Cavan GAA is mourning the death of the legendary Simon Deignan, who featured in an astonishing 12 All-Ireland finals either as a player or referee. Aged 84, Simon was one of the last surviving members of the Cavan team that defeated Kerry in the famous Polo Grounds All-Ireland final in 1947. He won his first All-Ireland medal as a minor in 1938 and played on the Cavan All-Ireland senior winning sides of 1947, '48 and '52, mainly as a wing back. He also played in the 1943, '45 and '49 finals which Cavan lost. The Army Officer took up refereeing while he was still playing, and amazingly, was in charge of the 1947 Munster final between Kerry and Cork. He then played for Cavan against the same Kerry team in the New York All-Ireland final. Simon became a leading referee and took charge of three All-Ireland senior finals in 1950, '54 and '58 as well as two minor deciders. He was a founder member of the Referees' Association and also played a key role in the development of the Erin's Isle club in Finglas. Deignan is survived by his daughters, Barbara, Yvonne, Catherine, Phillipa and Stephanie, and two sons, Colm and Jim. May he rest in peace. Following is an interview with Simon which appeared in the Hogan Stand magazine in 2000 . . . Mullagh and Cavan's Simon Deignan April 2000 The days when Cavan senior teams dominated the world of Gaelic football are, sadly, long since gone. Reminding one of the times when the Breffni Blues were national kingpins can be cathartic though as Kevin Carney discovered in talking to former star Simon Deignan. Simon Deignan speaks about Gaelic football with the same degree of passion and conviction that typified the way he played the game as a star player from an era way back yonder. At his peak during the 'forties, Deignan was a player of few equals in Cavan and his All-Ireland Championship and National League medals speak volumes for his ability to contribute to a fantastic Breffni Blues' team effort in pressure cooker-type affairs. They're not rearing men like Simon Deignan in Cavan these days; haven't really been either for the guts of thirty years and more's the pity. Based in Dublin since the mid-forties, the Mullagh native was a hero among heroes back in the county's glory years of 1947, '48 and '52 when the Sam Maguire was coveted and scooped in a whirlwind, romantic period for the border county. A versatile player who, some argue, would be equally at home in the modern game, Simon first captured the public's imagination in his native Cavan when he lined out at left-half back on the Cavan minor team which won the All-Ireland title in 1938. It was the man's versatility however as much as his innate ability to play the native game which made him an obvious star in the making. "I played in every position at various levels during my time with Cavan but I'd have to say that a midfield spot was my preferred position - I think my game was suited more to lining out in the middle because I always considered myself to be pretty fit. "As it happened, I only reverted to the backline when I got injured during a McKenna Cup final and it was suggested to me by John Joe (O'Reilly) that I switch with him and take up the left half back position during the match," Simon explains. Indeed, as a qualified P.T. instructor in the army, the flying Mullagh ace was also blessed with - in today's football parlance - a great 'engine' and it was hardly surprising that '47 team-manager Hughie O'Reilly should turn to Deignan in seeking to get his panel of players in tip-top physical shape. Deignan the trainer invariably took a back seat to Deignan the player - at least in the eyes of the watching public in Cavan - but one shouldn't underestimate the part the army man from Mullagh played in getting Cavan into the shape of champions. Deignan's ability to combine the roles of player and trainer was all the more commendable given that he was under a certain amount of pressure at all times to justify his place among a breed of defenders who, at that juncture, were rated the best crew in the country during the late 'forties. The Mullagh maestro was a determined, committed and totally disciplined player and cycling from his Curragh base to Breffni Park for a match (a round trip of 120 mile-plus) wasn't unusual for him. His exemplary level of self-discipline (a two year course undertaken to become a commissioned ranking officer reflected as much) was something which also stood to him as a referee for his career as a whistler took him right to the very top and saw him referee two All-Ireland senior finals. Simon's refereeing career began in 1943 while he was stationed in Croom, Co. Limerick and, initially, he found himself refereeing Limerick county championship matches, including finals. "It wasn't that long before I was refereeing inter-county matches and I remember one of the matches that stands out for me was a Munster Championshp final involving Cork and Kerry at the Mardyke Stadium. The funny thing was that I was on the Cavan team due to meet the winners of that match in that year's All-Ireland semi-final!" Simon admits that his time in Limerick was very enjoyable. Because of his commitment to the army, he seldom played for his native Mullagh and, instead, was prone to organising teams made up of players from the various barracks in which he was stationed. In this respect, he was pleased to win a Limerick Senior Championship medal with Croom Barracks. He also figured in a Kerry county decider with Boherbee but sadly lost out to a Dinny Lyne -inspired Killarney side. If the young Keohane was an inspiration to the young, aspirational men from the Kingdom, the likes of Donal Morgan from Cross and neighbour Mattie Gilsenan, captain of Meath, were similarily iconic for Simon as a gasun. "It's not that anyone of a young age back in the thirties needed much inspiration to play Gaelic football because there was simply nothing else to do with your time. Gaelic football was all there was. It really was a religion back then," Simon confirms. Born and reared in Mullagh, Simon will, one supposes, always be remembered as one of the lads of '47 such is the impact that win in New York made on the psyche of your commoner-garden football fan in Cavan at that time. Of the things he remembers from the whole Big Apple package, Simon recalls how very few of the panel who flew across the Atlantic were keen on the flight - himself included. Furthermore, he has a vivid memory of the heat and humidity which almost smothered their bid to play decent football but failed miserably, as it transpired. "I thought it was a great game of football, one of the best I'd been involved in over the course of my career. "We made a great comeback after being eight points behind at one stage. It was a great team performance and winning the All-Ireland that year was certainly the highlight of my career," adds Simon, an auctioneer by trade, who has been ensconced in Glasnevin for the last 40-odd years and who runs a thriving bookshop in Finglas. Currently a trustee of the Erins Isle club and formerly its chairman, secretary and treasurer, Simon, interestingly isn't exactly in love with the modern game of Gaelic football. "There's far too much of the short-passing game for my liking. I remember Hughie Reilly telling us that one decent kick of the ball was worth more than 40 hand passes and he was right. "Cavan threw away the chance of getting into the All-Ireland final in '97 because of an over-emphasis on this short-passing business. "I nearly got a heart-attack watching them play around with the ball along the half-back line and then playing it back to the goalkeeper. It was desperate to see them throw away that match." Very much still in love with everything that pertains to his native county, Simon was, it times past, a long-time Chairman of the Cavan Association in Dublin. He was foremost in the Association's successful efforts at raising substantial amount of money for charity as well, of course, as seeing to it that all Cavan people were welcomed to Dublin however short or long their stay in the capital. Still hurting from Cavan's disappointing All-Ireland semi-final defeat in '97, Simon hopes to be able to make the relatively short track back down Jones Road in support of the Breffni Blues sooner rather than later. Tweet

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