Davy Burke is already starting to figure out the rhythm of the place. At Dr Hyde Park last Sunday, as soon as the woman pouring him a mug of tea had covered all the bases in terms of the milk and sugar situation, the chat immediately swung to football.
He spent two years as Wicklow manager, 2020-2021. Loved it there. Enjoyed the place, the people, the players. In his first year he led them to promotion from Division Four. In 2021 they retained their Division Three status. It was his first senior intercounty managerial gig, learning on the fly, but doing so with a fair degree of success.
But, well, Wicklow always had other stuff going on. People had mountains to hike, beaches to check out, rugby was strong in some places, soccer in many others.
There was certainly no lack of fervent Gaelic football pockets either, but it was all part of a greater ecosystem where nothing had more sway over any other thing. But in Roscommon, it already feels like football is the kingmaker.
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“They are mental for football,” smiles Burke. “Last Sunday was a real eye-opener for me. They are just crazy for football and that’s brilliant. It will bring its own challenges and pressures, but I love that.”
He was appointed Roscommon senior manager on October 26th. Last Sunday morning he held a trial for players who had not been involved with the senior squad this season. Despite only a 48-hour callout there was a full response. 28 players participated, and others who were injured or away asked to be considered again. Afterwards, Burke attended the intermediate county final at the Hyde.
He was the last 2023 senior intercounty manager to be appointed. But he is comfortable being an outlier. Burke is just one year older than Chrissy McKaigue, the All Star Derry defender.
Burke is 34. To give that context, compared to some of the other managers embarking on a maiden season, when new Meath boss Colm O’Rourke won his second All-Ireland as a player in 1988, Burke was only a few months old.
When new Donegal manager Paddy Carr took charge of the Louth senior footballers towards the end of 2001, Burke was just 13.
“My age is not something I ever get too bogged down in,” he says. “My thoughts on that kind of stuff are if you are good enough you are old enough.”
In 2018 he managed his native Kildare to an All-Ireland under-20 title. He was in the mix for the senior position in late 2021, but ultimately Kildare opted for Glenn Ryan.
Next season there will be 14 senior intercounty football teams with managers setting out on a first full season at the helm. Four of those newbies will be taking charge of Division One counties – Burke in Roscommon, Carr in Donegal, Kevin McStay in Mayo, Vinny Corey in Monaghan.
Burke can only see potential in Roscommon and, refreshingly, is prepared to talk his new charges up rather than slide beneath a blanket of excuses for why it might not work out.
“They are a top-table team, simple as that. It was a hugely attractive role for any manager and to be honest I think there is more in them,” says Burke.
There is no doubt Roscommon have been a top 10 team for most of the last decade, their problem has been pushing on from the sub-group within that leading pack between seventh-tenth. They have never settled in Division One.
In 2017, relegated from Division One. 2018, promoted from Division Two. 2019, relegated from One. 2020, promoted from Two. 2021, relegated from One. 2022, promoted from Two.
“I’m not taking this job to maintain them as a top 10 team, I think there is more there” adds Burke. “It’s fair enough what you are saying about them yo-yoing. I don’t think anybody in Roscommon would say differently.
“But we are going to try create more consistency. I firmly believe with the quality and age profile of the senior team now, coupled with players from two or three decent under-20 teams ready to go, when you put that all together the potential is very exciting.”
Roscommon won the Connacht under-20 title in 2021 and advanced to the All-Ireland final, losing to Offaly. They also contested provincial finals at the grade in 2018 and 2020.
“We will be going after Division One, no secret about it,” adds Burke. “We need to be playing at the highest level. I’m not saying we won’t get exposed at times at that level, but that is where you want to be.
“Division Two is a serious standard, but I want us to be pitting ourselves against the likes of Kerry and Mayo. We’ll have some good days and we’ll learn from the tough ones. Ultimately, I think you’ll be a better team the longer you can stay there.”
The Roscommon-Kildare GAA connection is quite a vivid one, primarily because of the Earley family links. Burke, whose mam is from Mayo, managed Sarsfields to a Kildare SFC title in 2019.
“The thing about Connacht right now is that the three bigger guns, on any given day, they are all capable of beating the other. It’s hugely exciting.
“Everybody you talk with tells you the players who have represented Roscommon over the last number of years are a seriously genuine bunch of lads. And there are those players from the under-20s to add in now as well. As a management team we are going to bring huge energy and enthusiasm to this.”
A drop of milk, a sprinkle of sugar, time to stir it up.
2023 intercounty football managers
LEINSTER
Dublin (Dessie Farrell – 2023 will be his fourth year)
Carlow (Niall Carew – 2023 will be his third full year, having replaced Turlough O’Brien in August of the Covid-interrupted 2020 season)
Louth (Mickey Harte – 2023 will be his third year)
Kildare (Glenn Ryan – 2023 will be his second year)
Laois (Billy Sheehan – 2023 will be his second year)
Meath (Colm O’Rourke – 2023 will be his first year)
Westmeath (Dessie Dolan – 2023 will be his first year)
Wexford (John Hegarty – 2023 will be his first year)
Longford (Paddy Christie – 2023 will be his first year)
Offaly (Liam Kearns – 2023 will be his first year)
Wicklow (Oisín McConville – 2023 will be his first year)
ULSTER
Armagh (Kieran McGeeney – 2023 will be his ninth year)
Cavan (Mickey Graham – 2023 will be his fifth year)
Derry (Rory Gallagher – 2023 will be his fourth year)
Tyrone (Feargal Logan & Brian Dooher – 2023 will be their third year)
Fermanagh (Kieran Donnelly – 2023 will be his second year)
Donegal (Paddy Carr – 2023 will be his first year)
Down (Conor Laverty – 2023 will be his first year)
Monaghan (Vinny Corey – 2023 will be his first year)
Antrim (Andy McEntee – 2023 will be his first year)
CONNACHT
Galway (Pádraic Joyce – 2023 will be his fourth year)
London (Michael Maher – 2023 will be his fourth year)
Sligo (Tony McEntee – 2023 will be his third year)
Leitrim (Andy Moran – 2023 will be his second year)
New York (Johnny McGeeney – 2023 will be his second year)
Mayo (Kevin McStay – 2023 will be his first year)
Roscommon (Davy Burke – 2023 will be his first year)
MUNSTER
Clare (Colm Collins – 2023 will be his tenth year)
Tipperary (David Power – 2023 will be his fourth year)
Kerry (Jack O’Connor – 2023 will be his second year in his third spell as manager)
Waterford (Ephie Fitzgerald – 2023 will be his second year)
Cork (John Cleary – 2023 will be his first full year, having come in on an interim basis for Keith Ricken midseason in 2022)
Limerick (Ray Dempsey – 2023 will be his first year)
