Longford Slashers and Colmcille will battle it out for Sean Connolly Cup success for 2008, in an eagerly anticipated county final on Sunday September 28th. Colmcille stole the last final spot up for grabs with a hard fought 1-6 to 0-8 victory over Killoe in the second semi final. A goal from Tommy Doyle in the twenty-fifth minute of the second half, Colmcille’s only score of the half, set up a repeat of the 1994 county final in which Slashers won.

On that day back in 1994, it took a great second half comeback from Slashers, led by the great Dessie Barry, for Slashers to claim the title, which they have failed to capture since. A fourteen year absence is a long time but for Colmcille it is fifty years since they last brought Sean Connolly to Aughnacliffe and many feel that this is Colmcille’s year.

Indeed that bit of lady luck that is needed to win a championship seems to be with Colmcille this year as they were very fortunate in their semi final win over Killoe. Doyle’s goal was enough for his side to scrape through but Killoe missed various opportunities at the opposite end to salvage a draw.

Colmcille have not been in their best form to date in this years campaign but that will count for little in the final and they are certainly capable of raising their game for the big occasion. Last years bitterly disappointing one point defeat at the hands of Dromard will be a driving factor for Colmcille but Slashers themselves have tasted county final defeat when in 2006 Abbeylara beat the town side, 1-9 to 0–10.

Slashers have been more impressive in their path to the county final and disposed of favourites Clonguish in the quarter-final. Slashers looked dead and buried when they trailed by six points at the start of the second half but a wonderful team performance, led by Adrian Murphy got the town side through, 0-11 to 1-7.

A semi-final against Abbeylara awaited Slashers and it was another strong second half performance that ensured Slashers second final appearance in three years. Mark Smith was the star of the show who accounted for 0-9 of his sides 1-12 tally. Smith’s elder brother Colin was sprung from the bench and he added two points of his own.

Colin will be pushing hard for a starting place but the returning duo of Paul Kelly and Niall Mulligan are another two players who have thrown their names into the hat for John Murphy, a nice problem for the Slashers management team to have.

Slashers midfield pairing of Ian Shannon and David Sheridan got the better of Abbey’s strong pairing of Arthur O’ Connor and Enda Ledwith in the second half, with Sheridan particularly impressive. Another similar performance will be needed county final day and it will be interesting to see who will pick up Colmcille playmaker Declan C Reilly.

Captain Dermot Brady will feature in the defence where he will get assistance from Gareth Ghee, Peter Brady and Michael Brady. Dermot Brady could well be given the role of diminishing Reilly’s influence on the game and the county man played this role particularly well when marking Paddy Dowd in the quarter-final. If this pairing does prevails an interesting one on one awaits.

Colmcille will enter this final fully determined on ending their drought. So far Declan C Reilly has been their leading light with the talented player being at the heart of everything Colmcille do. Reilly carries similarities to the toll bridge on the new M4 motorway, as in order emerge in the opposing half, the ball must pass through him. He is a terrific link man between defence and attack and his pin point passing lays the foundation for the Colmcille attack.

In attack Tommy Doyle and Donie McKeon are the two men to watch. They accounted for all of the 1-6 tally in the semi final while in their quarter final win over Fr. Manning Gaels, they hit 1-9 of their 1-13 total. Declan Farrell has yet to set this years championship campaign alight but if the full forward can produce his best on Sunday,

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Before a Colmcille senior championship match

Man - well..where ya out last night??

Man 2 - Nah sure who the fuck would be heading out with the match ha?

Man- I was out.. was bananas!!

Man 2 - ya Fucking mess ya!

Man - This year is the year for colmcille boy!

Man 2 - ahh would ya ever fuck off ya bollox ya. They wouldn't win shite!

Man - ahh now.. they have alright team.. good set up... and..

Man 2 - They won't win shite! I'm telling ya..

Man - ahh now..

Man 2 - ahh now nothing! They'll go out ther today and they'll get killed! Useless bastards.. I'v never seen such bollox...



After colmcille win the match

Man - Good game.. they played well!

Man 2 - Yeh ..awwh yeh.. it'll go to their heads now and they'll hit the bottle.. useless shower of bastards!

Man - but you said they'd lose..?

Man 2 - we need change..get rid of the manager...no good