Louth GAA club | Sheridan “honoured” to captain Glyde

As Glyde Rangers prepare for Sunday’s DKIT Sport Louth Junior Football Championship final clash with Oliver Plunketts, captain Ciarán Sheridan is set to walk into familiar territory.

This will be his sixth final appearance and eighth overall, including two replays. For Sheridan, the honour of leading his teammates out on final day is a personal milestone.

READ NEXT: Louth GAA club | Callan: “Winning is the goal”

Speaking ahead of the game, he said: “It's massive, the opportunity for the team, but even personally, it's a big, big honour to lead them lads in.

“There’s a lot of new lads, a lot of young lads, and to be one of the elder statesmen of the team at the minute, with a few other lads there. Just to be given that opportunity, it's pretty massive.”

Only a year ago, Glyde were relegated as their stint at intermediate level proved short-lived.

“You don't really know until you come to the start of the year how you get going, and you always need that bit of momentum once you get started.

“But you never knock yourself from where you go, but we did have a good run, and as you can see, a good number of lads there out training and once you have that, you sort of can always push on, even if it was a disappointing end to last year.”

The league campaign that followed was patchy, with as many defeats as wins, and an eventual semi-final exit at the hands of Wolfe Tones.

“Yeah, we probably didn't give a good enough account of ourselves in some games and then just didn't really show up for other ones, unfortunately.

“Where we landed in the league was probably a fair reflection of where we were as a team, and it did give us a bit of time.

“Before the Championship, there was that bit of a break, we could work on a few things and just even get a few lads back from injury and get up to shape, to have a right crack at the Championship.”

Injuries

Setbacks played their part as Glyde lost their rhythm wi

th injuries to one of their key players such as Brian Duffy, who suffered a broken rib.

“We lost Brian there for a good while with a broken rib; that was a big loss, but, you know, probably overall a fair reflection on the league campaign.”

When the Championship began, however, momentum started to shift as Glyed were paired in a tough four-team group with Naomh Malachi, St. Nicholas, and the Westerns.

“I thought the Nicks and Malachis are two tough teams. Anytime you come up against them, you know you're in for a real game. So, I suppose to get them three teams and get over the line with them, it was probably big results for us in all three.”

And then came a welcome boost with the return of Niall Sharkey from Australia.

“I suppose if you're getting someone of Niall's calibre back, you can't complain at all. You can see it even during the training, when he's going there; he is a serious addition to have.

“He really lifts people around him; he just drives on and basically drives the whole team on. And it's a huge addition.”

Lessons

Sheridan has known finals, both good and bad. Glyde finished runners-up in 2017, 2018, 2019, and again in 2022, before finally landing the Christy Bellew Cup in 2023.

“Yeah, thanks for bringing that up haha. But I suppose you look back at them, even the teams you played then, they’re all top, top teams.

“You can see how they've progressed. Unfortunately, just maybe the time wasn't right for us. And, you know, maybe the time is sort of coming now.”

Oliver Plunketts

This Sunday’s opponents, Oliver Plunketts, are no strangers to Glyde; with regular battles, they last played in a county final clash in 1996.

“They're a tough team, tough team, very good team as well, to be honest. They've stayed up, they've done really well, and like they're a tough team, good players.

“And even in the championship so far, you've seen the results. They've beaten some good teams as well to get to where they are. They're just a very good team.”

And though Glyde may hold the edge in recent championship experience, Sheridan knows finals are often won by small margins.

“Let’s say of the team starting that day, there is a good group of new lads there who are going to experience it for the first time themselves. So, you know, I think hopefully just looking forward to a good game, really.”

The future

The current squad has been injected with fresh blood from the underage ranks, and Sheridan is inspired by the younger legs around him.

“Yeah, definitely. There's, I think, six or seven lads still playing minor at the minute, and they've a minor quarterfinal.

“They have just been a breath of fresh air. All of them can come in and contribute straight away; they've been a serious help, all of them.”

Pride

For the skipper, the determination to bring the Christy Bellew Cup back to Tallanstown is as much about medals as it is about community pride.

“I think, in fairness, it would mean a lot to them. You look around here, and there has been some amount of work done, and it is a credit.

“We’re just out there playing football. It’s really the committee and all behind the scenes, and if getting to the final, winning the final, would hopefully bring something back to them, that'd be great. But we'll cross that line once we get there.”

And yet, the personal dream is never far from his mind. “Yes, of course. I suppose you can't say no to medals. They don't come around too often.

“Finals might come and go, but once getting over the line, as showing how hard it was for myself, once you get over the line, it is sweet. So hopefully, all going well, we'll get another.”