Family ties won’t distractus, says O’Brien

St Brigid’s manager Noel O’Brien jokingly fears one of his players might pass the ball to a Garrycastle player on Saturday. Such is the geographical proximity and strength of family ties between the teams, Athlone and Kiltoom has been consumed with the build-up to the clubs’ All-Ireland SFC semi-final for weeks.

But O’Brien is attempting to ensure the Connacht champions treat the game as more than a local derby.

“What we are doing is not mentioning the team we are going to play. We are keeping our feet planted firmly on the ground,” he said.