By Cian O’Connell

Interesting sub-plots always exist when London play Championship football, but Sunday’s game carries particular intrigue for the Carrabine family in Sligo.

With two brothers stationed in opposite camps an interesting afternoon looms at McGovern Park for the Connacht opener between London and Sligo.

Sean Carrabine is part of an exciting new crop of Sligo footballers, who are quickly adapting to life in the senior inter-county arena. That his older sibling David is now involved with Ciaran Deely’s London merely adds another dimension to the game.

Ultimately, though, it will be a special occasion for the Carrabine family with Sean acknowledging the role occupied by his father Tony in the Castleconnor club.

“He is secretly proud, he doesn't say much, I think he is happy enough,” the talented Sligo teenager admits.

“Obviously I'd say he will be supporting Sligo on the day, being a proud Sligoman, but he will hope David obviously puts in a very good performance as well. He is secretly proud and hopefully we can push on to win a few things to make him even prouder.”

Travel arrangements have been made with Carrabine a Castleconnor colleague of Sligo captain Kevin McDonnell, who has made an admirable return to action following injury.

“My whole family is going over except one of my sisters,” Carrabine says. “My two sisters, Mum and Dad and one of my sister's husbands is going over as well. There is a good gang from our club at home, Castleconnor, going over.

“There is a few lads from around, a lad from Easkey, three boys from St Farnan's. Mikey Gordon from Easkey, Paddy O'Connor, Eamonn Kilgallon, and Finian Cawley from St Farnan's.

“James Clarke from St Pat's, they are the surrounding clubs. Kevin and myself are then from Castleconnor. We will have good support from around those clubs.”

Carrabine has tried not to dwell on the fact that David, who now plays for the Garryowen club in London, is featuring for the Exiles.

“Yeah, I never imagined it, there isn't many words you can say on it, but it is very strange and rare,” Carrabine acknowledges. “We haven't really thought about it too much. He is seven years older than me.

“He is in London for four or five years at this stage.I think he was called in the year before he went in, but he wasn't able to go in with work commitments and stuff.

“He just wanted to enjoy himself over there, to have a bit of a life, to get to know London a bit. He went in last year and was called in again this year, he must be doing alright over there.”

Due to increasing football commitments Sean Carrabine’s trips to England have been limited in recent months. “I went over a few times to see him, we went to a United game last year together for my birthday,” Carrabine recalls.

“We've gone over the odd weekend to visit him. Mum and Dad would be over a nice bit to see his games and stuff. Obviously I wouldn't have as much time now with the football in Sligo, I would like to see more of him if I could.”

Having retained Division Three status in the Allianz Football League Carrabine feels that Sligo’s cocktail of youth and experience can develop further under Cathal Corey’s guidance.

“The talent is there, but it is about finding the right mix and blend,” Carrabine states. “Players get injuries, they go away travelling, I think in a couple of years we will have a right good young team that will be there for a few years and hopefully push on to win a couple of Connacht Championships.

“There is a good few of us in our first year, maybe six or seven of us. I remember in our first game this year about seven or eight of us made our debut which is a good sign.

“All up through the underage we rarely lost games, obviously we lost two Connacht finals, but other than that we rarely lost games. We have a bit of a fearless attitude and mentality going into the games. Kevin McDonnell said in an interview not too long ago about what the young lads have, I don't know if it is arrogance, but it is good to be kind of feared at the same time.

“It is promising times and hopefully a promising future. We have a good management, a good backroom team so there is a right mix and blend of players as well which is good.”

The manner of Sligo’s dramatic League triumph over Derry augurs well for the Yeatsmen according to Carrabine.

“It was vital for us to stay in Division Three,” Carrabine accepts. “We had ups and downs in the League, but I thought we finished very strong. We performed very well against Longford, we should have won that game, Offaly we were flat, but could have still won it. We hit the crossbar twice, small margins.

“We had a great chance to compete in that Division, but we really showed our character against Derry. When the chips were down, when we were four or five points down with maybe 15 minutes left we really pushed on, we didn't hide.

“We stood up and delivered a great performance to beat one of the so called bigger counties in the country which is what Derry would be known as.”

Carrabine featured in the 2017 Connacht Under 21 final defeat to Galway, while Sligo have also been beaten in minor provincial deciders in 2015 and 2017.

It is a competitive environment out west with Sligo schools contesting eight of the last nine Connacht Senior A finals.

“Exactly, you can see it with Galway, who are really pushing on now with their underage players coming through,” Carrabine adds.

“Roscommon as well are an example so hopefully in a couple of years, maybe two or three when we have developed more in senior football, hopefully we can make the step up. If we all stay together and if a couple of more young players come in it should be good.”

Hope exists in the north west. This weekend, though, Sligo are firmly focused on the London challenge in Ruislip, where it will be a real family affair for the Carrabines.