By Cian O'Connell

Ciaran Comerford is a Laois native living in Galway with the brief to develop Roscommon hurling.

That interesting coaching journey continues for the well regarded Comerford, who has steered Roscommon into Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League Division 3A decider against Armagh in Pairc Tailteann.

Initially Comerford made a favourable impression stitching talented Borris-Kilcotton underage teams together which led to a stint working alongside the thoughtful Seamus ‘Cheddar’ Plunkett at Under 21 level with Laois.

Comerford subsequently moved to Portumna and has trained the decorated outfit at senior level alongside his duties with Roscommon, who he managed in 2018 after a previous stint under Johnny Kelly with the primrose and blue.

Kelly afforded Comerford an opportunity to become involved with him Roscommon. “Exactly, I'm in Portumna for a number of years now,” Comerford explains. “Johnny would have worked with my wife so that is how I came across Johnny first. I became a member of the club a number of years ago so it just came through talking and word of mouth.

“Johnny was in the running for the Laois job the same time as Eamonn Kelly, Johnny half tapped me up for a bit of information on Laois. I just said to him, as brazen as you like, if there are any coaching gigs don't forget about me.”

Kelly didn’t and Comerford is now in charge of Roscommon, a job that can be demanding, but still brings pleasure. “Regardless of the level I just enjoy the coaching,” Comerford says. “There definitely is satisfaction when stuff you are working on is coming off in games, especially when you have a group of lads working hard. They are reaping the rewards.

“Obviously there is nothing won by any means yet, but when they perform it gives them an extra little kick and they really start believing in what you are trying to do.”

Retaining Christy Ring Cup status in 2018 ensured Roscommon’s campaign finished on a positive note and that is the environment in which Comerford hopes the team can prosper.

“The way the League finished for us last year wasn't so good,” Comerford admits. “We started the Ring Cup very poorly against a quality Kildare team, who went on to win it. We came back into it against Wicklow which bred a bit of confidence and in the Mayo game we hit the ground running.

“Again what we were working on came off. That is the frustrating thing because I wouldn't be around Roscommon unless I could see quality and good guys there. There are serious hurling men up there, quality hurlers, but it is very hard to get them all in at the one time.

“If they could get them all in at the one time the Christy Ring would be their level. Not that they would be winning Christy Rings hands down, but they would be competing. That is the battle a lot of these lower tier counties have where football is the strongest code.”

So how important is it for Roscommon that the current League has been successful reaching a Final to entice players back into the fold? “I have spoken to all these guys, but for a huge variety of reasons - college final years, lads retiring, two lads went the football way which is fine, one lad went to rugby,” Comerford responds.

“They have given me their reasons, but now we are going well are you being fair to the other guys, who have been there since early November too. We will get over this week, whatever the result is and take 10 days or two weeks. Then there is a big eight or nine weeks build up into the Christy Ring and we will see what the numbers are like then.”

Despite the fact that the playing personnel changes regularly Comerford acknowledges the manner in which those involved presently have delivered.

“The panel number is actually quite small this year,” Comerford remarks. “At the start all the lads there fully rowed in and bought into everything, even the very minor details from the nutrition to the S&C, to the hurling side with what we are trying to do.

“There is a huge turnover in players in Roscommon for whatever reason, I can't really put my finger on it. They won the Rackard in '15 and I probably only have three or four lads that were on that panel now.

“It is only four years later. So I suppose it is down to a good core of lads buying into what we are trying to do with them.”

Comerford is content with the backroom team assembled in Roscommon. “I have a couple of very good guys around me, Johnny Keane as the hurling coach and Gary Murphy, the strength and conditioning coach, while Adrian Murphy is also a selector this year,” Comerford adds.

“Adrian hurled with Roscommon, albeit as a permit player for the past number of years. They would know the set-up and in the three years I'm now familiar with what Roscommon is about too.

“Different quirks lads would have and your kitman always seems to know the most, he can get all of the inside information. Micheal Finneran is the kitman so he is very good that way.”

So too is Comerford at maximising the resources at his disposal with Roscommon’s four match winning run earning them a place in the Division 3A showpiece before last weekend’s loss to Lancashire.

“At the start of a new season you list out your short term goals and one for us was to get to the League Final,” Comerford acknowledges.

“To be honest the first four games couldn't have went better for us. We had Monaghan without the Castleblayney contingent so they would have been a different monster I'd imagine if they had them for the first couple of games.

“We had Armagh, we put in a good performance, then Tyrone, a very good performance. Last weekend we gave a lot of lads and the fringe players a bit of a run out.”

Many lessons were learned during a stint training Portumna too. Marquee names were sprinkled around every match and session with Comerford striving to improve.

“I was the hurling coach and a selector with Portumna last year. When you have a Hurler of the Year in Joe Canning around and a few of the older stock like Damien Hayes, Ollie Canning, and Andy Smith, these guys - they are still serious hurlers so it was good to be around those guys, to see the standards they set in training.”

Raising and improving the level in Roscommon is the mission Comerford currently wants to accomplish, and an interesting adventure continues.