Fleet-footed Hand learning to back himself on the big day
By Kevin Egan
A dozen players started both St Brigid’s All-Ireland semi-final win over Scotstown and the club’s agonising one-point defeat to Glen in Croke Park two years ago, and two of those who were drafted in for the win over the Monaghan champions (Conor Carroll and Mark Daly) could hardly be described as inexperienced. They’re not old, but the Kiltoom men have served their apprenticeship and more in advance of Sunday's All-Ireland final with Dingle.
Because so many of the club’s frontline starters emerged onto the scene at such a young age, they will travel to Croke Park in the happy position of having a team that still has the majority of their careers ahead of them, while at the same time having no concerns about being overwhelmed by the huge occasion that lies in store.
Conor Hand embodies this more than anyone. Still technically in his second season out of U20 football, he burst onto the scene with a high profile after being named on the 2020 Minor Championship Team of the Year. Since then he has continued his progress at a tremendous rate, making his Roscommon senior debut in 2024 and evolving into one of the first names on both club and county team sheets across the last 12 months.
So while the 22-year-old will be one of the youngest players to tog out in the All-Ireland club finals, already he has a few things on his mind from his first appearance that he hopes will help him to be at his best against the West Kerry club.
“The last time we [St Brigid’s] went to Croke Park would have been my first time to play there. Even though you're trying not to, you're probably looking up around and wondering what's going on and trying to take it in, as well as trying to focus on winning an All-Ireland,” he recalls.
“You probably think too much about where you are; the stadium that you're in, that consumes you a bit. Now my attitude will be to just treat it as another game, as if you're only going down to the Hyde – though obviously we’re not!”
Of course, confidence means different things to different people. For Hand, it’s primarily about backing himself in the right situation and shedding any hesitancy when it comes to being the one to make a play.
“My role is probably the same in the sense that I try to use speed to take on my man, that's kind of been my thing,” he acknowledges.
“But this year, definitely compared to two years ago, you can probably see it more. That bit of experience of learning about how to do it, backing yourself, having the confidence to take on your man. Sometimes I was a bit nervous to do it, sometimes I just wasn't experienced enough to have myself in the right position.
“I've become maybe a bit more knowledgeable, and that comes down to the lads beside me - Brian Stack, Eddie Nolan, Shane Cunnane, Ruaidhrí Fallon, Ronan Stack, the older lads, they're just constantly giving you the little tips and pointers, it’s a great environment for any player. That has probably bounced me on and helped me make more of an impact.”
The Hill of Berries native admits analysis wouldn’t be something he was automatically drawn to, saying he’s “not a lover” of the tactical side of things – but he sees the value in it nonetheless.
“If I was watching a normal game of football, I'm not really studying how the opposition presses, or how they set up on kickouts or how they set up on a slow attack, I'm kind of probably watching it more for individual brilliance or how a team plays,” he says, but nonetheless acknowledges it as a crucial part of modern football, even for a player like him who could reasonably be described as ‘off the cuff’ in his style.
As a final year quantity surveying student in TUD preparing to enter the world of construction and design, the mathematical side of Hand’s brain is never far away. Once the playing rules changed, he intuitively understood that in order to be more of a threat from the half-forward line, developing a shooting threat was crucial. Three two-pointers in the last two games has seen that effort pay dividends.
“I was never known for my shooting, not like Bobby Nugent or someone like that. With a bit more confidence and a couple of years older, it’s easy to back yourself more to go for these opportunities. When that two-point shot was only a point, the risk/reward balance wasn’t the same. Now if you hit three and you get one or two, it’s two or four points which is a decent return on three attacks.”
As we get more and more into his evolution as a footballer, it takes a moment to realise that this is a significant time for Conor as a young man making his way in the world. The boots aren’t always on, after all.
Here too, his instinct to be thoughtful and considered comes through, as he understands that his world as a Brigid’s and Roscommon player is central to his life, but not the only thing either.
“Especially around the parish at this time of year, anyone that you kind of bump into, the first thing they relate you to is the match at the weekend or something related to football. Everything revolves around how are you getting on with Roscommon, how St Brigid’s are playing, whereas they probably don't ask you much about college or work because they don't associate you with that.
“I love playing with my club. We get on really well, we're a real tight-knit team, we're all sort of similar ages and we spend a lot of time together outside of football. But football definitely isn't just a be-all and end-all. You have college, work, other relationships, family, everything. Football is one of the many things that I have going on and I'm thankful for it to have going on, but it's not the making of me.”
He doesn’t close the door to the possibility that work might bring him abroad at some point in the future, but understands that a footballing career can be short, and that giving up prime years could be a blessing for some players and a waste of potential for others.
All he knows for now is that he’s very happy to be part of this group, and ready to step up if the game is on the line and the chance to make that decisive play falls at his feet.
“Closer to the game, you might visualise certain moments or certain outcomes, maybe yourself doing something or visualising someone on the team doing something, anything just to get your hands on the cup," he says.
“Obviously it would be a huge highlight to have for yourself individually for the rest of your career, the likes of what Frankie Dolan did for us 12 years ago. That would be a brilliant thing, yeah, but I would like to think anyone, including myself, would know that they have the full support of the team that if it’s the right position and the correct shot, to go for it because you've been in that position all year, and Croke Park is no different.”
Conor Hand is young, but experienced. Off the cuff, but thoughtful. Ready to be the forager, the facilitator, or the finisher. A footballer, but much more too.