Diarmuid Murtagh: Rossies reaping rewards for new front-foot approach 

The overall change in the Roscommon style is unmistakable

Roscommon's Diarmuid Murtagh. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom O’Hanlon

It’s new management and a new-look team for Roscommon in 2026. Just six players that started their championship defeat to Cork at the end of last year’s campaign were also there when the ball was thrown in for the Connacht semi-final against Mayo, and across the board, the novices proved themselves more than capable in a 2-25 to 1-18 win.

The handful of survivors were important too however, none more than Man of the Match and captain Diarmuid Murtagh, who kicked 1-10 from 10 shots, hitting the post with his only ‘miss’ of the afternoon from his first opportunity.

The veteran attacker will no doubt be the subject of plenty of defensive focus in Sunday’s Connacht final against Galway as a result, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“A lot of teams are probably a bit more aggressive in how they defend, basically knocking lumps out of you, which is no harm, you have to be able to give it as well as take it!” is how he described the man-marking that he’s seen under the new rules.

“Last year, everyone was getting to grips with the new game and a lot of teams would have stayed around the arc and allowed you to come towards them,” he says.

“But now they are reaping the rewards, pushing out on a forward and if they get a turnover they can score quicker and against less players. That's probably the one change I've noticed [this year], that opposition teams are staying a bit higher and maybe taking a bit more risk because they know the reward is probably greater”.

For at least a few decades, up until a couple of years ago, Murtagh was the stereotypical Roscommon style forward. Like his brother Ciarán, not to mention Donie Smith, Conor Cox, and going further back to Donie Shine and even Frankie Dolan before him, Roscommon’s star forwards tended to be of the ‘shoot-on-sight’ variety, thriving on the back of their ability to win their own ball and strike accurately once they had room to swing a leg.

Enda Smith and previously Cathal Cregg were the exceptions to the rule; players whose first instinct was to take on and drive past a defender — but that has all changed under Mark Dowd, where arguably five of the six starting forwards in Castlebar were ‘run-first’ attackers.

The return of Daire Cregg from suspension will likely balance that up somewhat, but the overall change in style will still be unmistakable, and Murtagh is very appreciative of what that has done for him in terms of opening up scoring chances.

“Two or three years ago, I was probably a player that was coming forward with the ball a bit more, when we were playing under Davy Burke,” he said.

“The rules were the old rules and nearly everyone was getting behind the ball then. It's great to have the freedom now, that inside three is very flexible, you don't always have to be the one up there but you can read the game and think about how to get into the best positions.

"The lads out the field have changed a bit, I'm getting to know them as players and a lot of them are bringing a lot of pace to it. It's collapsing the defence a bit more and giving me more time to shoot.” 

More opportunities, but more pressure to carry the scoring load as well, then?

“Any time you get the Roscommon jersey, for me it's a responsibility, no matter who is playing around you. You can't control a lot that goes on in a game, but I suppose you can control your own honesty and effort.

“You have to back yourself at this level, you'll be found out if you don't.

“Missing that goal (the shot off the post in Castlebar), it could have been a big score because Mayo could have possibly won that kickout and the next thing they could get a two-pointer with the breeze, suddenly it's six-nil and it's a different game then. We could start forcing it and that’s when the game can get away from you.” 

Instead the kickout was seized by Robert Heneghan, and Murtagh had his goal a few moments later.

“Rob was very sharp, Darragh (Heneghan) did very well to see me and to make it a tap in goal. It just kick started us off then and we calmed down a small bit. We were probably a bit edgy at the start trying to force it a bit too much, it was our first championship game on home soil in Ireland, we were just mad to get going and maybe Mayo picked us off.

“That's something we will have to learn from going into Galway because Galway are not a chaotic team, they will control the ball and try to starve you of possession. They are very experienced as well, they could have two All-Irelands in the last five years so it's definitely a different challenge for us.” 

Another challenge is Roscommon’s bleak record at Dr. Hyde Park in this matchup. Galway have prevailed on their last seven championship visits to the Roscommon venue, and Murtagh is very keen to create new, more positive experiences for young primrose and blue supporters.

“The Connacht finals I won were great memories, the only regret you'd have is that they weren’t in front of your home crowd in the Hyde, even though sometimes it feels like it in Pearse Stadium with the big crowd we had! 

“My early memories before I started playing for Roscommon was going to watch Roscommon in 2011 in a packed Hyde. I think Mayo won it by a point in the end but they're great memories for young kids going to those games, that's what they will remember in years to come.” 

More than ever, reinforcing that connection between team and supporters has been a central plank of Roscommon’s senior football journey in 2026. The open day at Dr Hyde Park earlier this year was fully embraced by players and fans alike, and as thousands of Rossies poured onto the pitch in Castlebar, the players were only delighted to be there for every selfie, every clap on the back, every moment.

“The crowd is huge, supporters are everything,” Murtagh said.

“I go back to the game down in Killarney towards the end when it was getting tight. You could still hear that kind of small group of Roscommon people who made sure they sounded big, and that does mean a lot to us.

“We obviously have that small enough county so there's a good connection there, you can see it with the U-20s last week. When a Roscommon team does well, everyone in the county knows about it and it brings a good buzz and a good energy about the place.”