Lynch praises Cuchulainns’ spirit ahead of Ulster final

Interview

As Cuchulainns prepare for their first-ever Ulster Intermediate Club Football Championship final, manager Niall Lynch says the team’s remarkable progress in 2025 is the product of confidence, cohesion, and a little bit of luck, but above all, an exciting group finally performing to its potential when it matters most.

After several seasons of pushing hard in Cavan without landing the intermediate crown, this was the year the Mullagh and Cross men finally passed through the door. In his first season back in charge of his home club, Lynch was asked what he and his management team changed.

“That’s an interesting question,” he begins.

“To be fair, I look at myself and Ronan (Flanagan), colleagues at work, and it was nice to come in and work together with the group. We were excited because of the new rules and we felt Cuchulainns had attacking springboards that could really work well under them.”

Those new rules, particularly the 11-v-11 scenarios inside the opposition half, prompted a different coaching approach.

“Coaching in 11-v-11 situations is very different to coaching against 15 defenders,” he explains.

“We were very lucky that Joe Dillon came on board for the strength work. I think the group have benefited from that.”

Lynch says their Division 1 league campaign played a major role in building momentum.

“The league campaign really set us up for the intermediate championship,” he adds.

“Getting to the top four in Division 1 proved very helpful. It wasn’t a major target of ours, our target was to get safe in the league, and all of a sudden we were closing out games and winning games. The confidence started to grow and that was a big help.”

More than anything, the manager believes having a fully fit panel available throughout the summer and autumn allowed the team to develop.

“Having a full panel to pick from in these big games has really helped us to perform at our best,” said Lynch, who works as Principal of Virginia College.

Asked about the value of having a healthy squad deep into the campaign, Lynch credits both planning and a strong support network.

“Ronan Carolan have been able to help the group with physio, and Joe Dillon looking after the strength work. The boys are in good shape and we’ve been very lucky with injuries,” he says.

But with a coaching résumé featuring two All-Ireland schools titles with Virginia College in 2006 and 2007, plus Senior Championship wins with Kingscourt and Mullahoran, Lynch’s success rate appears more deliberate than he lets on.

He laughs when asked if there’s a secret formula.

“A lot of luck,” he insists.

“I really enjoy working with teams and trying to get the best out of them. Each and every one of those journeys was different. I was lucky that when we got to the big stage we were able to perform, and that’s something the Cuchulainns team have done well this year.”

Still, he acknowledges that something special has clicked.

“We’re hoping for one more big performance,” he says. “You always need a bit of luck along the way, always.”

One of the stand-out features of Cuchulainns’ championship run has been their ability to deliver in crucial moments, including the semi-final when three injury-time points pushed them four clear at the end.

Lynch agrees.

“The guys are definitely performing close to the best of their ability. Confidence grows with wins. We’ve had two tight games in Ulster and even though it’s our first time at this stage, we are confident that we can perform. And if you perform to your best, you’re going to be hard beaten.”

As soon as Cuchulainns got back into the dressing room after the semi-final in Armagh, attention turned to the final. True to his word, Lynch and his selectors travelled north to watch Glenullin, the Derry champions, edge past Carrickmacross in brutal weather conditions.

“We did get up to watch Glenullin,” he says.

“But the weather conditions on the day were a factor. Glenullin came through an unbelievable battle. Carrickmacross would have felt they probably had enough done to win that match.”

Despite the storm, Lynch saw enough to know what lies ahead.

“It was hard to judge a team on those conditions,” he admits.

“But what we saw was a team with a tremendous amount of character and plenty of impact coming off the bench. It was useful to watch that game.”

The flags that went up for the county final have remained in place throughout the Ulster campaign, and anticipation in Cross and Mullagh has only increased.

“There’s a sense of pride, a huge amount of pride, because it’s a fairly young team and there’s great excitement,” Lynch says.

“The juveniles in the club have been going to a lot of these matches. We had a big crowd at our first home game in Breffni Park and a large travelling support when we went to Armagh.”

He says the bond between the team and parish has strengthened week by week.

“People are really anticipating this final being a good game, which all the games have been,” he continues. “It’s an emotional time. People are very proud and players are delighted to be representing the parish. Lots of people are delighted to be associated with the team. It’s a great time to be involved.”