London calling...

There is a small corner of NW1, to paraphrase the famous poem, which will be forever Irish or, more specifically, forever “Cavan”. Over 180 Breffni natives, friends and partners flocked to the well-appointed Irish Centre in Camden for the 58th annual London Cavan Association dinner dance last Saturday night. And what a night it was. There is a unique charm about this event, and this group of people, who work tirelessly to keep the association alive and thriving. Indeed as Redhills native Jim Tully, who, along with brother John, has been a supporter of and worker for the association for as long as most around here can remember, testified, the Cavan Association rivals Galway and Longford as the most active - and popular - in the entire city. The group run a number of fundraisers each year, including a “bacon and cabbage night” and a golf classic, and last year raised the hefty sum of £8,000 for charity. And they have fun while they do it, too. Gregarious Master of Ceremonies Tommy Duffy, a Shercock man who has been living in Ealing for 40 years, spoke of the great friendships formed due to the association - those ties that bind go back a long way, too. When Tommy married his wife, a Bunnoe woman, their priest was well-known Virginia PP Fr Johnny Cusack, who was also in attendance here and had the crowd howling with laughter with an excellent speech. Those are the sort of enduring ties forged in a group of this kind and it was heartening to see - amid the often-anonymous hustle and bustle of a city of 12 million faceless strangers, the Cavan Association is a throw-back to a more innocent age. Another man of the cloth with the gift of the gab was Fr. Seamus Hetherton. A native of Munterconnacht, Fr. Seamus is a very popular figure around these parts and he revealed in his speech that he had missed just one - 2009 - of the association’s dinner dances “since the mid 1950s”. Bishop Leo O’Reilly, patron of the association, congratulated Fr. Seamus - who, at 85 years of age, is hale and hearty and drove from Birmingham to be at the event - and joked that he looked “almost as fit as he did in 1952”. Fr. Hetherton, of course, was a member of the last Cavan team to scoop Sam Maguire all those years ago. Cllr. Dessie Boylan and his wife Mary were also in attendance, with Cllr. Boylan speaking passionately about the strength of the association. The chairman and County Manager Jack Keyes - who sent his apologies - were congratulated on the amazing success of the Fleadh, and Cllr. Boylan encouraged everyone present to visit Cavan next July for the second instalment. Not that all of them needed encouragement. One speaker - who we won’t name - revealed that the earliest he made it to bed during this year’s event was 5am! The Irish Centre itself is a building with character, tucked away in deepest Camden in the north of the city but buzzing with life. There’s an old-fashioned charm to it, an air of welcome and defiance which sits neatly with the Cavan Association itself. Mrs. Maura Fitzsimons, honorary secretary, received a presentation, while chairman Peter Brady spoke eloquently too. The event was also attended by a group from the very-progressive Cavan Association in Beds and Herts, led by chairman Denis Mulligan, a witty Farnham man who regaled the table with a few classic yarns! The welcome, to one and all, was astounding. This is clearly a special group of Cavan people, with a special bond. After the raffle, the music, provided by Mustang, kicked off. The floor filled and glasses emptied, same as they have every year since 1952, as the music rolled on into the small hours. In difficult times, mercifully, some things will never change. Hats off to all involved, and roll on 2011. • Anglo-Celt sports editor Paul Fitzpatrick attended the event in a dual capacity, to promote the Road to Breffni GAA yearbook (on the shelves on December 1) and to recognise the excellent work of the association. A heartfelt thanks to all in London for their kind welcome.