Name: Damien O'Reilly Date of birth: 4-10-'67 Height: 6'0" Weight: 12 stone 8 pounds Club: Mullahoran County: Cavan Honours: Cavan Div. 2 League medal with Club, McKenna Cup medal, Ulster Under 21 medal Inter- county debut: Against Leitrim - Sept. 1986. Place of employment: Woodchester Bank, Cavan. Toughest opponent: They're all tough. Favourite grounds: Croke Park. Favourite position: Centre half back. Sporting ambition: To win an All-Ireland medal and County Championship. Do you play any other sports: Soccer and Basketball. Boyhood heroes: Mikey Sheedy and John Egan. Favourite player: Niall Cahalane. Biggest influence on career: All the managers I have trained under. Ways of improving the game: Improve refereeing standards and more coaching. Dislikes about the G.A.A: None. Best game seen: 1977 All-Ireland semi-final - Dublin v. Kerry. Players with a promising future: David Fegan (Mullahoran). Hopes for 1992: To be successful; win out Ulster, win a Club Championship and be injury free. You were plagued by injuries over the last couple of years. Have these all cleared up: Not yet - my knee is still giving a bit of trouble but is improving all the time. Sometimes you are confused with the other Damien O'Reilly who is from Killinkere. Does it annoy you: No, not really. It does not bother me. Over the past few months the Cavan selectors have moved you around, sometimes at full back and you could possibly line out on Sunday against Donegal at centre half forward What is your favourite position. Centre half back. Tell us about your club - Mullahoran: We are situated in South Cavan alongside the Westmeath and Longford borders. We were a very successful club during the '30's, '40's and '50's. However, among other reasons emigration hit our area badly and subsequently the club faded. Over ten years ago Mullahorn won the Cavan Intermediate Championship and concentrating heavily on youth the club have made great strides at Senior level over the past few years. Two years ago we contested the Cavan Senior final. This year we are hoping to win the County Championship. On paper you have a number of talented players but Mullahoran have usually fallen to Kingscourt and have yet to make the big breakthrough in Cavan: Yes, it is true that we have five county players at the moment and a number of other very talented players, this year we are hoping to make the breakthrough and as usual Kingscourt will be the team to beat. Your impression of Cavan Team boss, Eamonn Curley: A good trainer with a great knowledge of how to play the game. You worked for and trained under Eugene McGee while the present Mullahoran Manager is Leitrim supremo P.J. Carroll. How do they differ in style and attitude to Eamonn Curley: They really don't differ very much. All three have a good knowledge of the game and the only way they would differ would be maybe in their style of training. Will playing at home be a big advantage to Cavan: Yes. How do you rate Donegal: A good side with a lots of good players who play well as a unit. Padraig Brogan will not be playing. Are Cavan relieved or would they prefer to see the big Mayo man lining out: It really doesn't matter because no matter who they have or haven't we have only one intention - to go out and win. Ronan Carolan's free-taking ability is now the talk of Ireland. Is he the top marksman in the game: Yes, he has to be the best free-taker in the country and is overall a very talented player. Mullahoran is a famous Breffni stronghold. Phil "The Gunner" Brady and Johnny Wilson of Fianna Fail fame played for your club. What other All-Ireland medal holders pulled on the Mullahoran jersey: Val Gannon, Brian Reilly and Thomas Reilly (Fildy). Last year you were the only Cavan man called up by Ulster for Railway Cup trials, a sad reflection on Cavan football, people claimed. But are Cavan that bad: No, and this year we hope to prove that. Every man, woman and child in Cavan appears to have an interest in football. Why then have the County gone so long (23 years now) without an Ulster title: It's hard to know but when things are going badly over a number of years it's harder to rise again. Can you stop the rot on Sunday and reward your faithful followers: Yes. Taken from Hogan Stand magazine Date: 22nd May 1992 Tweet

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