Carlow’s Tailteann Cup journey begins this Sunday afternoon with a tough away trip to Fermanagh—and there’s renewed hope in the Barrowsiders’ ranks as a familiar face returns to the fold.
Record scorer Darragh Foley is back in the Carlow panel after announcing his retirement before Christmas. The veteran forward answered the call of new interim manager Joe Murphy, who says Foley’s presence could prove crucial in the weeks ahead.
“Daragh has always been a leader,” Murphy told KCLR in a recent interview. “One thing I noticed about our guys was they were a little bit quiet. Maybe lacking that sort of presence—but Daragh brings that in spades.”
“He’s been there through a couple of regimes and he’s seen some really good success with Carlow. Like I said, he’s a marksman, which we need. He’s a big man, which we need. But most of all, for me, he’s been a great backup to me. He’s been a great leader on the field and the group as a whole are glad that he’s back. Because like I said, he is that sort of on-field general.”
Murphy, who stepped into the Carlow hot seat earlier this year, now has a clear roadmap for the summer. Drawn in Group Four of the Tailteann Cup, Carlow will face Fermanagh this weekend, before hosting Wexford on May 17th/18th, and then rounding off the group stage with a neutral venue clash against Longford on May 31st/June 1st.
The format sees the top team from each group progressing directly to the quarter-finals (June 14th/15th), while second and third-placed sides go into preliminary quarter-finals a week earlier. Semi-finals take place June 21st/22nd, with the final on the weekend of July 12th/13th.
Carlow fans can hear Sunday’s game live on KCLR, proudly supported by Dan Morrissey and Co., and catch Joe Murphy’s full interview on the KCLR Sport podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts.
