The reality for a place like Longford is that there are more hurlers in a lot of clubs than there are in the whole of that county.
It’s been a tough start to 2018 for Colum O’Meara.
The Galway native took up a project when he took up the Longford reins and it was never going to be one that would reap short-term success for anyone involved.
Three games into the season and the difficulties of the task are running wild as the Midlanders shipped three losses in Division 3A to Monaghan, to Warwickshire and to Roscommon.
But the reality of what O’Meara is working with should not be understated.
With three senior clubs in the whole of Longford, it’s not even slim pickings because it’s barely even pickings.
The manager has a choice of 62 players to choose from. Some of them could be injured at any one time, some of them might not be bothered with the commitment of county hurling, some obviously also just won’t be up to the standard.
But 62 is his lot.
“The first two games we could’ve won but, today, we definitely weren’t up to it,” O’Meara told Shannonside FM in a fascinating interview after the Rossies game.
“As I keep saying, when you’re missing a few of your key players, it is very hard and especially in Longford.
“With the numbers being so low, there are only three senior teams. People don’t realise that there are only 62 hurlers in Longford.
“But they’re trying to do their best and I’m not going to knock anyone.”
The popular tale of modern day GAA is to recite the depressing fact that there are more under-14s in Ballyboden than there are in Leitrim.
Well, there are more senior hurlers in a lot of clubs all over Ireland than there are in the entire county of Longford.
Listen to the full interview here.
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