NAME: John Cassidy DATE OF BIRTH: 20/2/1972 HEIGHT: 5'8" WEIGHT: 11st 6lb CLUB: Shannon Gaels COUNTY: Cavan HONOURS: Division 3 champions 1992; Junior Championship 1989; Combined Colleges 1993; Freshers Div 3 (Letterkenny RTC); Under 12 League 1984; Sligo/Leitrim Schools INTER COUNTY DEBUT: McKenna Cup v Down, 25-4-93 PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Student, Dundalk RTC TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Brendan Kealy, Meath; Angus Fee, Leitrim FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Semple Stadium, Mullingar; Breffni Park, Pairc Gaeil na Sionnaine FAVOURITE POSITION: Anywhere in half back line SPORTING AMBITION: To win Sigerson medal, County Championship with Shannon Gaels DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS: Soccer, golf BOYHOOD HEROES: Jack O'Shea, Jim Reilly FAVOURITE PLAYERS: Club: Cormac McGoldrick, Paddy Nolan. County: Gerry Sheridan, Ronan Carolan ANY GOOD SPORTING YARN: Best goal seen was Philip Smith's O.G. from fifty yards when he lobbed Damien Reilly at Breffni Park BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: Thomas Cullen NT, Tom Reilly, my parents WAYS OF IMPROVING THE GAME: Less whistle happy referees DISLIKES ABOUT THE GAA: Inconsistency of referees in the interpretation of the rules BEST GAME SEEN: 1990 All-Ireland Minor Final, Meath v Kerry PLAYERS WITH A PROMISING FUTURE: Oliver Nolan, Shannon Gaels; Aidan Connolly, Bailieboro Shamrocks HOPES FOR 1993: To become established on the county team, and Cavan to be successful; Shannon Gaels to gain promotion YOU ARE A NEW NAME TO FOLLOWERS OF THE CAVAN SENIOR FOOTBALL TEAM: I am a new name to the senior team but I have played for Cavan at Under 16, Minor and Under 21 levels. But hopefully I will become established in the senior team and thus become well known to the footballers of the team ACCORDING TO REPORTS, YOU ENJOYED QUITE A USEFUL 60 MINUTES IN THE RECENT MCKENNA CUP SEMI-FINAL REPLAY MEETING WITH DOWN: I had a good second half but after a quiet opening 30 minutes. Playing in front of such a big crowd was nerve racking. The speed of the game was much faster than anything I had played in before and took a bit of getting used to YOU ARE NOT A BIG PLAYER, BUT MAKE UP FOR A LACK OF HEIGHT, WEIGHT ETC. WITH LOADS OF DETERMINATION: Height for a wing half back isn't essential and with the pace of the game at the minute, it is speed and vision that have become important factors CAVAN WERE A BIT UNLUCKY IN THE RECENT ULSTER UNDER 21 SEMI-FINAL GAME WITH DERRY: The game was played on an extremely stormy, wet day and this didn't suit our team. We also had suffered a few suspensions in the previous weeks which didn't help us. Also, Geoffrey McGonigle scored two second half goals and generally caused havoc for our defence. We still have the Hasting's Cup Final against Leitrim to play so hopefully we can end the year with that success MANAGER PJ CARROLL HAS BROUGHT YOU INTO THE PANEL. YOU MUST HAVE A GOOD OPINION OF THE FORMER LEITRIM BOSS: PJ devotes a great deal of time to the Cavan Senior and Under 21 panels. He has a great passion for Cavan football and I hope this is rewarded with success for him soon WHO ARE PJ'S BACKROOM TEAM: Tom Lynch, Mountnugent; John Mulvanney, Ramor Utd.; Thomas McDermott,Killeshandra; PJ Reilly, Cavan Gaels; Seamus Connolly, Cavan Gaels; Tony Dunne (trainer) YOU CAME FROM THE MOST NORTHERLY CLUB IN CAVAN, SHANNON GAELS: Our nearest club is Corlough and even they are 20 miles away. Being in the junior ranks means most of our games are in south Cavan, but we are well used to travelling and pass no heed any more TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLUB: Our club was formed in 1978 and our first success was in 1979, winning the Junior C Championship. Our next success was winning the Under 17 League and in 1984 the Under 12. Our club is a rural club based in three parishes, which covers a large but sparsely populated area. We opened our pitch last year and won the 'Best Facilities in Cavan' Award. Our biggest success has been winning the Junior Championship and Division 3. We have played in the Intermediate ranks and hope to return there in the near future. We have many hard working officials who are always cheerful even when the team isn't going well. Hopefully, they will have good reason to be happy with a junior championship victory this year AS A CLUB TEAM, YOU HAVE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TRAVELLING TO DO. FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU PLAYED A LEAGUE GAME WITH MAGHERA IN EAST CAVAN, THE ROUND JOURNEY WOULD AMOUNT TO WELL OVER 100 MILES. SOME PEOPLE CLAIM THAT SHANNON GAELS WOULD BE BETTER OFF PLAYING IN LEITRIM OR FERMANAGH. BUT DO YOU FIND ALL THE TRAVELLING A LITTLE ANNOYING AT TIMES? When the club was formed first it was debated whether to play in Leitrim or Cavan, but everyone in our club wants to play for Cavan, so it was decided to play in our own home county. The travelling is a bit annoying at times, but after 15 years we are well used to it YOUR CATCHMENT AREA OF BLACKLION, DOWRA AND GLENGEVLIN HAS ALWAYS SUFFERED BADLY WHEN IT COMES TO EMIGRATION: There is no main source of employment in our area so when lads come to 19 or 20 it is only natural that they leave to find work. This leaves a large age gap in our team, but this is made up for with speed from our young players and experience from our elderly contingent QUITE A NUMBER OF THE SHANNON GAELS PLAYERS WORK IN THE NEARBY DETENTION CENTRE, LOUGHAN HOUSE: A few years ago much of our panel consisted of Loughan House employees but nowadays we have many young players from our own area coming into the team and hopefully as Oliver Nolan, Anthony Forde, Martin McGovern, John M McGovern and Ronan McKiernan get older and stronger, we will become successful again THE FORMER GREAT ROSCOMMON FULL BACK, PAT LINDSAY WORKS IN LOUGHAN HOUSE AND IS INVOLVED IN THE CLUB: Pat has been a great help to our team, both as a trainer and player, and he is playing really well for us. Pat still trains more than anyone else on our panel and has been a great source of inspiration to all involved in our club WERE YOU SURPRISED AT YOUR QUICK PROMOTION TO THE CAVAN SENIOR TEAM: I had been playing well for the Dundalk RTC team and the county under 21s but I was still surprised to be called onto the team. But now that I am on the team, I hope to maintain my place PJ CARROLL AND FRIENDS APPEAR TO BE ADOPTING A YOUTH POLICY: PJ has brought 10 of this year's Under 21 team onto the senior panel and so far we have gelled fairly well into the senior squad. Hopefully given a few years playing together we can blend into a formidable force and bring success back to Cavan WHO WOULD THE BEST YOUNG PLAYERS IN THE COUNTY BE: Aidan Connolly and Adrian Lambe from Bailieboro, Paul Kinsella, Cavan Gaels and Joseph McCarthy, Kingscourt to mention just a few WITH THAT BIG ULSTER CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH MONAGHAN JUST AROUND THE CORNER, THERE MUST BE A FIERCE DETERMINATION IN CAVAN AT THE MOMENT TO REGISTER A SUCCESS: There has always been strong rivalry between Cavan and Monaghan and indeed, it was Monaghan who provided Cavan with their last victory in the Ulster Championship in 1987, and there is a fierce will for victory among the panel and the supporters ONE YOUNG JOHN CASSIDY TO LINE OUT THAT DAY IN CASTLEBLAYNEY: At the minute I have my place at No 5 and with tournament matches against Louth, Dublin and Westmeath coming up, I have a chance to make PJ's decision of retaining me an easier one. I would love to be on the team in Castleblayney, thus becoming the first player from Shannon Gaels to play senior championship football Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 7th May 1993 Vol 3 No 18 Tweet

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