Search Results for 'Kevin McStay'

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try and try again. The footballers of St Brigid’s have enjoyed quite a bit of success over the past decade. Yet the holy grail of winning a club All-Ireland has thus far eluded them.

As part of the school calendar in recent years, Moyne College, Ballina have built in Mind Your Mind, a week which aims to promote positive mental health and well-being This year Moyne College is very privileged to have this event launched by past pupil, popular GAA pundit and former Mayo footballer Kevin McStay, who will speak to students and staff about his own personal experiences.

I sent a brief text to Liam McHale and Kevin McStay last Sunday evening congratulating them on guiding St Brigid’s of Roscommon to a Connacht title. These two lads were brought in by the Roscommon club to launch a serious bid for All-Ireland, an honour which, understandably, placed and places them under huge pressure. Had they not managed to at least achieve a provincial title, they would have been perceived as failures. On the evidence of last Sunday, I believe they have a fantastic chance of going all the way with this team.

Sunday in Castlebar’s McHale Park was a terrific day for St Brigid’s GAA Club from Roscommon, capping a glorious few years when winning their third consecutive Connacht senior title.

Connacht senior club final

The last time a Mayo side claimed the Connacht Club Senior Football Championship it was Ballina Stephenites on a wet and wild day in James Stephens Park in 2007 and St Brigid’s were the opposition. In the past four years the Roscommon men have gone on to claim the last two titles and are looking to make it three in a row and their fourth over all, this Sunday in McHale Park, and in the process, draw Roscommon level on 13 titles each with Mayo in the overall roll of honour. However standing in their way are a Ballaghaderreen side who are looking to claim their first provincial title and Mayo’s 14th drawing them level with Galway on the number of titles won on the roll of honour.

On what will be a unique day for football as a club from the geographical county of Roscommon will be Connacht champions. This will be the first time that St Brigid’s from Roscommon and Ballaghaderreen from Mayo/Roscommon will contest a provincial final. This unique pairing has presented an opportunity for some people to debate the age old argument of whether the Mayo boys should in fact be playing in Roscommon. As we all know, the town is administered by Roscommon County Council and for all intents and purposes is a Roscommon town, but it has declared its football allegiance to Mayo for the past 124 years. Whatever your views are on the issue, all of Mayo will be staunchly supporting the Ballagh boys in McHale Park on Sunday. I am not so sure they have the armoury to beat the Roscommon champions who, incidentally, are managed and coached by Kevin McStay and Liam McHale. I was in the Hodson Bay hotel during the week (Brigid’s territory) and many I spoke to are confident that not alone will Brigid’s win a Connacht title, but they feel they are good enough to win an All-Ireland this year. I’m not so sure but Sunday will give us a fair indication of their true worth. Ballaghaderreen, on the other hand, have been quite patchy in their recent performances. In their semi-final victory over Curry they were fortunate to be behind by just two points at half time. Had it been Brigid’s they were playing on that occasion Ballagh would have been out of sight by then. It could have been seven or eight. They did not get motoring until after half time and in fairness they were brilliant when they eventually did, playing arguably their finest football of the year in that second half. But if they are to stand any chance of winning on Sunday they will definitely need to perform for the entire 60 minutes.

Roscommon senior champions St Brigid’s sent out a clear signal of intent with a clinical performance which saw them brush aside the challenge of Galway champions Salthill/Knocknacarra in Pearse Stadium last Sunday. They are now just one hour away from claiming their third Connacht title on the trot but Ballaghadereen will be no pushovers.

Sometimes teams never really get into the groove and always look likely to be beaten and, unfortunately for Salthill/Knocknacarra, Sunday was one of those occasions.

An attractive and intriguing Connacht club semi-final takes place on Sunday at Pearse Stadium (2.30pm) when Salthill/Knocknacarra take on the current provincial club champions St Brigid’s (Roscommon).