The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

piplip87

I wonder will there be many refusals next year when lads get called up? Jaysus we are in a position to really try out some lads in the league. We need to build on this on go on to win a few Ulsters in the next decade.

willabur

Thomas Galligan




that is all

themink

Yevon wrote: »

A few thoughts.

The manic effort and resolve, the refusal to do anything but go out and win that game from Cavan were immense. Donegal could sense it and were spooked. The Armagh game didn't stand to them. Cavan were battle hardened and solely focused on the Ulster Final.

Cavan weren't getting the rub of the green from the ref, to put it mildly. I remember thinking that there would be no comfort in being good enough to win it and being hard done by from the ref. It was such a long route to the final, years in the making, they had to overcome that. And it looked like the players thought that too.

We made plenty of mistakes. We kicked wides at vital times, we lashed low quality balls into the full forward line. We shot when shooting probably wise. But vitally, we kept going forward. We didn't sense the win and retreat into a shell. I was roaring at the tv for Gearoid to go short with the free, he lamped it into the box and Madden pounced to win the game. I know nothing.

Thomas Galligan is a real warrior. It looked like another hard luck story, best player taken out of the game by the opposition. But Galligan manfully came back on and took everything thrown at him. His ability to win the high ball when he's not best positioned to do so, is phenomenal. The catch he took in injury time that led to the goal was one of the great moments in Cavan football. His All Star should be nailed on at this point given that he's played a game or two more than the other teams.

This ulster title matters more than most. We didn't get a really handy draw and steal it with a smash and grab at the end. We came from the preliminary, came back from the dead against Monaghan. Battled through against Antrim. Came back from the dead against Down and then stared down Donegal going for three in a row and went toe to toe with them for 80 minutes of football and were deserving and convincing winners. Ulster titles never come easy but this was one of the toughest ever won.

Thoughts go out to those not there but on whose shoulders this victory was built. Val, Terry, even Mattie. Dara and Conor who you couldn't help but feel bad for. Mackey who deserved to finish as a champion. Mossy and Rory Dunne and Toasty and everyone else who contributed during the resurgence of Cavan football.

Lastly, at the final whistle during the elation, my first thought was how happy I was for the players. Sport can be a cruel cruel thing in life. Martin Reilly, Gearoid, Niall Murray, all are coming towards the end of their careers. A tough draw or two and they could very easily have retired without any medals to show for all their talent and dedication. The same could easily have happened the rest of the lads from the U21 sides that have soldiered for so long. Thankfully, their work has paid off and i'm delighted for them.

Nice summary here. Great to have online platforms like boards, twitter, multiple podcasts etc to help savour the win! Back in '97 we were starved of such mediums to relive the magic. The Sunday Game highlights and then waiting for the Celt on the Wednesday was about it

rrs

Thomas Galligan always had potential, but was never nailed down as a starter until this Championship. 24 now, injury and consistency were his problem before. He's clean catching the ball now, was breaking it or fisting it when broke onto Senior panel.
One of the best fielders in the Country. Probaly shows to stick at it for a few years and you'll get the chance

ElChe32

Ah lads this is some feeling. I was only 11 back in 97 in the Pat McGrane sitting with my dad beside a priest from Derry who swore the entire game - I was both shocked and amused with the amount of times he said the word cúnt.

2020 has been some ****e year, I've seen my folks maybe 4 times - I've been back in Cavan twice this year. Yesterday, I spoke with my dad after the game and it was like 97 all over again, the tears and laughter and the pure joy that only Cavan football can bring.

Well done the starting 15, the subs, the panel, Mickey, the back room staff and everyone involved. These last few weeks have been an incredible journey. Long may it continue.

An Cabhán abu!

tanko

If only we all had the belief that Mickey Graham has, his ability to motivate and get the best out of players is incredible.
I'm delighted for Martin Reilly, he missed out on the U-21 wins, yesterday is reward for his years of service, what a pity that Cian Mackey and others missed out.
That goal from Conor "jayo" Madden will live long in the memory.
I just hope it's not another twenty plus years until this happens again.

rrs

It's good to inspire the next generation. The 97 win was Special occasion, some of the Cavan team weren't born then.
Cavan unlike Tipperary is solely football, so have the advantage of not losing many talented young players. Though soccer is getting more popular, a few lads playing LOI, Sean McEvoy with Bray, Aaron McCabe Longford Town.
Ryan O Reilly Cliftonville up North A few across the water , Oisin McEntee with Newcastle

They were all regarded as good Gaelic footballers. McEvoy probaly would have near Senior panel. But probaly same with lots of counties. Cavan need to still be competitive under age, and hopefully get back winning a under age title.

Dublin U20s are in the All Ireland final against Galway. Ciaran Archer from that teams looks like he'll slot into the Dunlin Senior team with ease

Giggernaut

Lads, when is the semi-final venue announced?

Personally in this time of Covid doesn't matter where the game is held. I reckon Mickey and the team would agree.

Thought the Meath v Dublin in Croker had a horrendous echo about it so I'm all for a neutral venue.

On a side note: James Smith is such a good lad. Works so hard at his game. Turned his garage into a gym at 16 and went from there. If he wasn't in there he was bating a ball against the side of the house practising.

Cavan_King

Giggernaut wrote: »

Lads, when is the semi-final venue announced?

Personally in this time of Covid doesn't matter where the game is held. I reckon Mickey and the team would agree.

Thought the Meath v Dublin in Croker had a horrendous echo about it so I'm all for a neutral venue.

On a side note: James Smith is such a good lad. Works so hard at his game. Turned his garage into a gym at 16 and went from there. If he wasn't in there he was bating a ball against the side of the house practising.

Venue is announced. Croke Park on Saturday week at 17.30.

Thunderbirds

Cavan_King wrote: »

Venue is announced. Croke Park on Saturday week at 17.30.

I can't see it anywhere as venue announced?

Cavan_King

piplip87 wrote: »

I wonder will there be many refusals next year when lads get called up? Jaysus we are in a position to really try out some lads in the league. We need to build on this on go on to win a few Ulsters in the next decade.

There’s 41 committed lads in there. Respect them and forget talk about others.

Gallant_JJ

I'm getting a bit perplexed about the absolute disregard being given to Cavan's chances of competing against Dublin. Whilst Dublin have a once in a lifetime pool of talent, I've read in numerous places people expecting them to give us a bigger beating than they gave Meath. Meath's was as toothless and as timid a display as I've ever seen. Not once in the first half, did they put a hit on man, efforts for blocks were mere token efforts, absolutely rudderless going forward.

Cavan however, went toe to toe with Donegal, this was no smash and grab, this was a composed and controlled display of football, by a very talented group of players. They displayed immense physicality and workrate, surpassing a team that supposedly had these traits in abundance to actually match the Dubs.

Whilst our performance against Monaghan, had some glaring chinks, our second half performance was similarly composed and controlled. These are two good division 1 teams we have beaten.

I'm fully expecting our lads to bring an intensity, physicality and a huge level of workrate to the game, whilst winning may be beyond us, we will be competitive, that I have no doubt.

With regard to the venue, the narrative being spouted 'shur the Cavan lads would love to play in Croke Park' is absolute b0lloxolgy of the highest calibre, and hugely disrespectful suggesting our lads akin to dressage ponies want to prance around as though their season is done. Nonsense. The Cavan lads would love to win, simple as that and undoubtedly a county ground will enhance them chances.

willabur

let them talk us down -hasn't done us any harm so far

munchkin_utd

Thunderbirds wrote: »

I can't see it anywhere as venue announced?

its now on the gaa website, but is that coming from the CCCCCCCCCCC or just the lads on the website making the presumtion that its where it will be ???

https://www.gaa.ie/football/gaa-football-all-ireland-senior-championship/dublin-cavan/1739503/

Cavan_King

Gallant_JJ wrote: »

I'm getting a bit perplexed about the absolute disregard being given to Cavan's chances of competing against Dublin. Whilst Dublin have a once in a lifetime pool of talent, I've read in numerous places people expecting them to give us a bigger beating than they gave Meath. Meath's was as toothless and as timid a display as I've ever seen. Not once in the first half, did they put a hit on man, efforts for blocks were mere token efforts, absolutely rudderless going forward.

Cavan however, went toe to toe with Donegal, this was no smash and grab, this was a composed and controlled display of football, by a very talented group of players. They displayed immense physicality and workrate, surpassing a team that supposedly had these traits in abundance to actually match the Dubs.

Whilst our performance against Monaghan, had some glaring chinks, our second half performance was similarly composed and controlled. These are two good division 1 teams we have beaten.

I'm fully expecting our lads to bring an intensity, physicality and a huge level of workrate to the game, whilst winning may be beyond us, we will be competitive, that I have no doubt.

With regard to the venue, the narrative being spouted 'shur the Cavan lads would love to play in Croke Park' is absolute b0lloxolgy of the highest calibre, and hugely disrespectful suggesting our lads akin to dressage ponies want to prance around as though their season is done. Nonsense. The Cavan lads would love to win, simple as that and undoubtedly a county ground will enhance them chances.

It's coming mainly from the pundits I think. I'm beginning to see just how clueless alot of them are when they comment on Cavan or other counties that aren't high profile.

It's amazing, for example, seeing as we've spent 2 of the last four years in Division 1, how quickly we have been labelled a ''Division 3 team''. Then you have Cavanagh, with his clear vendetta, sitting on The Sunday Game spouting we were the 7th best team in Ulster at the start of the championship! Jesus wept!

This team has really improved with every game and what's important is that we are developing a strong panel. For example, James Smith had a terrific Ulster final but we went the majority of the Ulster Championship without him.

Like you say, we controlled the Ulster final against a team people expected to beat the Dubs. We have winners all over the pitch between under age titles, McCrory Cups etc. Mickey Graham has shown himself to be a very adapt manager. And, as Marty Clarke said in the BBC coverage, we're actually gaining players as the championship continues.

If nothing else, it'll bring something new to the Dubs as our tactics are impossible to predict. At times against Donegal, Killian Brady was going for high balls in the full forward line! On The GAA Hour, they couldn't tell if James Smith was midfield or in the half forward line! Thomas Galligan is floating all over the place!

I certainly think e can give it a good shot and I hope we do. The players and management obviously think that too as from what I've heard the celebrations have been kept very low key.

rrs

I think the celebrations would have been low key regardless, with level 5 Lockdown. The Clubs finals resulted in a spread from the pubs being open, so was more manageable now.

Cavan u21s gave Dublin a good game in 2014. A few from those teams involved, obviously different to Senior but they won't have fear of playing Dublin. Playing it outside Croker would be added plus, but maybe not likely with, few potential grounds available

willabur

Dublin are rightly strong favourites but to be honest the odds of 1/100 are ridiculous.

Cavan have plenty of ways in which to hurt the dubs and there is no doubt that having the game outside of HQ will even the playing field a wee bit. I am just loving the excitement around this team, they are happy to be written off. Suits them down to the ground. I am not a go to every league game kind of supporter and I am a long time out of the county to know even a little about what is happening on the club scene but it is amazing for me, still a proud cavan man to see the likes of a Thomas Galligan or James Smith come in and be bloody brilliant for this team. For years it has been on Gearoid to play the big man role when it is not his game to do it. He is freed up now, teams can't double team him so he can come more and more into games.

so many more players there who have had mammoth championships, Faulkner has been immense, Raymond in the goals showed amazing game management on sunday. For a lad who was in tears on the television after the game, he was in pure cool control on the pitch. Gerard Smith a rolls royce, Ciaran Brady a fckn mustang. Jason McGloughlin with the sweetest shanky left foot will have to have a root around his back pocket to see if he still has ryan mchugh in there. God its great when we win

cavan4sam

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it was the most complete cavan performance that I have ever witnessed

The hunger, the workrate, the skill this was a complete world away from some of what we witnessed over the years.

These lads came of age and dished out a bit of hurt to Donegal in a fashion we have become accustomed to receiving

From 1 to 40 these lads have really brought the pride back to the most proud county in the Gaa

I've watched it back a number of times now on BBC and Rte and christ rte coverage is shocking... They were afraid to make a call on anything where as mcconville called the elbow on galligan for what it was

The podcasts have been great too and Sunday nights Wearecavan one was hilarious

So proud of these lads now and to think 5 or 6 short weeks ago we were questioning their calibre and commitment and worrying about who were missing and yes I'm as guilty as anyone

The Dublin game will take care of itself... These lads will have a right good go at them and while it may not happen for us it'd do us good to remember that someone is eventually going to beat the dubs so why the hell can't it be us,

Its great to be back
Cavan4sam.... Soon (25 days to be precise)

rrs

Monaghan always approach Dublin with a confident mindset, so no reason Cavan shouldn't either. Dublin have no competition for years in Leinster, because the teams have no confidence in even competing. Obviously Dublin are a superior team and have many advantages, but all teams are beatable at some stage

Argentina beat the All Black's a few weeks ago in Rugby

Cavan_King

rrs wrote: »

Monaghan always approach Dublin with a confident mindset, so no reason Cavan shouldn't either. Dublin have no competition for years in Leinster, because the teams have no confidence in even competing. Obviously Dublin are a superior team and have many advantages, but all teams are beatable at some stage

Argentina beat the All Black's a few weeks ago in Rugby

It’s not that long ago Fermanagh went up and had a right pop at them in Croke Park. I think if we go up and go for it we’ve nothing to lose. Us and Tipp are already everyone’s favourite second teams this year. Even Meath people are getting huge joy from us with the amount of phone calls I’ve got!

At the end of the day, we played the team expected to put it up to Dublin off the park so why wouldn’t those lads be confident.

Hammar

Anyone else finding the condescending,ill-informed rhetoric about the Cavan team from ignorant GAA supporters from other counties, on all forms of social media forms grating??Or is it just me
and should I be looking into anger management courses..

Cavan_King

Hammar wrote: »

Anyone else finding the condescending,ill-informed rhetoric about the Cavan team from ignorant GAA supporters from other counties, on all forms of social media forms grating??Or is it just me
and should I be looking into anger management courses..

Nah, I find it very annoying. Straight away we've been labelled a ''Division 3 team'' despite the fact we were only relegated a week before the Championship started. People seem to forget we spent two of the last four years in Division 1.

People are also acting as if we pulled off some huge giant killing that was a smash and grab. We were in the Ulster final last year and, bar Tyrone, I would imagine we have now beaten every team in Ulster in the last two years between League and Championship. We also controlled that game, played against the ref and were very worthy of our victory.

rrs

Ulster Council are very stuck in their ways. Maurice Deegan reffed the Munster final, he's from Laois.

I was thinking Barry Cassidy might favour Donegal beforehand. Derry a neighbouring County, as Declan Bogue wrote in Celt last week Cavan an after thought for rest of Ulster
The most southern based County in Ulster.

celt262

rrs wrote: »

Ulster Council are very stuck in their ways. Maurice Deegan reffed the Munster final, he's from Laois.

I was thinking Barry Cassidy might favour Donegal beforehand. Derry a neighbouring County, as Declan Bogue wrote in Celt last week Cavan an after thought for rest of Ulster
The most southern based County in Ulster.

I have gone back as far as 2011 and the Referee has always been from outside the province in a Ulster Final. There was a ruling at some stage that a Referee will not take charge of games within their own province but Ulster seem to have disregarded it for this year.

In 2019 and 2018 we did not have a Ulster referee no matter what round the game was in.

Open the Pubs

Interview with Ray and Faulkner on OTB Newstalk yesterday

themink

Looking ahead to the semi final, Dublin clearly have a lot weapons that Cavan need to try get a handle on. Do teams even stick to 1:1 marking these days? Hard to tell sometimes with the amount of movement going on. Anyways, this would be my attempt at match ups based on what I’ve seen

Con O’Callaghan - Killian Clarke. Dont know if hes in the same condition as a few years back but might be the most athletic option we have for this tough task

Ciaran Kilkenny - Padraig Faulkner. Faulkner comfortable anywhere on the pitch and should be able to match him physically

Brian Fenton - Killian Brady. Might struggle against him in the air but Fenton’s running does as much damage. Dont think we’d want Galligan or James Smith tasked with tracking him

Niall Scully - Luke Fortune. Another player comfortable all round the field to track one of Dublin’s less heralded threats

Dean Rock - Jason McLoughlin. Faulkner might be a good option but he will be tied up with O’Callaghan in my match ups.

Hammar

themink wrote: »

Looking ahead to the semi final, Dublin clearly have a lot weapons that Cavan need to try get a handle on. Do teams even stick to 1:1 marking these days? Hard to tell sometimes with the amount of movement going on. Anyways, this would be my attempt at match ups based on what I’ve seen

Con O’Callaghan - Killian Clarke. Dont know if hes in the same condition as a few years back but might be the most athletic option we have for this tough task

Ciaran Kilkenny - Padraig Faulkner. Faulkner comfortable anywhere on the pitch and should be able to match him physically

Brian Fenton - Killian Brady. Might struggle against him in the air but Fenton’s running does as much damage. Dont think we’d want Galligan or James Smith tasked with tracking him

Niall Scully - Luke Fortune. Another player comfortable all round the field to track one of Dublin’s less heralded threats

Dean Rock - Jason McLoughlin. Faulkner might be a good option but he will be tied up with O’Callaghan in my match ups.

Good post. They are a match up nightmare, James McCarthy and his strong running through the middle will have to planned for aswell, Eoin Murchan will also have to well marked if he is in the half back line. McCaffrey and his speed not being there is one less headache.

willabur

Hammar wrote: »

Good post. They are a match up nightmare, James McCarthy and his strong running through the middle will have to planned for aswell, Eoin Murchan will also have to well marked if he is in the half back line. McCaffrey and his speed not being there is one less headache.

I think a key thing that has come out from the team about the slow starts is that they over thought the opposition.
The massive improvement on sunday from previous games was we stopped the threat through the middle. This was done by letting donegal have the sidelines and we close the middle down. Conroy was brilliant sunday in this roll

The dubs around going to try and stretch us out, we need to be disciplined. Make them shoot from tough positions.

Second thing is we need to be rootless in attack. 1.13 won't do it. We will need to get over 20 points on the scoreboard at least

rrs

A lot more space in Croke Park then Armagh, so will have stay disciplined. Mannion and Brian Howard coming off the bench in the last few games. Paddy Small will do well to keep his place, missed a few against Meath.

Madden should start the next day . He's done enough to start, he'd have height advantage over Fitzsimmons if he's full back.

Cavan_King

rrs wrote: »

A lot more space in Croke Park then Armagh, so will have stay disciplined. Mannion and Brian Howard coming off the bench in the last few games. Paddy Small will do well to keep his place, missed a few against Meath.

Madden should start the next day . He's done enough to start, he'd have height advantage over Fitzsimmons if he's full back.

Who do you drop for him? I’d argue that it’s the first time we’ve been able to start our strongest 15 with the two Smiths back. Conor Smith didn’t score but played well, particularly considering he needed stitches between his nose and mouth after the game.