The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

Watching Cuchullains here and im very disappointed. They look completely clueless all around the field. Wipe out at midfield and big players not having any effect on game.

There has been plenty of clubs over the years. Didn’t Shercock and Kingscourt join together one year and have Faulkner, Clarke, Sankey etc? Lavey and Castlerahan had Gerry Smith, Fergal Reilly, Enda Flanagan and others. Those are just a couple come to mind straight away.

11 a side allows a club to play their own players. That for me has to be the best route for any club. Maybe if Lacken had stuck to that they wouldn’t be junior now.

Drung and Kill both entered the U13 grading comp separately this year and what I heard at the meeting was they both plan to go it alone now.

What was said at your meeting? Any interesting points?

Yes was just about to say that Kill and Drung did the same last year, entered the 13s grading competition separately but then rocked up to the u14's this year with St Finbarr's and two teams. Was strange because Kill on their own seemed well capable of fielding on own and at around Division 3 level, same this year for them for u12's. Redhills are the 3rd club mentioned twice here but not named, they are looking for a partner now Drumalee back going on their own, believe they had approached Belturbet too as they joined up for LGFA but can't see why it would happen as Belturbet number's are good.

That demographics report from GAA is very insightful, heard one of the authors of it speak on Off the Ball and some good recommendations out of it though implementing them is completely different scenario- it clear from report Cavan has too many clubs, probably not fully fair comparing to Northern clubs as societal breakdown for potential players of GAA is obviously way different but we have same amount of clubs as in Derry and less than third of their population, 2 more clubs than Donegal and half their population. Obviously not an apple to apples comparison as urban/rural breakdowns per county differ etc but 32-35 clubs probably more in line with what Cavan should have.

Cavan was listed as having one superclub per the report, one with over 1,200 members which I assume was Crosserlough given they field in 3 out of the 4 codes and no other club of that size in Cavan fields in more than 2.

Killygarry pitch itself is out in the Country but a lot of houses gone up on the outskirts of Cavan town. They have big numbers but lack a ruthless winning mentality at Senior level.

I think it has to be Crosserlough, sure they field two adult camogie teams along with 4 juvenile one's. I know there will be some crossover with ladies footballers but Killygarry doesn't have any camogie section. Now obviously membership is made up of non-playing members too so maybe it could be another club with a big membership base that not just playing membership. I had thought Ramor too but them and Lurgan Ladies don't operate under one club model yet so assume were treated separately for the report. Yes Killygarry pitch out in the country side but they pull from the suburbs of Cavan town from Corlurgan back out to Poles, 3 primary schools feed into the club that can all be said as countryside too but I wouldn't call it a rural club.

Heard somewhere that Killygarry have the largest membership in the county?

Arguably Killygarry, Crosserlough and Ballyhaise are all heading towards superclub status relatively speaking in Cavan.

All 3 fielded three adult teams this year.

Ballyhaise village is built up a lot compared to 10 years ago. 30 new houses to be built around there

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/cavan/news/boost-for-cavans-construction-sector-as-almost-30-new-homes-set-for-ballyhaise/a537135263.html

Yes it has built up since the Celtic Tiger when most of the houses there were built and borne out now with the profile of the senior team- children of people who moved out there at the time now young adults but it hasn't continued to grow like Mullagh or any area's in east of county. There has been a social housing development completed recently but the development you reference is under appeal afaik from local residents.

Granted it is a housing development and no doubt will add to the town's population but for reference to my previous post and point, 160 houses being built across from Gallops/Drumgola Wood in Bultersbridge/Drumalee area with ground already broken on it and another 150 houses being built just before Breifne College in Drumalee. 30 houses doesn't move the needle for me in terms of big growth for the place, it is a small village which now only has one pub that open on weekends, a pharmacy, Mace and a Chinese. Population of the village is 750 from last census, even adding 10% it is still half the size of Belturbet or even Cootehill which mentioned by celt262.

Would there be a few players with Drumgoon that are from Cootehill? I think Keith Fannin is one.

Ballyconnell would have a growing population but it doesn't always mean the local club will benefit.

Gowna has a much smaller population then a lot of the above places and have conveyor belt of talent coming through.

Killygarry have the biggest membership. People from the town started sending their kids out to Killygarry school years back and the club saw the benefit - the school got so packed at one stage about a decade ago they had to get parents to volunteer for traffic management at pick up and drop off time.

I was chatting to some Killygarry minor lads last year at a game and Martin Sexton was linesman and they were telling me he loves slagging them about all their fathers that played for the Gaels.

Killygarry juveniles will often use the pitch in at St Pats for challenge games. A good few lads arrive on push bikes. They aren’t cycling from Crubany!

It used to be 20/30 years ago that the best juveniles from Drumalee, Killygarry and the Bridge went to the Gaels. I remember the Gaels lads of the 90s calling Drumalee their B team. Drumalee has faltered alright but it’s really flipped for the Bridge and Killygarry.

More like a snobbery attitude. It would be like a South Dublin person dismissing Ballymun because of being rough around the edges.

Don't know much about Cootehill and where it's players come from though did see their u14 team this year and some brilliant young footballers on it, however believe the strongest player on it now playing for Dundalk and have probably suffered with having such a strong soccer club and players being of good enough quality to pursue it to a good level and thus couldnt commit to Gaelic.

Honestly don't think reputation or snobbery comes into it but again growth of the suburbs of Cavan town and the makeup of the feeder schools- St Felim's historically would of been a fairly even split for Cavan Gaels and Drumalee but now three quarters of it's pupils are from non Irish backgrounds and that is being generous, around 250 boys and roughly 10% maybe play Gaelic, Cavan Gaels are doing a better job at integrating them towards GAA but I would imagine it is very hard work whereas Bultersbridge and Killygarry have as Cavanking alluded to parent's who played with the Gaels now living outside town and children attending these schools, they will always want to play where their classmates are regardless of parental association with a previous club.

Yes for Ballyconnell, believe it is a case of Templeport being the strongest club in the area and much more playing with them. Plus West Cavan just has alot of clubs in the area for the population especially of a young age. 5 minutes from Ballyconnell is Templeport and 10 minutes from both Belturbet and Drumlane.

If he knows so much you would think he would say who it is or else he is talking rubbish.

Edit ; ok so he has done a bit of reseach and not just talking rubbish. Apologies

Jimmy Higgins the new Naas manager. A very big gig to get, fair play to him