Roscommon were a glamour team of the 1940s, winning the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) on consecutive occasions, and have contributed some of the great personalities to GAA history including two presidents - Dan O'Rourke (1946–49) and Dr Donal Keenan (1973–76).

Roscommon's rise from Junior status to Senior All-Ireland champions in the four years leading up to 1943 was one of the great romances of its time.

Roscommon were beaten in the replay (Gerry Dolan made one of the greatest saves in Croke Park history against Laois in that year's semi-final).

The injured team-captain, Jimmy Murray, was having blood wiped from his face to "look right" for the presentation when Kerry struck for two late equalising goals.

That year was memorable for they were losing the Connacht final to Galway by 5 points when Roscommon keeper Aidan Brady swung on the crossbar, breaking it in two.

During the 15-minute wait to get it replaced, Roscommon moved the great Gerry O'Malley to midfield in a re-organisation and he inspired their comeback to enable them to win the Connacht Championship.

They looked like causing an upset when John "Jigger" O'Connor's 35th-second goal helped them to an early 1-2 to 0-0 lead, but this was the Kerry team regarded as the greatest in history, and they eventually won by 1-9 to 1-6.

A series of minor championships (1981, 1984, 1989 and 1992), and an All-Ireland Under-21 final in 1982, showed the impact of that success and in 1990 and 1991 Roscommon emerged from Connacht again, succumbing to Meath by a single point in the 1991 All Ireland semi-final.

Nine unsuccessful seasons followed before, in 2001, Roscommon regained the Connacht title following a brilliant win and performance over eventual All-Ireland champions Galway and a very dramatic end-of-match victory over Mayo.

On the field, outside of a very exciting run in 2003, the senior team failed to record any notable successes since their 2001 Connacht Championship title win until 2010.

A draw against Galway in the Connacht Final in terrible conditions brought them to a replay in Castlebar, where Roscommon went on to lose by 11 points.

Roscommon won the Connacht title in Cunningham's maiden year at the helm, defeating Galway in Salthill to claim their 23rd JJ Nestor Cup.