Commanding Longford defender Andrew Farrell solid as a rock

So it is for Longford football, and for Farrell in his working life, which involves his day job in Lakeland Dairies and “a bit of farming” on the family farm as well. He’d be the first to admit that he hasn’t got it all figured out yet, but whatever else happens, he’s not going to be undone by a lack of imagination or ambition. 

“Ah, we’ve sucklers at home and we rear a few calves as well. I’m lucky enough that my Dad is at home and he does most of it because I’d be away, either on the training pitch or in the gym” he told the Longford Leader in the build up to the Leinster Senior Football Championship first round clash against Offaly at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Sunday next. 

“It’s not easy, Barry O’Farrell is there and he’s milking 120 cows, I don’t know how he does it. And he’d hardly ever miss a session, he’s very committed. There wouldn’t be too many lads like Barry that would be doing that, farming full time” he says, though you get the feeling that if he could just figure out how to make it work, Andrew would be happy to do something similar. 

“I’ve been thinking about this over the past few weeks and trying to figure out how to make a few pound. We’ve 30 or 40 acres and maybe the same rented, and it’s hard to know. I’ve been reading up about snail farming, there’s only about 35 farmers in Ireland doing it. There’s a few success stories, and a few unsuccessful stories as well. Teagasc would make it out to be a great money maker, but I’m sure it’s not as simple as they make it out to be”. 

So it’s a bit early to say if any Michelin Star restaurants in Paris will feature “L’Escargot a la Longford” any time soon, but you get the sense that if he saw a way to make it happen, he wouldn’t be afraid to have a go. Fear is certainly not part of his makeup, and he’ll take the same approach to the Leinster championship as well. League relegation is in the history books now, and he’s ready to start writing the next chapter of the season’s story.   

“I couldn’t get over how positive lads were” was how he reflected on the team’s mindset. 

“It was a long trip back from Down and it was disappointing after the result, but Down were the better team at the end of the day. Still, we trained on the Wednesday after the game and the mood in the camp was good. We’re disappointed deep down, but there’s not a lot we can do now except put our heads down and focus on the championship”.

When it comes to finding some positivity, the draw has worked out kindly. Offaly and Longford have been familiar, evenly-matched foes for the best part of a decade, with a rather ludicrous 11 meetings since 2014. This year, the Faithful County’s visit to Glennon Brothers Pearse Park saw Longford put in a very impressive performance, where only their shocking inability to convert chances saw them let Offaly drive south with both league points. 

“I don’t know how we didn’t beat Offaly that day, and we’ve played them a lot over the last few years, probably more than anyone between O’Byrne Cup, league and Leinster championship” Farrell said. 

“We know them inside out and they’ll know us, it certainly won’t be a tough one from the point of view of preparation because they’ll have no surprises for us, any more than they’ll be surprised by anyone that pulls on a Longford jersey on Sunday. There’s only ever a kick of a ball between the teams and because of that I’d be confident going in against Offaly, and if we get the win then it’s Meath next and they’re not going well either”. 

“So if we got a win under our belts, confidence would be up, and that’s all we need. Lads are very positive, but that’s not the same as having the confidence and form that you get from having a few wins behind you. I always thought that outside of Dublin,  the teams in Leinster are broadly on a par. Even Kildare and Meath, they aren’t going great at the minute, so you’d feel that if you got going, we can still turn this into a very good season”. 

So what makes a successful season for the county full back? 

“Getting a win over Offaly and Meath would represent success for us, and I think it’s very manageable too, that’s well within our grasp. Outside of Leinster, I’d like to get to a Tailteann Cup semi-final anyway, and then push for a final place. You’d take your chances on the day and at the very worst, have a good performance at that stage to build on for next year.

“I’m still confident about the course we’re on. It’s Paddy (Christie’s) first year, there’s a lot of young lads there getting involved and there’s lots to build on, hopefully he’ll be there for a good while yet, he’s a good solid manager to have with us. When Mickey Graham started with Cavan, he struggled too, and they got relegated to Division Four as well. It takes a new manager a few years, and we need exactly the same”.

A bumpy start to the journey so, but Farrell and his colleagues seem ready to come out of their shell and start moving in the right direction over the next few months, starting on home soil this Sunday.