McCabe and Donohoe to take minor reins

A joint management team of Gowna clubmen Dermot McCabe and Gary Donohoe will lead the Cavan minors into the 2011 Ulster Championship following the conclusion of a series of interviews last week. McCabe, the most decorated Cavan footballer of his generation, represented the county at the top level from 1994 until 2009 and was involved as coach with the Athlone IT Sigerson Cup team last year, although this is his first high profile managerial appointment. Donohoe managed Ballinamore to two Leitrim league titles and was in charge of the Belturbet senior team for the past two seasons. He was also a Gowna selector under Eamon Coleman. The pair beat off strong opposition from, with informed sources suggesting that it former Cavan senior team trainer Niall Lynch came a close second. “They were very strong all round,†stated board chairman Tom Reilly who, along with minor chair Paddy Reilly and Tony Scullion of the Ulster Council, made up the interview panel. “If you are a player in a dressing room looking for someone with presence and leadership, there is no-one better than Dermot McCabe.†Reilly thanked all of the other candidates and stated that he “hoped they would not be lost to Cavan GAAâ€. No backroom team has been named yet, although it has been suggested that James Lovett – who was himself a contender for the managerial post – could be in the running for the role of trainer. Unusually, Donohoe and McCabe have been handed a one-year term, with a review to follow at the end of the season. “Dermot and Gary were very enthusiastic about it and they're looking forward to getting stuck into it,†stated Reilly. • See next week's Anglo-Celt for more on the new management team.