Returning Dempsey in it for the long haul
The man who inspired Éire Óg, the late Bobby Miller, subsequently took over the reins with the county team but failed to find the spark after a promising start. Other managers who began well were Mickser Condon, Liam Hayes and Paul Bealin, but Carlow soon returned to drowning in a sea of recriminations.
The common thread has been the list of players making themselves unavailable for selection. Given that history, one reckoned that Luke Dempsey had gotten it right by coming in on a caretaker basis in 2004 after Condon’s departure and overseeing a famous championship win over Longford. Following a battling loss to Laois, the hero rode off into the sunset for Longford and we thought, ‘clever man’. A seed had been sown though. A native of Kildare, Dempsey lived in Carlow for a decade after his 10th birthday. He had strong links with Ballinabranna and Carlow CBS, and played at minor, U21 and senior level for the county.
