Short passes with Seamus Duke

 * Seamus O’Neill and John Tiernan did not tog out for Roscommon last Sunday as both were injured. Seamus O’Neill broke a finger at training on Saturday while John Tiernan sustained a leg injury. * Gary Cox, Seanie McDermott and David Hoey are all back in training with the Roscommon senior panel.  * Roscommon’s U-21 team will play in a number of tough challenge games over the next few weeks in the run-up to the Connacht Championship. Kerry, Donegal, Down and Armagh are all in the sights of Michael Ryan and his selectors. * P&G Cards in Athleague have signed a sponsorshop deal with Roscommon Hurling Board and they now become the sponsors of the Roscommon senior hurling team for the next two years. * The Roscommon minor football team played Meath last weekend in a challenge game and were well beaten – however it was all part of a special training weekend which took place in Enniskillen. The Connacht minor league starts in early march. * It was nice to see Roscommon town man Kieran Mulvey being able to play a central role in the ending of the Cork GAA players strike. It was all that good training he got at Roscommon CBS all those years ago!! * There will be a big Roscommon representation at the Connacht Coaching conference in Claremorris at the weekend. Last year’s inaugural conference was a huge success and this year Pat Shea, Ger Loughnane and Paudie Butler are among the special guests. * It wasn’t all positives for Cathal Cregg and David Keenan on the GAA front over the past week. Their college side – DCU – who were hotly-fancied as possible winners this year, were knocked out of the Sigerson Cup by the Mark Vaughan-led DIT last week. Better news for NUIG (Peter Domican, Paul Gleeson and Ian Kilbride) as they are through to the quarter-finals. They beat AIT (David Flynn, Adrian Murtagh) by 1-15 to 0-10. * The following motion will appear on the GAA Congress Clar in Paril in connection with the payment of players intercounty grants: ‘That Congress is satisfied that the scheme proposed by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, to recognise the contribution of Senior Intercounty G.A.A. players and additional costs associated with enhancing team performance in the form presented to Congress is in accordance with rule 11 of the Official Guide and that Congress approves the introduction and implementation of that scheme’.