New look to Cavan senior panel for McKenna Cup

GAA news

There will be a new look to the Cavan senior football panel for 2024, with up to a dozen players from last year’s squad having been let go and a number of those who were involved in the past re-committing.

The most notable absentee is the long-serving Gearoid McKiernan. The Cavan Gaels man has been a starter on the county senior team since 2011 but manager Raymond Galligan confirmed that he is “not part of our plans”.

Among the other experienced players who are not on the panel is Drumgoon’s Conor Moynagh, who had been a mainstay of the squad since 2014 barring one year.

Returning to action is Crosserlough’s midfielder/full-forward James Smith, a regular starter over the last four seasons when fit who opted out of his own accord last summer. Smith is joined on the squad at present by his brother, half-back Peter.

Galligan stated that he was very happy with the response of those he invited into the panel, a number of whom were on the extended panel for the 2020 Ulster Championship win, with a few seeing game time during that campaign.

Ramor United’s Brían O’Connell, a starter in the championship against Tyrone in 2021, has returned to the panel. His clubmate Mark Magee has also earned a call-up.

Kingscourt’s Paddy Meade, Ballinagh’s Cormac Timoney, Mullahoran’s Cormac O’Reilly and Butlersbridge’s Caoimhin O’Reilly have also all accepted recalls.

Among the new faces are Gowna’s Ryan Brady, Knockbride’s Liam Fay and Laragh United goalkeeper Fergal O’Rourke (one of three netminders on the panel along with Liam Brady and Gary O’Rourke).

“To be honest, there wasn’t any case of having to persuade anyone. I’ve been very fortunate, anyone I’ve reached out to see would they be interested in joining the panel, straight away they said absolutely, they’d love to,” Galligan told the Anglo-Celt.

“We’ve seen that now since they’ve come in, the lads have applied themselves really well and they are looking at it now as an opportunity to kick on.

“Some of them obviously got a taste before, it didn’t work out for their own reasons, but those lads have all come back in with a point to prove. Initially their plan is to try and make the panel and then kick on and try and make the team over the next number of weeks and months.”

Cavan are currently working off a panel of 45 – there were 42 last year – and the panel will be cut to 36 or 37 after the McKenna Cup.

They have trained in Virginia, Lacken and Butlersbridge as well as at Kingspan Breffni as Galligan delivers on his vow to move training sessions around the county where possible.

Galligan’s first competitive match as manager will be against Derry in the McKenna Cup at Kingspan Breffni on Wednesday, January 3 (7.30pm), followed by a clash with Down at Páirc Esler, Newry the following Wednesday.

Cavan will begin their National League Division 2 campaign against Kildare in Dr Cullen Park, Carlow on Saturday, January 27 at 5pm. It will be the 21st time in 24 years that Cavan have had to travel to an away venue for the first round of the league.

Round two is against Donegal on Sunday February 4 at 4pm in Kingspan Breffni.

Cavan take on Cork on Saturday, February 17 at 4pm in Páirc Uí Chaoímh before travelling to Ardee to take on Louth on Sunday, February 25 (2pm).

The Blues are at home to Meath on Saturday, March 2 (7pm), away to Armagh on Saturday, March 16 (5pm) and concluded the group stage of the league with a home game against Fermanagh on Saturday, March 23 (7pm).

All four final-round Division 2 matches will take place under floodlights at 7pm on that Saturday evening for the first time.

Those fixtures are likely to have major ramifications for teams in terms of their ensuing Sam Maguire or Tailteann Cup championship status.