I see in Saturday's star that former Fermanagh ace Rory Gallagher, top scorer in Ulster a few seasons I think, is now training with Cavan and is apparently about to throw his lot in with the Breffni blues. He's living and working in Cavan town apparently although this begs the question, why not tip up the road to Fermanagh and start playing with his native county again? Wasn't he also linked with Dublin a few years ago? Seems to be touting himself about a wee bit, worryingly.
I've heard some malcontent/primadonna accusations levelled about this guy in the past and would worry about his influence in an already troublesome Cavan camp.
Seems you were right anglocelt39, he's defo at training anyway... :-\
He's the kind of forward you fellows need - a good free taker too.
Is famous for his poor training ethic.
Nice lad but lazy as sin.
Lynchboy, I think you are mixing up Rory and Raymie
Raymie wouldn't be the best trainer, Rory trains extremely hard, and is always in good shape.
Quote from: liihb on November 13, 2006, 11:12:40 AM
Lynchboy, I think you are mixing up Rory and Raymie
Raymie wouldn't be the best trainer, Rory trains extremely hard, and is always in good shape.
Thats obv a new changes rory.
I know him Pre-brigids days where he was worse than Raymie - and along with a few other ex Fermanagh players (who were team mates of mine in Dublin) they made a mockery of the Fermangh training regieme.
To be honest, and as a blow in myself, I am not against blow ins coming into Brigids - we have way enough young talent coming through so we can jettison some of these older lads back into the lower teams.
Did you see my young team won their league yesterday? There are a few lads on that who I will be recommending for the senior side this time next year.
Some of the senior panel should be downgraded, they have been up there long enough and made no impact.
Others are just not good enough imo.
I can second that alright...early reports from Cavan sessions are that he's running rings all the other lad without breaking sweat...
QuotePre-brigids days where he was worse than Raymie
Well not knowing Rory before the Brigids days I couldn't disagree with you on that one.
Congrats on the league win, saw it on the site this morning, great to see. Fingers crossed the 21s will have a good craic at the champiosnhip this year too (BTW Rory is managing them along with Barry Cahill)
Cavanmaniac, if Rory can be controlled he will be good for ye.....not sure how he could be playing for the love of the jersey though...
Can't see Rory lasting until the end of the season with Cavan to be honest - whilst he is an excellent footballer and keeps himself in great shape, his attitude is awful - and this would outweigh all his other benefits.
Cavan have a good free taker in Seanie Johnson, a decent play maker in Michael Lyng (when fit) - so I can't see how Rory will fit in.
What would the feeling in Fermanagh be? I presume he's not the most popular as it is, this will hard make that any better?
I'd share most of the concerns raised here. It smacks of mercenary type behaviour if these rumours are true, and possibly a bad move in the early days of management for Keogan to risk bringing in another bad attitude to a dressing room already infamous for bitchy overweight primadonnas who'll be only too glad of a new axe to grind over Gallagher.
There's no doubt if he was fit, trained hard and had his head right he'd be a great asset to a team that's always analysed as having 'great forwards' yet sometimes can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. But there's too many worrying aspects to this whole Gallagher thing. Sure it might turn out to be crap anyway.
How might Fermanagh feel if we met in Championship and he knocked over 0-8? ;)
My question is, has he chosen a club in Cavan yet :o
i hope some members of my club have been in contact...
Rory Gallagher playing for Ballyhaise would be nice ;D
You can be sure the gaels have been brown nosing him already...
aye more than likely....they have... Sure they have to strengthen that squad of theirs...Its not like they have any talent there or have won anything in the past 10 years... ::)
apparently he is living down in west cavan and is going to play for a "low profile club". heard that in pub the other nite so prob is crap.. Anyone think that money could be the motivation for our Rory to join the blues?
To be honest, I would think money would not be the motivation, more the fact that he wants to play county football
no doubt he will get well looked after by our well financed county board.....as should all players who put in the commitment for a county team.
He will be an asset anyway......
we will have a lot of forward options next year with Gallagher there and Lyngs comeback.
What is the word on Lyng anyway? Has he played anything for the Gaels at all, despite making himself available for the county final? That guy needs to be handled with absolute kid gloves if you ask me. I'd give him a few subs run outs against the weaker sides in the league and hopefully have him worked up a good level of fitness and durability by the championship in May. Don't risk him!
Especially now we've got 'our' Rory...
he hasnt played for the Gaels no.
Unless he played in the under 21 replay against Lurgan last Saturday which i wasnt at...He didnt play in the first game i know that....He also didnt play in the League semi final against Ballinagh.
as you said he needs to be brought on very slowly......Boojangles has a better knowledge of whats going on with the county panel behind the scenes,he should be able to tell us if Lyng is back training with the county yet.
I am not sure how to react to this news. I was the one playing the Cavanman for the Cavan Managers job tune a few months ago.
On Rory Gallagher, I guess its his desire to play inter county football as someone else said earlier that has prompted him to make this move.
Don't know how the transfer thing works but I am guessing he will have to leave St Bridget's now.
Who he signs for will be interesting. The paper said he was now living & working in Cavan. Where? does anyone know?
If its in the town he has 4 clubs to choose from, Cavan Gaels, Drumalee (wouldn't want him taking your place Boojangles) Killygarry & Butlersbridge. However if Donal is orchestrating this move he might end up with Denn, must look after your own you know.
Cavan are making a big mistake taking rory in to the setup. There is no doubt that he is a great footballer, but the man can not be controlled.
I for one would not want him back for fermanagh. He will be a huge footballing asset to whatever club gets him, but disharmory will follow.
Rory Gallagher is without doubt one of the most talented players to play for Fermanagh but other players opinions on him aren't great. After our great run of 2004 he came back to the squad in 2005 and he didn't really improve the team's performance. He slowed the game down when in possession of the ball which didn't help the likes of Eamon Maguire and Mark Little. Taking into consideration that Fermanagh's game plan will probably change next year I'd be a little disappointed that he would play for a neighbouring county like Cavan when he's living just 15 minutes from his native county.
I know players have transferred among countries in the past but would Rory be the first player to transfer to a neighbouring county?
Indeed it wouldnt be much trouble for him and im sure hed be well compensated to travel to Fermanagh for training.
He must not be on the best of terms with the Fermanagh players/Manager/County Board.
Il more than welcome him though. ;D
very easily marked out of a game. Good freetaker- but always came across as lazy in Dublin club football. If a defender marks him tightly he doesn't like it- i doubt he'll make much impact in the bearpit of ulster football against the real teams. Quite easily marked out of it at club level in Dublin in recent years.
Prodigious talent- bordering on genius for sheer football skill. I don't believe the mental strength goes with it though - nor the application -pity because with the application Fermanagh would have won an Ulster championship by now.
Made it over at last. Initial reaction on my part was not the greatest (some things ain;t changed folks) and what I read on this board seems to confirm some of the suspicions. There are plenty of pricks in the Cavan dressing room that need to be sorted out, as in turfed out, Keogans first move seems to be to bring yet another potential ego/shitstirrer into the fold. could be very interesting for the wrong reasons. I thought that, in a very modest way, Mulgrews no holds barred approach was a model for moving things forward in Cavan-i.e. sort out the ego's and concentrate on guys who might not have the superstar abilities but want to play in a team and represent their county. Looks like we may be going totally opposite in taking on other counties problem children to add to our own.
Another thought is that if we are to be trying to headhunt inter-couty players we should probably be looking in one or two different positions-Full back and midfield immediately spring to mind.
Anyway my sources tell me that, despite all this, the fitness level of the Gallagher lad is way above most of the locals at this stage, pretty telling for a guy that has not played inter county for a few years.
If he was doing any training atall he would b fitter than our lads :P .. The levels of fitness this year was the worst that i have ever seen.
Strugglling a bit with this one. At the end of the day he's not a Cavan man and he's not far from his own county.
How do any of the Cavan lads think they'd feel playing for Fermanagh for example. I don't think yee would have the same desire at all.
For that matter how would yee feel if Paddy Brady decidied he was going to play county football again but he'd perfer to cross the lough and play for his lovely neighbours in Longford. Not best pleased I'd say and to be honest (and I know the lad well) I'm not sure I'd want him because pure and simply he's not from Longford.
It's getting a bit like the old soccer transfer market to tell the truth
Funny you should say that, I saw Paddy Bradley in the Slieve Russell last Sat night...
Was thinking about starting a rumour - but you never know what his reasons for being there were...
Why do the Cavan management think they need Gallagher, when Fermanagh improved greatly without him?
Rumour, Parkinson (Laois) another on the list of transferees(?)
If we're adapting this as a policy already, scouring other counties for mercenaries, then I'm disgusted. Not only should we rise and fall on the talent or lack of available to us within our own borders, but to be engaging in this carry on smacks of the 'short-termism' that saw the careers of shitstirrers prolonged to land us in the mess we're in at the moment - live for the moment, the instant payoff, rush the minors through, make him play even if he's still a bit injured, and let the future take care of itself.
It's a major blot on Keogan's CV that he's doing this. As anglocelt39 rightly pointed out, it illustrates that he might not have his finger on the pulse as much as we thought when it comes to analysing the discipline and commitment problem in the Cavan dressing room.
I'd stomach Gallagher's arrival if he got turfed out at the first sign of problems, but if we're running about the country recruiting shapers and egotists of various shapes and hues, then I'll have a pink fit.
Times may be bad, but is taking on Gallagher a backward step for Cavan football?I don't think this will be of any benefit to the county in the long run.
Would the management not be better selecting lads who are committed to the county and work with them to improve their game? Whats this saying to all GAA people (coaches and players) in the county who work hard all year every year trying to improve the standard of football in the county from U-10 upwards. Is this telling them that their methods have being wrong all along?
What will Gallaghers commitment to the county be? Will he play for a club in the county or stick with St Bridgids? will he even live in the county or just have a postal address here? When things get tough will he walk away? Will the other players look at this situation and say f--k this and not bother trying for the county? or will they be of the opinion that we've another great forward here, and we might actually win something ?
Lads, Keoghan is a tosser and the worst possible choice of manager as I have said before. Getting a guy in who refused to play for his county due to distance (he was 2 hrs away and finished work every day at 4pm) and now works next door to his county and won't play with them. When the shit hits the fan and hard times come, does keoghan think that Rory will stand up and be counted?? Of course he won't. I only want Cavan men playing for Cavan and I certainly don't want a player from a neighbouring county. Why can't this management team start concentrating on the basics like getting a panel of commited cavan men and stop this shite. Already we have a management team with more members than some underage panels. This is a pathetic start if you ask me. I only hope the parkinson rumour is only a rumour too, cos i don't want him either.
Lads, outsiders playing for us is nothing new.
In 1947, Columba McDwyer Donegal & Brian Smith Meath played with us. Does this taint our 'glory' days?
In 1948 Victor Sherlock joined us after playing for Meath in 1947.
In 1952 final 3 Maguire bros played 2 for Cavan one for Meath (or vice versa).
In my lifetime I recall a rumour after Eugene McGee took over that Matt Connor was coming to us. He was a garda and was to be stationed in Cootehill. Pat Fallon Mayo played with us in '89. Paul Murphy Cork in '00.
When Val Andrews took over there was speculation that 3 Kerry boys that were on his Tralee IT teams were to join up.
Cork won 2 All Irelands with Kildare men their main players. Tompkins & Fahy. Kildare under Micko were known to some as the United Nations.
what about raymond cunninghan in 97!!
And yis kept Sean Kiernan from Longford & Colmcille for that matter!!
Well f**k me sideway, somebody PLEASE tell me that the Parkinson thing is a bad joke, now I could imagine that the Imperial would benefit from the Britpop one's proximity with bar takings and all that. Gallagher, Parkinson plus our own headbangers. There's the makings of a reality tv programme in this yet.
But seriously folks, whatever about headhunting fellas with some tenous connection to the county, Gallagher/Parky we are in serious danger of rendering ourselves a bigger joke than ever. I smell mullah here of course, lots of it.
I don't think money is the reason with Gallagher, he's not short of it.
The reason I have heard is that he wants to play county football.
Presume his and Keogans mutual friendship with McHugh brought this about.
Gallagher will still be working in dublin but will be 'based' in cavan , whatever that means
Those guys that played with Cavan in the 40's, 50's and 60's played because they lived here. Those were diffferent times where people hadn't the money or means to make trips to other counties to train. I think it is a sad state of affairs when a county with no other sport except Football has to get players from Fermanagh (a county with the lowest number of GAA members) to try and compete. The very fact that this is happening is evidence that there are deep deep problems elsewhere and this type of shite is just glossing over it.
I wonder which Cavan men will lose out to the imports down the line?
In Victor Sherlock's case he was born and bred in the county,played club football in Meath and then returned to play with Kingscourt.Not too sure about Brian O'Reilly he played with Carnaross not too sure if he was from Meath or Cavan.
In general most of outsiders who played with Cavan were members of clubs in the county and playing their football here, the latest being Micky Brennan, this I have no problem with.
In Gallaghers case though he's not a member of any club in county,never lived here,wasn't born here,so what the hell is he doing training with the county team.Is this just another crack in the amateur status of the GAA?
anyone think this thread and the Cavan GAA one should be merged?
In my opinion there should be a rule that you have to be living and playing club football in the county to be able to play for them,Isnt Gallagher going to continue playing for St Brigids?
He will get my full support...i dont think he will get such a good reception should we play Fermanagh in a game though :o
Was talking to a work colleague yesterday who is fairly close to all things Fermanagh. HIs version of things is that Gallagher would crawl back into the Fermanagh fold if taken, However the obstacle is Mulgrew and he is in place for the next three years. Mulgrew subbed him in his last championship appearance and the audible stream of abuse from Gallagher as he came off was fairly impressive and guaranteed to finish his career with Fermanagh as long as Charlie remained at the helm. Description I am hearing is that we are looking at another McCabe in terms of attitude, albeit with vastly superior fitness levels.
Taking in fellas from other counties??-would like to think there was some level of connection with Cavan GAA, however tenous-working here, playing here, family from here something?-parkinson-sure bring him on, I know for a fact he went on the piss with former Cavan and Shamrocks legend Paul O Dowd once, at least.
As far as I know Rory did not play for Fermnaagh in 2003 or 2004. He played in 2002 and scored I think it was 3-9 against Monaghan but did not commit for the following two years. He came back in 2005 and although was top scorer in the league was dropped for the Ulster Championship against Armagh, people in the know would say that was a strange decision. he came back against Down in the qualifiers but was taken off. Apparantly he gave Mulgrew a volley of serious abuse and that burnt his bridges.
But you hear a lie and tell a lie. He was not rushing to ferm in either 2003 or 2004 though.
Wouldn't be quite as convinced as yourself that I am either hearing or telling a lie. What we are agreed on is that Gallagher was subbed during his last championship appearance for Fermanagh, had a serious public falling out with Mulgrew. I can only presume that what you are questioning is my colleagues assertion that he would go back to Fermanagh if allowed, obivously this is out of season hearsay and I more or less noted that as being a man's version of things.
If you think about it logically though, if he is serious about coming back to inter county football, and time will tell on that, why with Cavan-no obivous connection and there is hardly a huge attraction in trips to Tipperary, Waterford etc. over this winter, don't see us showing too high on the Ultster betting lists for next year either. No obivous connection with the county that I can work out. Wouldn't the logical thing be to try his hand with his home county????????? but of course he chucked his toys out of the pram there in the past and they ain't exactly done all that badly without him and a few others.
If he has the right attitude he will b a g8t addition to the squad. the forward last year were pretty miserable with there shooting so hopefully rory can show them how it done!!!! Whats his best position?
Why would he join Cavan? I think a couple of reasons
1. He's mad to play county football...with anyone
2. Believebelieves version is one I've heard before....and seems the most widely accepted. I think his bridges have been burnt with Fermanagh while Mulgrew is in charge, and he will be for the next few years
3. I think probably Cavan because of the McHugh connection
My point is that he chose not to play for Fermanagh in 2003 and 2004 and he had seemingly no falling out with any of the managers at that time?
I don't know his reasons for not playing in those years as i don't know the man but it does seem that he picks and chooses what years to commit Would he have came back to Fermanagh had they not had a successful year in 2004?
Look - i dont like all this emphasis on individuals although it does seem to be rife in discussion boards - this is nothing more than innuendo. As far as i'm concerned i wish him all the best and hope he can enjoy his football there.
believebelieve you don't like all this emphasis on individuals and in one phrase you have hit on the malaise that has blighted Cavan football for a few years now. Our entire emphasis has been on cow towing to a number of individual players who are legends in their own minds but have singularly failed to produce the goods when required. The overwhelming opinion on the Cavan GAA thread at the end of this years championship was that it was time for a clear out, take our medicine for a few years but build on the basis of lads who want to put in, play for Cavan and put the team first. Not 100 miles removed from Mulgrews approach in fact. Keoghans first step is to court a player who some would consider more of an individual than a team player, and not only that, whose motiviations in wanting to play for Cavan are a bit un-clear.
Like any long suffering Cavan man I hope to christ it works out.