Sligo's Niall Murphy pictured at the launch of the Tailteann Cup. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
By Cian O’Connell
Few are better placed to assess Sligo football than Niall Murphy. The Sligo captain, who made his championship debut in 2013 on a harrowing afternoon in Ruislip, when London caused a seismic shock is still going strong.
Even as a teenager in that chaotic match, Murphy struck a point, but London prevailed. In the intervening years Sligo flickered occasionally.
In the past couple of campaigns, though, Murphy is adamant that tangible progress is being made at senior level under Tony McEntee. “Yeah, 100 per cent, it has been a great 18 months, two years,” Murphy responds.
“We have been moving along nicely, going from Division Four last year up to Division Three. We gave a good account of ourselves in Division Three, we were probably disappointed not to go up.
“Likewise, into the Connacht Championship, last year Galway turned us over by 14 or 15 points, to take them down the stretch. It was gutting after the game, very disappointing, but looking at it overall, it has been a positive couple of years.”
Underage talent is being developed in Sligo. Provincial silverware has been gleaned at inter-county and post primary level. Still, Murphy acknowledges it is vital not too place too much of a burden on the emerging players. “In fairness, there has been no hassle with the boys coming in, they have been absolutely brilliant,” Murphy says.
“Like all young lads, they need a couple of years to bed in, our management team have allowed them to do that. They haven't thrown them in, straight off the bat or anything, they have brought them in, nice and easy.
“The underage structures with the County Board and everything, they have been brilliant for the last few years in Sligo. We are really starting to see the rewards coming through, with the underage and ourselves going well too.”
Niall Murphy remains an influential figure for Sligo. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Potential exists and further development is imminent according to Murphy. “It is a great time to be playing, I'm moving on, I'm getting older myself, I'd love to go back to my mid 20s or early 20s with what is happening in the county,” Murphy says.
“It is great, the young lads are brilliant with really good underage structures, a couple of Connacht titles with the underage teams.
“Hopefully in the next two, three or four years Sligo will start moving up the ranks again, becoming a top 16 team, that is the next goal, and moving up from there.”
Sligo commenced the 2024 with a Tailteann Cup win over Wexford and McEntee’s charges travel to Thurles on Saturday for a clash with Tipperary. “It is great, we said it a long time ago, you want to be playing more games in the summer time,” Murphy remarks.
“In the winter months over the last few years was where you were playing the majority of games. So, having at least three games ahead of us, hopefully you can progress again to get back here to Croke Park towards the business end would be great. It is all we want - games. The more games, the better, especially during the summer months.”
McEntee has occupied a central role in Sligo’s recent rise too. “Our set-up is very good, it is professional,” Murphy says.
“He has got in really good people around him, in all the different areas, from S&C to medical to nutrition.
“So, we are ticking all of the boxes in terms of that, the County Board, in fairness, have backed us over the past couple of years, which is great, too. Tony has been brilliant, long may it continue.”
