The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123142434#Comment_123142434

Well said. However, re the underage team position - I think you are only partially right. I think I mentioned it before but the story I heard was our GDM wanted one of his own men in the role and he and the chairman couldn’t come to an agreement so the whole thing was just abandoned.

The squads are an absolute mess. Even the group just assembled, it’s well known around the county that one father/trainer from an older group wasn’t happen when his younger son was dropped from the group being assembled & got him reinstated by threatening to end his involvement with the older group.

The players are all old enough to hear this themselves and it just devalues the whole process.

large_palette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123142715#Comment_123142715

That's poor. And worrying. Smart people usually steer clear of an egotist. And we'e in dire need of administrative and coaching talent in the county.

tazman06

Pod has it that Oisin Brady and Cormac O'Reilly are back in. Lynch close too, although earlier in the week they said he had a small setback. Think this is huge news. We've been missing forwards. It was disappointing Oisin walked a few weeks ago, but good it's been sorted to get him back in. Cormac after last year stepping up is needed too. Both could go straight back in and are badly needed

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123144698#Comment_123144698

All needed but the ball needs to be played into them. No point in them making runs and no ball kicked in.

tazman06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123144855#Comment_123144855

That's it. Nally away too. No harm, skills went backwards with him it seems. Maybe they can work on skills and ball playing in

large_palette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123144698#Comment_123144698

That's good news indeed On their day Brady and Reilly are both players who can win their own ball, take on a defender and stick it between the posts. Ball winners inside are a real commodity and Galligan isn't exactly spoiled with options. When all else is equal it's hard to beat pedigree. I caught the Sigerson semi on GAA Beo and wasn't overly impressed with young Lovett for DIT . He kicked a some good frees but a few things stood out. He only took the frees close to the goals and didn't take anything on or near the 45' . Secondly, when the match was in the balance he tended to stay on the periphery of play allowing others to win primary ball. He then touched the ball on the ground late on and it allowed UCD draw the game on the brink of normal time. In the eventual penalty shootout he kicked his penalty into the keepers hands. I felt bad for him. The two corner backs for DIT were young Cian Reilly from Killygarry and Niall Carolan of Cuchulainns who both gave very good accounts of themselves. Carolan in particular is a forceful defender and a strong carrier of the ball going forward. He was as good as anyone on show that day and was clearly central to their attack. Again it's hard to beat pedigree. Would there be any value in having him in our halfback line ?

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123144855#Comment_123144855

Well said. The bottom line is, no matter who is up top, we are far too slow at transitioning the ball.

Football for the last few years has been all about the speed of the counter attack. Direct ball, moving quickly. Even if you have to play a running game, run it directly and quickly. Not sideways and backwards.

Unfortunately , our players don’t look capable of doing that so you could have David Clifford inside but he’d still be swallowed up when the ball eventually gets to him.

mylestheslasher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123147352#Comment_123147352

It's a bit of a mystery to me as I felt last year Cavan were trying to move the ball into forwards quickly. Now we have new rules which should increase the opportunities available to kick it in early and we seem to be adverse to doing it.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123147506#Comment_123147506

Last year though you had players like Paddy Lynch & Oisin Brady in the full forward line. This year that quality isn’t there.

The interview screams of panic to be honest. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. On one hand, it’s good they are realising the level of discontent within the county.

On the other, it sounds like Nally walked away even before the Meath game and they’re peddling a very weak excuse about his commitments with the FRC.

Did Galligan have to go cap in hand to two players, one of whom had walked out of Breffni after allegedly having verbals with him?

It appears the talk within the county is so bad that our senior manager had to go onto a local podcast to try and get a message out.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123148049#Comment_123148049

I haven't listened to the podcast yet but i find it strange that he agreed to go on it.

tazman06

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123148548#Comment_123148548

Interviews with him are regular enough to be fair. This isn't a once off. But maybe mid week and a few changes is maybe

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123148908#Comment_123148908

Interviews with him have always been in the off season or just after/before a game. This interview is in the middle of a two week break and comes just after the two podcast hosts openly criticised how closed off the camp was in the run up to the League starting.

Gallogan had also already given an interview after the Meath game.

There’s no way whatsoever this can be passed off as a normal interview.

Damage limitation is what it is. Get word out quickly about Nally walking away, try to get a poor excuse for it out and get word out that two players are back.

It was also put on the free podcast rather than behind the pay wall so as many people as possible can hear it.

ruwithme

https://www.anglocelt.ie/2025/02/07/problems-with-developing-players-mean-senior-decline-is-inevitable/

A public cut at mc cabe

bearonthesquare

It's great to see Fitzpatrick showing the courage to do what our county board has been too hesitant to address.

He got the job through a backroom deal with his fellow clubman who was chairman, despite lacking any obvious qualifications for the role. Now, he's looking to hand-pick his own successor, all while dismissing the most qualified person in the county. Has anyone asked why all the coaches have left? What coaching is being done at all schools? 

I found the 5-year plan on the county board website, the headings are listed but the link to the actual document doesn’t work. It's amateur hour all around.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123149942#Comment_123149942

Yeah fair play to Fitzpatrick he is calling it as it is and not skimping around the main issues and calling out the county board. Is McCabe related to Keoghan I heard at the time that he got the job that that Keoghan was pulling his money unless McCabe got the job.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123150012#Comment_123150012

McCabe basically ran the dressing room during Keoghan’s reign, a stint which included him basically telling new members of the panel in front of the whole dressing room that they’d never make intercounty players because they were too small. Members of that panel have told me his nickname amongst the other players was “bully”.

mogue77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123150726#Comment_123150726

McCabe needs to be held accountable for underperforming in his role of games development manager, county board need to appoint Finbar OReilly at once as academy manager, its an absolute disgrace that he hasn’t been given the job yet and kingspan funding it! What is wrong with them? Wake up county board it’s already late.

etuzyuk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123150012#Comment_123150012

They're related, first cousins I'm nearly sure. McCabe's mother is a gunner, so is Keoghan's.

large_palette

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123150912#Comment_123150912

Let's be careful of the common narrative because the nuances do get left out. That can't go unsaid. However ……….. there's a strong hint of the above in every county. The loudest voices and the lifers in the room are prepared to shout down and embarrass anyone who poses a threat. And the wiser person just ups and walks away. Because they know they can't win with the big lad and his handpicked flock. Any victory would have them too beaten-up and frustrated to give a good account of themselves. whether it's coaching schools, putting on a jersey, or administering funds. I'll be vocally supporting Fitzpatrick in calling out anything that stinks. He's held to a higher account when gathering facts. Well done Paul.

mylestheslasher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123148049#Comment_123148049

Well I only made the Monaghan match and I saw plenty of opportunities to put the ball in early that were passed up instead for a lateral pass.

I thought myself Ray was maybe not in panic but certainly he could feel things were beginning to unravel and he had to do something urgently. Anyone with half a brain can see through the Nally "too busy to commit" line, he got the boot or he left - one or the other. Again, reading between the lines on the Pod it doesnt seem like it was any great loss.

I would take the view at least Galligan has tried something to pull it out of the fire, lets see how the body language looks on Sunday against Louth and we will see if he has turned things somewhat or not.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123155144#Comment_123155144

I just listened to it this morning and the "it worked out for both of us" is the modern day way of an amicable parting of ways. Sometimes a coach doesn't fit with a group of players and no matter how highly rated this lad was, he had zero positive impact on the players. So we might see a bounce. It's a big call but let's back the management and players and hopefully we see a response on Sunday.

baconsarnie

That's all true, but there's also a cultural element to this. We've all been at meetings (football or otherwise) and someone chairing says "any questions?" and the vast majority of people are willing for total silence so the meeting can end. Often we feel our obligation is just to attend, as opposed to participate.

And even when there's clearly stuff to be called out, we have a combination of what you and others have pointed out (wanting to avoid possible negative consequences either individually or at a club level for speaking out) but also the Irish part of not wanting to be the one sticking your head above the parapet. So you always get people after meetings saying "jaysus, someone should have said something"…

baconsarnie

It's an absolute farce that anyone who has a paid role isn't being held to account. When everything is run by volunteers, it is easy to say "look, we couldn't get X or Y done, we have other things to do" but when it is your bread and butter, the least you could do is show up and present your work, and if you're compiling a report, actually contribute to it as opposed to cutting and pasting in national Cul Camps data to pad out an annual report.

I mean at what point are the delegates from clubs not going to ask the obvious question: who is paying the wages of the Games Development Officer and on that basis, what targets are they being set and who on the county board are holding the staff to account?

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123150726#Comment_123150726

I am almost certain that his final performance was against Armagh in Breffni when he came on at full forward and turned the tide, putting Bellew in his box. He was such an incredible player but it was painfully obvious what his other team mates thought of him. He was on the square roaring for the ball, and the likes of Mackey, Johnson and Lyng refusing to lay the ball in on him. It spoke volumes.

ipitydafool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158525#Comment_123158525

My understanding of it when talking to someone recently is that he is employed through Croke Park, the GDM for a county reports to the Provincial Games Development Manager and it goes up the chain that way. So idk if the CCC have a say with how he runs things or not running things as clearly looks to be the case. I mean I am sure they could do what the like of the Celt has done and highlight the short comings, same for delegates at meetings, ask questions and try to hold him to account publicly but in terms of getting rid through whatever mechanisms that would be available to them, not sure they can unfortunately.

mylestheslasher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158550#Comment_123158550

His final performance was an away game in Louth I am pretty sure, he went off injured if I recall. He was a fine player but I know what he is like too.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158550#Comment_123158550

The lads out the field today musn't think much of the forwards we have in there now either…

bearonthesquare

I keep banging the drum about health and well-being, fancy stadiums, museums, or a nice car park. All of these are nice to have, but cutting costs on everything except best-in-class managers is a waste of time. It feels like we're stuck in the same doom loop that Welsh rugby is in. They held onto a golden generation while neglecting youth development. We’ve done the same. All our underage coaches walked away, and not even one job advert has been posted to replace them.

Look at the county board—who on it is actually willing to challenge the status quo? What we need are leaders. In what other county would they allow the games development fiasco to go this far, let alone have the person responsible end up as a rival manager in a neighboring county?

Now, all the county team managers are saying it's like a full-time job. What does that say about the job being done by our employee? It's time we look at ourselves in the mirror.

Much has been made of the apathy of club officials. People here are venting exactly what those on the terraces feel. We want action, not people ducking their heads in the sand, hoping for miracles.

Cavan_King

What exactly is going on when Ryan Donohoe can start for DCU, be vice captain and win a Sigerson yet he can’t get a game for our county ahead of Evan Crowe who is a panel member for DCU?

Galligan must see the opposite of the DCU coaches.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123165205#Comment_123165205

Started at centre half forward, was hooked early in the second half. The two Skerries lads at midfield for DCU were really impressive, Dunne deserving man of the match. Caulfield at wing half back was not far off either, covered some amount of ground up and down the park. Tom Prior from Leitrim at corner forward has a real old school style to him, took on his man every time and kicked some great scores. DCU the much better team and deserved winners.