigid's begin this year's campaign against Kilbride at Kiltoom (Saturday, 7.30pm), with Roscommon Gaels and St Faithleach's making up Group B (they also meet at the weekend), and Brigid's will be very much favourites to get off to a winning start this weekend. Clann na nGael, who boast a record 19 Roscommon senior titles, but haven't won it since 1996, have struggled over recent years. The Johnstown outfit had to contest a relegation play-off last year after a disappointing campaign. Their form over recent years has fallen well short of expectations, and manager Eamon Harney is remaining realistic about Clann's aspirations for the season. "Our main aim at the start of the year was to preserve our status in Division 1 of the League, and to remain at senior level in the championship. We're currently mid-table in the League, and we're looking towards the future in terms of trying to build the team up again. We're playing adequately at the moment, and are looking forward to getting started against St Croan's (Saturday, Kiltoom, 6pm). "When you take St Brigid's out of the picture, there's very little between the rest of the teams in the county, and on any given day, anybody can beat anyone, especially if you get a little bit of good fortune, a few decisions, or really find a bit of form. St Croan's are going very well in the League, they're currently in second position, so it's going to be a big ask to beat them," said Harney. The Clann boss, whose side will also come up against Elphin and Castlerea St Kevin's in Group C, will be able to call on the services of former All-Ireland minor winning captain David Flynn, despite the defender currently living and working in Leeds. Flynn has transferred his registration back to Clann in recent months, and hopes to be available for as many championship games as possible. "That's a great lift to everyone at the club," Eamon said. "David has plenty of experience and is a great leader, so while it's never ideal to have a lad commuting, we appreciate his efforts and dedication to the cause, and look forward to having him available to us," he added. Brian Goode and Mark Shine are both nursing injuries at present, so could miss the championship opener. For Clann to improve on last year's dismal championship showing, the likes of Matt Scally, Donie Shine and Cathal Shine will need to perform well over a consistent period. It's certainly a tricky looking group that Clann find themselves in and a good start will be imperative. Elsewhere, Padraig Pearses mark their return to senior championship level against Kilmore in Group A (which also includes Strokestown and Western Gaels) on Sunday (Pairc an Piarsaigh, 2.30pm). Following last year's promotion from intermediate level, manager Seamus Clogher stepped aside and was replaced in the role by Skyvalley native John Donoghue, who has previously managed the club on a couple of occasions. Donoghue is capably supported in the role by Aidan Fallon and Frankie Flynn, but his preparations for the championship have been hit by a number of unavoidable factors. Last year's intermediate winning captain John Connell has relocated to Cork, while goalkeeper Pat Connell remains unavailable after sustaining a nasty leg injury in last year's county final. Mike Duignan has moved to Australia, while Paul Duke and Thomas Dolan have been injured of late. Enda Barrett and Paul Kelly have also missed some league action lately due to injury, but are expected to feature against Kilmore. On the plus side, Pearses have some very strong young players coming through, with the Daly brothers, Conor and Niall, and Niall Carty, providing plenty of hope for the coming years. Donoghue, whose side host Kilmore in Woodmount on Sunday (2.30) said: "We're very serious about doing well in this year's championship. We have a young and quick team. Everybody wants to get off to a winning start, which then takes the pressure off a bit. Hopefully we can get up and running straight away." Following this weekend's opening six championship fixtures, the Roscommon SFC takes a ten-week break, a decision which has been met with a certain level of disillusionment. The Roscommon IFC also begins this weekend, with St Brigid's and Clann na nGael's B teams meeting at Woodmount on Sunday (1pm), and St Dominic's playing St Michael's at Strokestown (Sunday, 1.30pm).