Cavan open with trip to Cork as provisional National League fixtures revealed
Football news
The Cavan senior footballers will be away from home in the first round of the National League for the 22nd time this century, after the provisional fixtures were circulated in recent days.
Amazingly, Cavan have only been drawn at home in the opening round of the competition on four occasions since 2000, part of the reason being that they have switched division so frequently.
The Blues will take on Cork in a double-header with the Cork v Waterford National League match on Sunday, January 25 at Páirc Uí Chaoímh in round one of the Division 2 campaign in what will be new Cavan manager Dermot McCabe’s first competitive match following the pre-season McKenna Cup.
A home derby against Meath follows; after a week’s break, there is a tricky trip to Healy Park. After that, there are successive home games against Kildare and Louth; these two could well be the ties on which the campaign revolves.
Cavan have picked up four successive National League wins against Louth and while they have a historically poor record against Kildare, Cavan did beat the Lilywhites the last time the sides met in the first round in 2024.
Cavan travel to face newly-promoted Offaly in round six before heading to Celtic Park to face Derry in the final match of the group campaign.
While there are some daunting fixtures, notably against Derry and Tyrone, who have consistently gotten the better of Cavan, the Breffni men possess a very respectable recent head-to-head record against the other sides in the division.
Under Raymond Galligan in the last two seasons, Cavan beat Louth, Kildare and Cork and drew with Meath, although they did lose to the latter two also.
Cavan have also beaten Offaly on the last three occasions in which the sides have met.
PROVISIONAL FIXTURES (subject to change)
Sun, Jan 25th: Cork away
Sat, Jan 31st: Meath in Kingspan Breffni
Sun, Feb 15th: Tyrone away
Sun, Feb 22nd: Kildare in Kingspan Breffni
Sat, February 28th: Louth in Kingspan Breffni
Sun, March 15th: Offaly away
Sun, March 22nd: Derry away