Roscommon's Conor Hussey pictured at the launch of the Connacht SFC. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
By Cian O'Connell
Roscommon's Conor Hussey knows all about the Connacht footballing rivalries.
Mayo and Galway aren't too far so sporting matters are frequently on the agenda.
Michael Glaveys clubman Hussey went to school in Ballyhaunis and is now teaching in Castlerea. "Our club is uniquely positioned, right on the border from Galway, Mayo and Roscommon," Hussey explains.
"I’d have clubmates from Cloonfad, who would have went to school in Dunmore and they would feel that Galway would be their biggest rivals.
"We’re only a stone’s throw away from each other so definitely it’s a very uniquely situated part of the country too so I do feel the heat of it alright. There’s always good banter around the town when you have a victory or a loss, but something you have to learn to take."
Sunday's Dr Hyde Park encounter between Roscommon and Mayo dominates the conversations.
Davy Burke's outfit will be anxious to respond following relegation from Division One of the Allianz Football League. “It’s a big disappointment, there’s no two ways about it," Hussey says.
"You can’t hide the fact we were relegated. As players we accept that we probably deserved to be relegated. Our performances weren’t good enough compared to last year where we were competitive in most games so it is a big disappointment, but it’s something you have to park.
Conor Hussey, Roscommon, and Niall Scully, Dublin, in All-Ireland SFC action at Croke Park last year. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
"You can’t dwell on it too much. We have to take the learnings from it, to try to improve to get back to that level again."
A hamstring issue restricted Hussey's involvement, while other players were also missing during the league campaign. “I think it’s probably reasonable to say that injuries probably did affect our performances, but the players who are left playing probably haven’t got back to the level," Hussey replies.
"I think that’s the real crux of the matter. As a player you can take losing if you play well. If you perform and give it all and leave it on the pitch and you’re happy with your performance and you’re beaten, it’s easier to take that result.
"This year, too often we didn’t play to the level we could play to, the players who were on the field, so it’s something that we have to take responsibility for.
"Overall, it’s probably a little bit of a reason we didn’t get back to the heights of last year, but it’s something we’ll hopefully work on and players coming back all the time and lads getting more minutes all the time so we’ll have to try to see if we can get back."
Early in 2023 Roscommon generated momentum, collecting some valuable league wins. Then, in the Connacht SFC, Burke's charges triumphed against Mayo. "I think last year, if you actually look at it indepthly, we could have been lucky to get some of those results," Hussey reflects.
"We bet Galway by a point, Richard Hughes got a last minute point. That could easily have been a draw, Galway could have got a win so maybe we got that little bit of luck early on in the year and that propelled us on to a bit of confidence, belief but I think momentum is really important.
"It’s why we need a performance to try to get back the momentum ahead of the All-Ireland series or a possible Connacht final."