End of the dual stars for Sligo
PLAYERS OPT FOR HURLING OR FOOTBALL:
SLIGO’S Senior hurlers have got a dream tie – they will take on former giants Offaly in this year’s Christy Ring Cup, the third tier GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship.
Sligo’s Group ‘B’ play-off game against the county that won the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 1998 takes place in July (either on Saturday, July 3 or Sunday, July 4).
If Sligo defeat Offaly they will progress to the semifinals. A defeat would put them into the quarter-final against the third-placed team from Group ‘A’ – either Wicklow, Roscommon or Derry.
This quarter-final offers a route to the competition’s last four but defeat here and it is a return to the Nicky Rackard Cup, a tier that Sligo won in 2019.
Sligo are guaranteed at least two fixtures in the Christy Ring Cup and when their Allianz Hurling League Division 3A schedule is factored in, they’ll play six games this year. Sligo competed in last year’s Christy Ring Cup for the first time. They had to forfeit their first round game against Derry due to a positive case of Covid-19 in the camp and their only fixture, against Roscommon, ended in a three-point loss for Padraig Mannion’s charges in Athleague.
Group ‘A’ of the Christy Ring Cup 2021 starts on the last weekend of June when Wicklow play Roscommon. Round two sees Roscommon face Derry and the third round is the meeting of Derry and Wicklow. The top two teams from this section go through to the semi-finals and the team placed third will play either Sligo or Offaly in the quarterfinal.
Offaly, beaten semi-finalists in last year’s Christy Ring Cup (they lost to Down who then fell to Kildare in the decider), were relegated from the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2019.
CHRISTY RING CUP
Saturday, June 26/Sunday, June 27
ROUND ONE: Wicklow v Roscommon
Saturday, July 3/Sunday, July 4
ROUND TWO: Roscommon v Derry
Saturday, July 10/Sunday, July 11
ROUND THREE: Derry v Wicklow
Saturday, July 3/Sunday, July 4
PLAY-OFF: Sligo v Offaly* *Venue, date and throwin time to be confirmed. OFFALY TEST: Sligo hurling boss Padraig Mannion,
extended to other calibre performers who have the credentials.
What about Easkey’s hurling talent Rory McHugh, who would surely boost McEntee’s squad, or Gaelic football talisman Niall Murphy, who could also hurl as effectively for Sligo as he has done so in the past for Coolera-Strandhill.
Finnian Cawley has played both Gaelic football and hurling for Sligo. Paul Kilcoyne, Joe McHugh and the Kilcullens (Andrew and Niall), could also adapt to both codes at the highest level.
Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch is arguably more important for Sligo hurling, both right now and in the future, while – at best – Niall Feehily, who captained Sligo hurlers in their Allianz Hurling League Division 3B title triumph last year, and Tony O’Kelly-Lynch would have been useful squad members with the Gaelic footballers. Incidentally, Feehily’s cousin, Ryan, a noted rugby player, is part of the Gaelic football panel. Mikey Gordon and Conor Griffin will bring graft and guile to McEntee’s plans.
Of course, it is a real pity that the Famous Five can’t play for Sligo GAA’s two inter-county teams this year.
That they – and other dual players – have excelled in the past for Sligo’s hurlers and Gaelic footballers is a credit to their skill and willingness to take on extra responsibility.
Now, with only one master to serve, they may have to put their love of the other game on hold (be that hurling or Gaelic football) but the county teams that they are set to play for should benefit even more from their involvement.