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Kevin Egan reports from King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park
THEY CAME TO their home ground to win the Connacht title, but a first home championship win over Galway since 1990 was always going to be something special when it came along, and Roscommon gave the 22,799 supporters something truly memorable when they came back from the dead with ten minutes to play in Dr Hyde Park.
They were on life support in the first half too, but the jolt of electricity that Darragh Heneghan brings to every game with his pace and unrelenting instinct to drive for goal was enough to defibrillate them out of that torpor.
But when Damien Comer crashed the ball to their net to crown a 1-6 to 0-1 run over the course of 20 minutes when the Rossies had a huge wind at their backs, it looked like the goose was cooked, carved and served up on a celebratory platter, designed to commemorate Galway’s five-in-a-row out west.
What followed was a finale as good as anything that has been seen in this new golden age of football, with Roscommon’s subs to the forefront.
Paul Carey and Daire Cregg hit two-pointers, then with two minutes remaining and one between the teams, Cian McKeon won a kickout break between three Galway men, and was fouled. He tried to tap and go, was impeded, and referee Sean Hurson brought the free forward.
Diarmuid Murtagh, with ice in his veins, split the uprights, and Roscommon just had to hold on.
Of course, that’s not how this group are wired. Enda Smith took a sideline and instead of holding the ball, he drove for goal, setting up another point for Murtagh. That left Galway needing a double into the wind and while Shane Walsh got a shot away under pressure from Caelim Keogh, it was a huge ask and the kick drifted narrowly wide.
Two-pointers were the story in the first half too — or half the story at least.
The Tribesmen opened the scoring with a Rob Finnerty goal, and they went on to use the breeze brilliantly. Five doubles were sent over Conor Carroll’s crossbar in the first half from nine attempts, two each from Paul Conroy and Shane Walsh with another from Kieran Molloy. Contested kickouts were another sphere of dominance for the Tribesmen, while they held the ball for long stretches to take the crowd out of the game.
The explosiveness of this Roscommon team couldn’t be contained forever. With 15 minutes to go before half-time it was 1-9 to 0-4, and only team captain Diarmuid Murtagh was making any inroads up front.
Enter the new generation, led by Darragh Heneghan. He had a shot parried by Conor Flaherty that was slammed to the net by Robert Heneghan, and a minute later he glided through the Galway defence again, this time picking out the bottom corner himself to reduce the margin to just two points all of a sudden.
Conroy hit his second double in response but points from Dylan Ruane, Diarmuid Murtagh and Keith Doyle kept the momentum going. Murtagh could well have had another goal and he also dropped a free short, and even though Shane Walsh nudged it out to 1-14 to 2-8 at the break, it was Roscommon that would have been much the happier team at that stage, given the strength of the breeze.
Ten minutes into the second half Conor Ryan sent the orange flag flying at the graveyard end once again, Darragh Heneghan cemented his status as All-Star contender with his third goal in the space of around an hour of football and Galway were on the ropes.
You don’t reach two All-Ireland finals in four seasons without having a healthy mix of nous and talent however, and the next 20 minutes was a masterclass in controlled football from the Tribesmen. Comer gave them a focal point up front after coming in to operate in the heavy traffic close to goal, Cillian McDaid and Seán Kelly showed leadership and tenacity, and John Maher was ferocious and irresistible, leading the charge.
Roscommon have won the Connacht Football Championship. Scenes of undiluted joy at Dr Hyde Park as they complete a memorable provincial clean sweep: the minor, the under-20 and now the senior title all belong to Roscommon. 🏆🏆🏆 #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/OQTxfMl4dS
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 10, 2026
Shane Walsh nailed a two-pointer into the wind, and when two Roscommon men jumped for a kickout and the resultant breakaway saw Damien Comer hammer the ball into the roof of the net, it still would have gone down as a great final.
The full tale was yet to be told, as Roscommon’s rising continues to develop into the story of the season so far.
Scorers for Roscommon: Darragh Heneghan 2-2, Diarmuid Murtagh 0-7 (1 2pt free, 0-2f), Robert Heneghan 1-0, Conor Ryan 0-3 (1 2pt score), Daire Cregg 0-3 (1 2pt score, 0-1f), Paul Carey 0-2 (1 2pt score), Dylan Ruane 0-1, Senan Lambe 0-1, Keith Doyle 0-1, Conor Carroll 0-1 (45).
Scorers for Galway: Shane Walsh 0-9 (2 2pt scores, 1 2pt free, 1 45), Damien Comer 1-2, Robert Finnerty 1-1, Paul Conroy 0-4 (2 2pt scores), Kieran Molloy 0-2 (1 2pt score), Seán Kelly 0-2 (0-1f), Céin D’Arcy 0-1, Dylan McHugh 0-1.
1. Conor Carroll (St. Brigid’s)
2. Paddy Gavin (Clann na nGael), 3. Caelim Keogh (Pádraig Pearses), 4. Eoin McCormack (St. Dominic’s)
5. Eoin Ward (Fuerty), 6. Ronan Daly (Pádraig Pearses), 7. Senan Lambe (Roscommon Gaels)
8. Keith Doyle (St. Dominic’s), 9. Conor Ryan (Pádraig Pearses)
10. Dylan Ruane (Michael Glaveys), 11. Enda Smith (Boyle), 14. Colm Neary (Strokestown)
12. Darragh Heneghan (Michael Glaveys), 13. Diarmuid Murtagh (St. Faithleach’s), 15. Robert Heneghan (Michael Glaveys)
Subs
1. Conor Flaherty (Claregalway)
2. Johnny McGrath (Cahirlistrane), 7. Liam Silke (Corofin), 4. Jack Glynn (Claregalway)
5. Dylan McHugh (Corofin), 18. Kieran Molloy (Corofin), 3. Seán Kelly (Maigh Cuilinn)
8. Paul Conroy (St. James’), 9. John Maher (Salthill-Knocknacarra)
10. Daniel O’Flaherty (Salthill-Knocknacarra), 11. Cillian McDaid (Monivea-Abbey), 12. Céin D’Arcy (Ballyboden St. Enda’s)
13. Robert Finnerty (Salthill-Knocknacarra), 21. Ryan Roche (Killannin), 14. Shane Walsh (Kilmacud Crokes)
Subs
Referee: Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).
*****
Written by Kevin Egan and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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