Official Cavan GAA Thread

[Cavan19]

Are we deluding our selves about how good we are?  The armagh senior final was on TG4 yesterday and do we have players who wouldn't look outt  of place playing in that game?

Population of Armagh = 175k with 44 clubs (1 club to 3.9k)
Population of Cavan = 81k with 40 clubs (1 club to 2k)

Probably the biggest reason our clubs dont stand up well against other counties is because we've got a diluted club scene

I do agree we have too many clubs, but Armagh with a city and a lot of the other persuaion there, that ratio would come down a lot with who actually is involved in GAA.

We do need to get to 35 or so clubs. Sounds harsh, but likes of Maghera, some clubs in West Cavan and some others could easily merge or be absorbed going forward. We'd have 3 better Championships with maybe 12 teams each. Didn't that report Cavan GAA commissioned years back (Quinn or someone?) mention that we've too many clubs and need to go down by 5 or so for population?

Can i ask how you feel the championships would be better if we had less clubs?

[Westside]

Are we deluding our selves about how good we are?  The armagh senior final was on TG4 yesterday and do we have players who wouldn't look outt  of place playing in that game?

Population of Armagh = 175k with 44 clubs (1 club to 3.9k)
Population of Cavan = 81k with 40 clubs (1 club to 2k)

Probably the biggest reason our clubs dont stand up well against other counties is because we've got a diluted club scene

I do agree we have too many clubs, but Armagh with a city and a lot of the other persuaion there, that ratio would come down a lot with who actually is involved in GAA.

We do need to get to 35 or so clubs. Sounds harsh, but likes of Maghera, some clubs in West Cavan and some others could easily merge or be absorbed going forward. We'd have 3 better Championships with maybe 12 teams each. Didn't that report Cavan GAA commissioned years back (Quinn or someone?) mention that we've too many clubs and need to go down by 5 or so for population?

You can only laugh when people come out with stuff like this. You've gone so far as to say it can be done "easily" Have you seen or heard what went on in Swad and Corlough over the last 3 years? Clubs don't want to merge, clubs don't want to absorb their neighbours nor be absorbed. There are people who would rather send their children to play in neighbouring counties rather than send them down the road to play for their neighbours. It's about the furthest thing from easy that you can get.

This whole notion that amalgamating a few small clubs around the county will drastically improve the standards is a myth. Is there any reliable research or data to suggest that counties with a lower amount of clubs per population are more successful in provincial club championships or intercounty football?

[Cavan19]

Are we deluding our selves about how good we are?  The armagh senior final was on TG4 yesterday and do we have players who wouldn't look outt  of place playing in that game?

Population of Armagh = 175k with 44 clubs (1 club to 3.9k)
Population of Cavan = 81k with 40 clubs (1 club to 2k)

Probably the biggest reason our clubs dont stand up well against other counties is because we've got a diluted club scene

I do agree we have too many clubs, but Armagh with a city and a lot of the other persuaion there, that ratio would come down a lot with who actually is involved in GAA.

We do need to get to 35 or so clubs. Sounds harsh, but likes of Maghera, some clubs in West Cavan and some others could easily merge or be absorbed going forward. We'd have 3 better Championships with maybe 12 teams each. Didn't that report Cavan GAA commissioned years back (Quinn or someone?) mention that we've too many clubs and need to go down by 5 or so for population?

This whole notion that amalgamating a few small clubs around the county will drastically improve the standards is a myth. Is there any reliable research or data to suggest that counties with a lower amount of clubs per population are more successful in provincial club championships or intercounty football?

I agree with this.

If Maghera decide to pack it the club that there players would go to is probably Munterconnaught and would still leave them a middle of the road Junior team.  Anyone they have that is any addition and Ramor would look for them which wouldn't necessarily make Ramor stronger either.  As mentioned Swad and Corolugh experiment did not work.

Once a club has sufficient numbers to keep going they are going to battle on and if it comes to a stage where a club can't field the players will go to neighboring teams but it wont be amalgamations.

[Look-Up!]

I don't think there should be a hard and fast approach to amalgamations at underage. Numbers in smaller clubs can vary drastically year to year. If a club has the numbers to field, and facilities are there locally, you're always better getting as many youngsters playing as possible. If they have insufficient numbers on a particular year then an amalgamation is the way to go.
 Regarding senior, I would like to see a Kerry model where there is a separate county championship where every club is involved to make up 12-16 teams, maybe 6 stand alone senior clubs and the rest amalgamations. You still keep senior, intermediate and junior club competitions to run separately.

[Itchy]

Very exciting and well contested semi final this evening. Great to see it on RTE, a super game for any neutrals who tuned in.

[Westside]

It was exciting stuff but I thought the quality wasn't amazing overall. Gowna were much the better side and Crosserlough were blessed to still be in the game going down the stretch. Smith, apart from two big moments was anonymous for the rest of the game, Lynch wasn't at the races. McVeety did well.

Gowna have the best squad in the county. I thought Ryan Brady was excellent, Conor Casey probably the best player on the field. Conor Madden frustrating as usual but got two big scores. The Maddens are playing well too. They will be very hard to beat in a final. A big outpouring of joy at the final whistle was surprising and maybe betrayed the fact that they saw this as the biggest hurdle in the search for a county title, which is obviously a dangerous mindset and a difficult one to dismiss once it gets into a team's psyche.

Crosserlough look to be struggling a bit for hunger. Long county seasons probably didn't do Lynch and Smith any favours. They will still be in the shakeup for the foreseeable.

Hopefully Killygarry win tomorrow otherwise we'll be in for a dour final.

[Itchy]

Great to see Killygarry win, should make for a good final. 

[Denn Forever]

Gowna, have to do better than Mullinaghta,  Be good to see a Cavan team do well in the Ulster club champion ship.

[Blue in hope]

Cavan NFL Div 3 2023
Round 1 V Westmeath away
          2 V Longford    home
          3  V Tipperary Home
          4 V Offaly    Away
          5 V Down  home
          6  v Antrim Away
          7 V  Fermanagh  Home   

[Itchy]

Hear Johnston is gone from the back room team. That's some good news at least - should never have been let anywhere near it.

I also hear Mcvitty is back in along with Caoimhin Mcgovern  and Conor Rehil amongst others which is great news too.

[Dreadnought]

Happy New Year all. New season started off with a win, as expected. Some experienced players sprinkled throughout, with squad players and debuts across the place too. Great to see McVeety and Holla back playing well. But have to see who the opposition are, Wednesday will be better to see. Anyone make the trip?

[Itchy]

Happy New Year all. New season started off with a win, as expected. Some experienced players sprinkled throughout, with squad players and debuts across the place too. Great to see McVeety and Holla back playing well. But have to see who the opposition are, Wednesday will be better to see. Anyone make the trip?

I watched it on Ulster GAA stream. Yeh they did ok and thought Oisin Brady had a very decent game. Not sure about Ryan O Neill, gets on ball but wasted it i thought. The big man from Ramor in the middle did ok but in the end it was the old reliables who ran the show. Antrim looked really poor although I am sure they had a few players held back to.

[Dreadnought]

Good win tonight. Strong Armagh team first half, and we kept level with them, even with the poor kick out for our goal. Did a lot well, and were able to pull away very well when they looked disrupted 2nd half with all the subs. Lot of things good, few things to work on, great to get to a semi for a further game. First since 2016 I think. Tyrone at home on Saturday evening, as some Tyrone clubs have All Ireland club finals on Sunday. Yes it's McKenna Cup, but great to see the lads push and get a win here.

[Look-Up!]

Tough conditions, lads look in decent shape. Armagh looked sloppy 2nd half but great to get the extra game. It'll be a few league games in before we really know how we're shaping up but just wouldn't be full of confidence yet that we'll have the firepower up front to go comfortably up to D2.
 Hard to call a first team yet too, some lads getting on, some to come back in and a good few inexperienced faces. Would be nice to think we'd be competing D2 next year after a rebuild, that would be great progress. Going one better in the TC would be nice too. I feel that's our level for this year. Can't see us putting back to back wins in Ulster against, probably, Armagh and Donegal.

[Look-Up!]

Another good run out for Cavan, not too pushed in missing out on extra game. Time to focus on league. Looks like there will be lots of competition right up to half forwards. After that it gets tricky. Expect us to be laboured enough in the scoring stakes with lots of chopping and changing to find best and long term solution.