Cavan and Ulster champions seek to make more history

Ladies football

Aideen Coyle

Saturday December 13, 2025 will go down in the history books for Cavan LGFA as Knockbride ladies become the first team in the county to contest the All-Ireland Intermediate club final.

Knockbride currently sit on an 11-game unbeaten streak dating back to the opening championship match in early August, but the most important test of their season awaits this Saturday when they take on Galway’s Caltra Cuans at Croke Park, with a 2pm throw-in.

Knockbride, led by clubman Ciaran Galligan, had been knocking at the door of championship success for the previous four years. Over the past seasons their Intermediate championship hopes were ended each year by the same opponents, Mullahoran. In 2022, the Dreadnoughts needed extra time to edge past them in the quarter-final, 3-11 to 2-10. The following season, Knockbride again exited at the quarter-final stage to Mullahoran, this time by 4-11 to 4-15. In 2024, they progressed to the final, only to fall to the eventual Ulster champions on a 0-13 to 0-03 scoreline.

Fast forward to 2025 and Knockbride went one step further in lifting the county crown with a magnificent win over Gowna after navigating their way through the county championship unbeaten. In the group stages they eased past the challenge of Templeport, St Finbarr’s and Belturbet/Redhills. A quarter-final win over Cornafean was followed by a semi-final triumph against Cuchulainns, setting up a highly-anticipated clash with Gowna in the county final.

A commanding display in Kingspan Breffni on county final day saw Sarah McCabe lift the title on behalf of her teammates ending an 11-year wait for championship silverware. McCabe was awarded Player of the Match, hitting two points, but in truth it was an all-round impressive display from the team hitting timely goals from Abbi Connor (two) and Katie Rogers to get themselves over the line and kickstart their Ulster journey.

In the provincial championship, Knockbride maintained their dominant form, securing four consecutive victories to claim their second piece of silverware this season. They opened with a trip to Down for a preliminary-round clash with Carryduff, producing a commanding 2-15 to 1-04 win. Their quarter-final meeting with Donegal champions Gaeil Fhánada proved to be one of their sternest tests yet. In a tense, low-scoring contest, the Breffni side edged through 1-08 to 0-04, with the win coming at a cost as star forward Abby Reilly, who scored the crucial goal on that day, suffered a season ending injury.

The Ulster semi-final and final were more straightforward affairs with routine wins for the Cavan champions. Knockbride comfortably dispatched Lisnaskea in the last four, restricting the Fermanagh outfit to a single point. In the Ulster final, they dominated from start to finish, defeating St. Brigid’s of Monaghan 3-13 to 1-06.

A sensational opening ten minutes in Brewster Park, during which they struck 2-04 without reply, proved decisive on yet another historic day for the club and county.

Standing in their way next was the Cork and Munster champions Naomh Abán, who made the long journey to St. Brigids Park two weeks ago for the All-Ireland semi-final. The game never reached the intensity or quality of Knockbride’s earlier championship performances, but that mattered little to Ciaran Galligan’s side who came out on top at the full-time whistle. In a tight low scoring battle, Knockbride came out on top of a seven-score game by the narrowest of margins 0-04 to 0-03 to book their place in Croke Park this Saturday.

Knockbride boast an ideal blend of youth and experience and are as formidable in defence as they are threatening in attack. In their previous 11 championship games they have amassed a remarkable tally of 27-128 with Abbi Connor accounting for an extraordinary 9-61 of that total.

The corner forward is the taliswoman but is far from alone being ably assisted by plenty of threat around her in Katie Rogers, Aoife Nulty, Sarah McCabe, Dublin native Rebecca Davey and the emerging Gia McCabe who has been immense since returning from a shoulder injury earlier in the championship.

McCabe, daughter of former Cavan ladies player Carmel Rogers, is fast becoming one of Knockbride’s most crucial and influential players at just sixteen years of age.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Knockbride have been equally impressive, conceding just 7-61 across those same 11 games. A major factor in their defensive solidity has been the consistency of their backline, anchored by the ever-reliable Sinead O’Reilly and Amie Lynch.

Fifteen-year-old Aoife Rogers, who made her championship debut in the All-Ireland semi-final, is another exciting prospect after a Player of the Match performance last game out.

In midfield, Katie Mai Reilly has been a constant driving force, providing energy, composure and a dependable outlet for the Cavan champions, further proving why she is regarded as one of the county’s stand-out underage talents in recent years.

Daughter of coach Peter Reilly, her younger sister Ellie has also made her mark, delivering two impressive and crucial cameos off the bench in earlier rounds and is likely to play a role again on Saturday if called upon.

Success for Ulster clubs in this competition has been rare, with only two previous winners in Emyvale in 2008 and Lisnaskea in 2011.

A victory for Knockbride on Saturday would not only make them the third Ulster club to claim the title but also cement their place in history as Cavan’s first-ever recipient of the title.