A new football world ignites pub talk, carries question marks and damns he who speaks too soon
Colour view
Jack Madden
On the RTÉ GAA podcast last week, Colm Keys, one of our finest sporting literary architects, described the weekend that was to come as ‘darkness into light’.
Hindsight and Storm Éowyn have since joined hands to make a despairing irony out of those once careful words.
On the way home from Kingspan Breffni, an ad for Vodafone plays on the radio and brashly outlines their superb nationwide connection as we approach the Cavan-Monaghan border that has shades of the first lockdown and shades of an uneventful episode of The Flintstones.
Even The Flintstones could light open fires, and didn’t stress over the kitchen stove’s connection to a circulating pump.
And then the scenic route home via Shercock and Sillan Fries backfires. The light at the end of the tunnel was as bright as the ocean floor by Challenger Deep. A main street in apocalyptic darkness.
Should’ve tried ringing it in. That’s the benefit of hindsight. Isn’t it, Colm Keys?
No shower, no telly, and now no Ollie Bowl. Sure at least football is back, and by the time we got back to Castleblayney like Big Tom and the Mainliners, it was talk of the town.
With many still short of service, Wi-Fi and the rest, pub talk was back and better than ever. Nothing is a lie if you’re confident enough.
“Did Monaghan win?”
“They did, aye. Played rightly.”
“Not so bad. By much?”
“26. New rules are a right job.”
“Get out. Who did the scoring?”
“Good spread in fairness. Ardal O’Hanlon got the first goal, he’d be a brother of Stephen’s. Tommy Bowe was in goals, late change. Good to see Finlay back too.”
It was a real blast of nostalgia in what has become a hyper-educated sphere of articles, podcasts and mass media. How much of man’s genius lies within his smartphone?
A gust of wind and you’re back to word of mouth.
Even still, there were takes on these new rules, their efficiencies and their frailties, but it’s all a little like sending a newborn child to purgatory.
Because, boring as it is, the truth is that time is the judge and time is the jury. The reality is that the FRC have thought beyond what any of us have.
It was interesting to hear Oisín McConville voice last week that his Wicklow players’ GPS stats are virtually the same as they were in 2024.
Speaking to Cahair O’Kane after Saturday night’s match, Scotstown’s Conor McCarthy indicated that the high speed running was much greater even though distances are almost identical.
Speaking locally to referees, some suggested they will be covering up to two kilometres more per match, which if it is the case, Liam Devenney deserves much credit for how he handled the opening round of Division Two in Cavan town.
Generally speaking, all involved seemed well adapted. There was one instance of a Cavan player not handing the ball to his opponent and a 50 metre advancement.
The sarcastic jeers from the Farney faithful were perhaps a symbol of the ridiculousness of how it all feels right now.
That seems to be the main bug bear, as well as goalkeepers creating a 12 v 11 advantage. Jim Gavin clarified on the BBC GAA Social last week that the ball must only be handed back if an opponent has conceded a free and remains in possession of the liathróid.
In that case, handing the ball back could work, but it feels as leaving the ball down on the mark the free is awarded would be a fair alternative.
Imagine a case for example where Gary O’Rourke goes short to Jason McLoughlin, he gets boxed in and overcarries.
To be expected to hand the ball to a Conor McCarthy who could potentially solo and go and run unopposed in on goal is a lot to ask for. We shall see. On a side note, Cavan made good use of the solo and go.
If the 12 v 11 persists, Rory Beggan looks tailor made. He has reined in his all-out attacking style deployed under Séamus McEnaney, sitting back more in the pocket and picking out kick passes.
It was interesting that Monaghan lined out a huge team height-wise and boomed kick-out after kick-out long.
After Beggan’s brief NFL assault, it was no surprise to see Monaghan turn down one-point efforts in favour of two when given the option for dissent-related fouls.
It also seems like a good time for Monaghan to have met their fiercest rivals. If Gearóid McKiernan and Paddy Lynch align in the full-forward line before the end of the league, then Cavan are a different proposition.
An away task in Meath looks a tricky proposition however, especially with a highly capable Meath forward line. Matthew Costello kicked 0-10 in a narrow defeat in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Eoghan Frayne, Shane Walsh and Jordan Morris - who Breffni folk will be well accustomed to - are other names capable of keeping corner-backs well occupied. Even in Round Two, the loser of this one looks in a bit of bother.
For Gabriel Bannigan, he would have taken a win any which way. Eight points is a bonus, particularly in a Division Two that could boil down to score difference.
Monaghan’s 2015 Ulster title was their last piece of silverware. Croke Park always means a lot to spectators, but if The Farney had a cup on the line it would mean all the more.
Dermot McCabe’s Westmeath come to town in what could be a real banana skin. In general, Monaghan don’t carry the favourites’ tag well. Luke Loughlin was on fire in narrow defeat to Louth, though John Heslin and Ronan O’Toole are two huge losses to the panel.
All that said, it’s hard to beat winning games. If Monaghan win at the weekend, they’ll have matched their number of wins across League and Championship last year in just eight days in 2025.
Throw in challenge wins over Mayo, Antrim and Fermanagh and this Monaghan squad look to be in a positive place.
Roscommon are favourites for the crown, but one thing is certain in this division and in this FRC era, there are plenty of twists and turns to come before the fog lifts and darkness eventually ascends into light.
* Jack Madden is a freelance journalist from Cremartin, Co Monaghan. His father, Bernard, is a native of Gowna and played on the 1988 Senior Championship-winning team.