Boost for Mountnugent at Givney returns

Former Cavan star back in the fold

The shortlist for this year’s Cully’s Craft Bakery Junior Football Championship has been shaken up by the news that former Cavan star David Givney has transferred back to home club Mountnugent.

The switch was ratified last week and signed off in Croke Park on July 16. Givney, 31 this year, last featured for Cavan in 2016 when he had an outstanding season at full-forward as Terry Hyland’s side secured promotion to Division 1 and were beaten in an Ulster SFC semi-final replay against Tyrone, with Givney’s early injury in the replay a huge blow to the underdogs on that occasion.

Givney had been lining out with London club Fulham Irish in recent seasons but has now thrown his lot in with his home club, who, under the management of Barry Crowe, got off to an excellent start without him in the All-County Football League at the weekend with an impressive win over Drumalee.

Another side to boost their Junior Championship credentials was Denn, under Ballymachugh clubman Stephen Baxter who won the title with his own club in 2017. They had an eye-catching away win over Cuchulainns, who have been one of the leading intermediate teams in recent years.

Elsewhere among the junior contenders, Knockbride beat Arva by a point, Templeport had a big win over Drung while last year’s finalists Shannon Gaels saw off Killeshandra, Redhills’ three former county men Rory Dunne, Turloc Mooney and Packie Leddy helped them beat Kildallan and Munterconnaught, for whom veteran attacker John McCabe was back in the fold, lost by two away to Drumlane.

The Leaguers, however, will be boosted by the fact that their talisman Declan McKiernan has also rejoined. The former Cavan midfielder has been out of the country for a couple of seasons but his transfer from Vancouver Eire Óg also went through last week.

Meanwhile, Gearoid McKiernan had a winning debut for Cavan Gaels against Ballyhaise and while Ramor and Gowna both won, their victories came at a cost as leading attackers Jack Brady and Conor Madden both picked up injuries.

Elsewhere, in Division 1, Kingscourt, for whom full-forward Joe Dillon is fit again, also impressed against Killygarry and their chances will have been boosted by the return of former Cavan goalkeeper James Farrelly, who transferred home from Chicago Parnells while Cian McArdle, who scored a crucial point in the Stars’ county final win in 2015, has also come back from New York.

Knockbride’s Patrick Smith has returned from Australia also while going the other way is Drumgoon’s Kaylan Jackson-McCabe, who has transferred to John Mitchels in Lancashire.

The ACFL returns with round two this weekend.