Cavan Forum

New Cavan Manager

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Replying To Pologrounds2025:  "The new development is badly needed, Breffni Park is away behind in terms of development, we need a centre of excellence and a professional team put in place. Plenty of money and resources has gone to underage, the problem being, they were bringing in coaches with little or no coaching experience or some coaches that knew nothing about football and were only there because they had sons going in. Time for the underage coaching to get ruthless and create a proper development plan if progress is to me made. Send a delegation to Derry, Tyrone or Donegal even and see what theyre doing."
Schools! It's not rocket science. Start from the bottom up. You don't need facilities for that.

veterngaa (Monaghan) - Posts: 830 - 10/08/2025 07:19:47    2630815

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Replying To veterngaa:  "Schools! It's not rocket science. Start from the bottom up. You don't need facilities for that."
I agree on the schools point - 90% of players coming through to County Panels come through St Pats College in Cavan, unfortunately, they get little or no assistance from the County Board in terms of coaching. But its not rocket science either that most of the best Counties have centres of excellence or are in the process of building them and I'm not just talking about skills development, they also provide development in other areas.

Pologrounds2025 (Cavan) - Posts: 38 - 11/08/2025 09:36:51    2631027

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Replying To Pologrounds2025:  "I agree on the schools point - 90% of players coming through to County Panels come through St Pats College in Cavan, unfortunately, they get little or no assistance from the County Board in terms of coaching. But its not rocket science either that most of the best Counties have centres of excellence or are in the process of building them and I'm not just talking about skills development, they also provide development in other areas."
Typically narrow minded. there is loads of lads not going to the the "hot bed" of cavan football that are as good as whats coming out of St Pats. Maybe the county board should look outside St Pats, cause its obviously not working.

countrytool (Cavan) - Posts: 26 - 11/08/2025 12:55:43    2631091

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Replying To countrytool:  "Typically narrow minded. there is loads of lads not going to the the "hot bed" of cavan football that are as good as whats coming out of St Pats. Maybe the county board should look outside St Pats, cause its obviously not working."
hardly narrow minded.. Yes all the schools should step up but atm its down to a good GAA man in these schools to do the heavy lift. Best bang for your buck is doing what he suggested (never mind the money that's needed for the primary schools)

ponger (Cavan) - Posts: 596 - 11/08/2025 14:10:52    2631114

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McCabe new manager, subject to ratification. Just announced there

Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2483 - 11/08/2025 22:55:56    2631247

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Replying To ponger:  "hardly narrow minded.. Yes all the schools should step up but atm its down to a good GAA man in these schools to do the heavy lift. Best bang for your buck is doing what he suggested (never mind the money that's needed for the primary schools)"
Primary schools lads ….

veterngaa (Monaghan) - Posts: 830 - 12/08/2025 05:39:25    2631269

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Replying To countrytool:  "Typically narrow minded. there is loads of lads not going to the the "hot bed" of cavan football that are as good as whats coming out of St Pats. Maybe the county board should look outside St Pats, cause its obviously not working."
There is nothing narrow minded about it at all, its based on fact and St Pats themselves put a hell of a lot of work into their own teams and development of players, do other schools do the same, maybe Virginia but there's a lot of other schools don't bother. A lot of clubs around the Town send their own coaches into Primary schools, coaches do this in their own time and own expense.

Pologrounds2025 (Cavan) - Posts: 38 - 12/08/2025 12:19:29    2631372

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Yeah when I was a gossun in St. Felim's national school we had Mickey Graham come in to coach us a few times and a few other Gaels players whose names escape me. Never did me any good, I was rubbish! But a few lads from around my time there would have gone on to lift the Oliver Plunkett Cup with the Gaels and play for Cavan.

Anyway, back to the thread topic. Looks like McCabe has won the one-horse race. The selection process was hardly the most inspiring, but good luck to him. Always a tough gig. Hope he's learned a lot from his year as the main man with Westmeath and can get a good backroom team in place.

TheBlackDeath (Cavan) - Posts: 80 - 12/08/2025 16:27:17    2631475

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Dermot McCabe takes the job. Comhghairdeas dó! Process seems to have been messy. He has given a lot of time to the County over the years, and just wish him good luck. He has experience and will have learnt a lot from Westmeath. Westmeath were close in many games. Will be certain to know players throughout the county. An Cabhán abú

Cavan67 (Cavan) - Posts: 31 - 12/08/2025 18:35:38    2631497

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I think McCabe getting the Cavan Job is a huge plus - there was an argument to go and get a household name, but the fact that many of the current squad will retire means that Dermot can start to introduce younger names into the squad. It should be seen as a 3/4 year project, we have plenty of talent in the County and Dermot will be familiar with many of them from u16, minor and u20 so no better man to identify whats coming through and start preparing them for Senior Inter-County Football. The project needs time and he should be given the time and support to rebuild Cavan Football.

Pologrounds2025 (Cavan) - Posts: 38 - 13/08/2025 11:28:37    2631590

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Replying To Pologrounds2025:  "I think McCabe getting the Cavan Job is a huge plus - there was an argument to go and get a household name, but the fact that many of the current squad will retire means that Dermot can start to introduce younger names into the squad. It should be seen as a 3/4 year project, we have plenty of talent in the County and Dermot will be familiar with many of them from u16, minor and u20 so no better man to identify whats coming through and start preparing them for Senior Inter-County Football. The project needs time and he should be given the time and support to rebuild Cavan Football."
Talk to the talented young footballers in Westmeath and you'll learn very quickly what lies ahead for our emerging talent. Shocking decision. We wanted a proven manager all right, but a proven successful one.

ondforty (Cavan) - Posts: 469 - 13/08/2025 12:56:33    2631631

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Replying To Pologrounds2025:  "I agree on the schools point - 90% of players coming through to County Panels come through St Pats College in Cavan, unfortunately, they get little or no assistance from the County Board in terms of coaching. But its not rocket science either that most of the best Counties have centres of excellence or are in the process of building them and I'm not just talking about skills development, they also provide development in other areas."
I don't think it's anywhere near 90% in fairness. I wonder what percentage of the current senior panel went to st pats would it be 30%?

Anyway I personally think the school thing is overrated. School is for education not football. A healthy club scene is much more important in my opinion. Schools just take lads away from training with their clubs

97Cavans (Cavan) - Posts: 420 - 14/08/2025 12:07:30    2631827

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Replying To ondforty:  "Talk to the talented young footballers in Westmeath and you'll learn very quickly what lies ahead for our emerging talent. Shocking decision. We wanted a proven manager all right, but a proven successful one."
Westmeath is a different story - they bring in an outside manager so he wasnt given any time to bring in and develop young players.

Cavan job will be a long term plan, start introducing this years u20 lads into the senior panel and do the same next year and the next, its a project that needs time.

There was no point in bringing in an outside, in any case, there were no other applicants so we proceed with the new manager and get behind him.

Pologrounds2025 (Cavan) - Posts: 38 - 14/08/2025 14:58:56    2631884

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Replying To Pologrounds2025:  "I agree on the schools point - 90% of players coming through to County Panels come through St Pats College in Cavan, unfortunately, they get little or no assistance from the County Board in terms of coaching. But its not rocket science either that most of the best Counties have centres of excellence or are in the process of building them and I'm not just talking about skills development, they also provide development in other areas."
If 90% of your county panels are coming from one school, then there is the start of your problem. That is especially true if it is St. Pats Cavan. Not exactly a powerhouse. Surely Cavan management structures can not be that stupid.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 783 - 15/08/2025 03:27:23    2631972

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  "If 90% of your county panels are coming from one school, then there is the start of your problem. That is especially true if it is St. Pats Cavan. Not exactly a powerhouse. Surely Cavan management structures can not be that stupid."
Not exactly a powerhouse but a prestigious college steeped in GAA History, not to mention all those great men who won All Ireland's and Ulsters with Cavan!

Hogan Cup: 1972.
MacRory Cup: 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1943, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1961, 1962, 1972, 2015.
Rannafast Cup: 1945, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1979, 2002, 2012, 2017.
Brock/Oisín McGrath Cup: 2012, 2022.
Corn na nÓg Cup: 1950, 1955, 1973, 2014, 2017, 2024.
D'alton Cup: 2010, 2018.

Pologrounds2025 (Cavan) - Posts: 38 - 19/08/2025 13:00:17    2632655

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