Brigid's laud 'extremely cool character' Cunningham

It was a cold, damp St Patrick's Day in 2013, but none of that mattered to the supporters of St Brigid's as the Roscommon club claimed a maiden All-Ireland senior club football title.

Cue much celebration, with perhaps the most iconic shot of the day that of goalkeeper Shane Curran grabbing Frankie Dolan for an impromptu lip-on-lip.

The memories from back then are still fresh in the mind of current St Brigid's player Ruaidhrí Fallon, who on Sunday next will be part of the side that will aim to deliver a second Andy Merrigan Cup success for the club, when up against Daingean Uí Chúis.

Fallon did grace Croke Park some 13 years ago, telling a press briefing ahead of the AIB All-Ireland club deciders: "I have very fond memories of that day; I played at half-time in the exhibition match.

"I was Under-11 at the time and a lot of the extended panel now were also on the pitch that day. It was similar in 2011 (Brigid's lost final to Crossmaglen) when another clatter of lads were on the pitch at half-time.

"Just fond memories for the younger cohort of the senior team.

"I remember the elation in the club afterwards; the clubhouse was rocking till all hours that night. On Sunday, now that I'm a small bit older, I'll be able to enjoy it more and hopefully we'll have few photos of the Andy Merrigan Cup to share around afterwards."

It's two years since Brigid's last graced Jones's Road on finals day.

And while the surrounds of the famous venue did its best to quell the impact of Storm Isha, the Connacht side were powerless to prevent The Glen from Derry coming with their own surge to land the spoils.

Fallon was quite phlegmatic in how things turned out.

"It was close but that made no difference in the end, and it was The Glen who were walking up the step afterwards," he recalled.

"You can gain experience from it and you don't know you have that experience it until you feel it."

And it was something the defender felt during the semi-final win against Scotstown.

"It was there the last day. When the chips were down; some of our players stood up when it counted. Hopefully that shines through again on Sunday."

You could also attribute the victory over Maigh Cuilinn in the Connacht final as one where Brigid's also stood firm, with Fallon popping up at the right time to find the net in what was a close battle.

Overseeing the Roscommon champions is Galway native Anthony Cunningham, in what is his second coming as manager.

Back in the 2000s, Cunningham presided over county and Connacht success, all before raising Galway's stock on the hurling fields, highlighted by that trouncing of Kilkenny in the 2012 Leinster final.

"I think the success that Anthony had back then subconsciously laid down a winning mentality in our club," said Fallon.

"You were seeing senior members come into our schools, bringing in cups, county cups, Connacht cups and then the main one in 2013. It was paving a pathway for younger players.

"We were inspired by big names like Senan Kilbride, Frankie Dolan and Karol Mannion. We were the kids running on to the pitch looking for their gloves, looking for a 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."

But what about Cunningham the manager?

"Anthony is a massive character, not only on the sideline but off the pitch" - just some of the words used by the defender to explain the impact the 60-year-old coach has made.

"He's an extremely cool character; you never see him getting too worked up and that instils a calmness in the team itself. He has been in Croke Park on very big days, knows how to win on those big days and all that experience he is passing on to us.

"He has been involved with Brigid's before and has been successful. He is looking to add to that massive résumé. We're looking to help him along the way.

"He has made it well known that everything you get in sport you have to work really hard for it."

And so to Sunday's opponents. The never-say-die attitude was there in Daingean Uí Chúis's Munster final and All-Ireland semi-final victories.

It would seem that Brigid's have an eye on curbing the spontaneity that has served the Kerry side well so far, with Fallon saying: "We've done our pieces on them and how best we can nullify their threats all over the pitch.

"They are a superb footballing team, they play an expansive game which is the toughest one to analyse: it's sporadic, off-the-cuff sort of stuff.

"It's very tough to contain them, to cage them in and play a system sort of game. Our best will be to try and limit to that sort of off-the-cuff stuff, limit their turnovers."

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