Ruaidhrí Fallon hoping to maintain standards
St Brigid's Ruaidhrí Fallon pictured ahead of the AIB All-Ireland Club SFC Final.
By Cian O’Connell
Ruaidhrí Fallon values and appreciates these days. Around Kiltoom the talk is about Sunday’s AIB All-Ireland Club Senior Football Final against Daingean Uí Chúis.
Two years ago, Fallon was a key performer as Brigid’s lost a tight tussle against Glen. Just over a decade before that, he played at half-time in a juvenile exhibition on the day Brigid’s planted their flag on the summit of club football in 2013.
Several of the panel that tog out this weekend played in either the main event or exhibition. So, helping to inspire the next generation is always central. “It is massive, when we were younger players, that group coming through now, we were inspired by the ones that came before us, the big names at the time – Senan (Kilbride), Frankie (Dolan), Karol Mannion, all of these lads.
“We were the kids running on to the pitch looking for their gloves or signature, things like that. If nothing else, if we can win a few county titles, and fingers crossed, win on Sunday, to pave the pathway for the next group, to inspire the next group. That will add to the sweetness of it.”
In sport, tradition counts for something. Brigid’s have enjoyed great days on the Roscommon, Connacht, and national stages. “It was massively relevant in my upbringing in the parish as a football player growing up,” Fallon says regarding watching some of those victories unfold.
“Probably, subconsciously, it laid something down for us younger players, a bit of a winning mentality, seeing these senior members come into our schools.
“They'd bring cups in, whether they were county cups, Connacht cups, and obviously the main one, the All-Ireland in 2013. That definitely paves a bit of a pathway for younger players, it sets a winning culture in the club.”
A new wave of talent has been developed by Brigid’s and they’re blending nicely alongside the established players. “You obviously have the stalwarts that are still hanging around and adding so much to it, you've too many to name which is a great complaint to have,” Fallon says.
Ruaidhrí Fallon is a key performer for St Brigid's. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
“Definitely, that younger crop of players that have come through from 97 to maybe 2003 or 2004, they're really driving things on, pushing it to the next level. So, we've that nice balance of youth and experience. We're just hopefully merging the two of them together now.”
Glen edged a frenetic encounter against Brigid’s in 2024, but valuable lessons were learned according to Fallon. “100 per cent, you've to take some sort of positive,” Fallon responds.
“It was so close, but it didn't really make a difference at the end of the day, it was Glen, who were walking up the steps, not us. That is all that mattered.
“Since then, we've learned a lot. The experience we gained is an unusual thing, you probably don't know you have it, until you can feel it.
“It is something we felt the last day against Scotstown, when the chips were down, I think some of our players really stood up when it was counted. So, hopefully that shines through again the next day.”
The influence of Anthony Cunningham in the St Brigid’s story shouldn’t be underestimated either. Regardless of the code or level, Cunningham’s teams compete. “Anthony is a massive character, not only on the sideline, when it comes to the team, but off the pitch, he is a massive name,” Fallon reflects.
“Maybe it takes away a small bit of the heat from some of us on the pitch sometimes with him being on the sideline, a big, prolific character, who has been there on big days and knows what it takes to win which is definitely something we've used.
“His experience, that he's passed on for the big days, he's also made it well known on many occasions that you don't get anything for nothing. Anything you get in sport, you've to work really hard for.”
