Cavan
Sport:Hurling
Irish:An Cabhán[1]
Nickname(s):The Breffni men
The Breffni Blues
County board:Cavan GAA
Manager:Ollie Bellew
Captain:Matthew Hynes
Home venue(s):Breffni Park, Cavan[1]
Recent competitive record
Current All-Ireland status:Lory Meagher Cup
Group stage in 2022
Current NHL Division:3B
First colours
Second colours

The Cavan county hurling team represents Cavan in hurling and is governed by Cavan GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Lory Meagher Cup and the National Hurling League.

Cavan's home ground is Breffni Park, Cavan. The team's manager is Ollie Bellew.

History

1908–2011

Cavan represented Ulster in the semi-final of the 1908 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, but lost the delayed Ulster final to Derry. Cavan reached the Ulster final six times, but never won the competition. Cavan won the Ulster Junior Hurling Championship in 1983 and 1985, as well as Division 4 of the National Hurling League in 1983.

After an extended period of poor results, on 26 April 2011, Cavan announced that they would withdraw from Senior hurling for the foreseeable future, citing poor attendance at training and lack of numbers.[2][3] This left Cavan as the only county in Ireland without a senior hurling team. In the next few years, the county board focused on developing hurling at underage level.[4][5]

2017–present

After six years without fielding a team, Cavan played in the Lory Meagher Cup in 2017.[6][7] Cavan re-entered the National Hurling League in 2018, competing in Division 3B.

Cavan reached the final of the Lory Meagher Cup for the first time in 2021 after a win over Louth.[8] The final took place in Croke Park on 31 July 2021, with Cavan facing Fermanagh.[9] Fermanagh won the match by 3–26 to 1–17.[10] Cavan topped the Division 3B table in 2023, reaching the final for the first time. Cavan claimed their first silverware since the reformation of the team, with a 0–17 to 0–16 win over Leitrim.[11]

Current panel

Team as per Cavan vs Leitrim in the NHL Division 3B Final, 1 April 2023

No. Player Position Club
1 Darren Sheridan Goalkeeper Mullahoran St Joseph's
2 Shane Briody Right corner back Pearse Óg
3 Dominic Crudden Full back Mullahoran St Joseph's
4 Liam Óg Cooke Left corner back Pearse Óg
5 Jack Barry Right half back East Cavan Gaels
6 Cillian Sheanon Centre back Cuala
7 Matthew Hynes (c) Left half back Mullahoran St Joseph's
8 Dillon Mulligan Midfield Kilmacud Crokes
9 Nicky Kenny Midfield East Cavan Gaels
10 Tom Leonard Right half forward Cootehill Celtic
11 Canice Maher Centre forward East Cavan Gaels
12 Colum Sheanon Left half forward Cuala
17 Sean Keating Right corner forward Pearse Óg
14 Diarmaid Carney Full forward Cootehill Celtic
15 Colin Gargan Left corner forward East Cavan Gaels
No. Player Position Club
16 Niall Clerkin Substitute Cootehill Celtic
13 Philip McCabe Substitute Cootehill Celtic
18 Caolan Kelly Substitute Mullahoran St Joseph's
19 Rian Delaney Substitute Cootehill Celtic
20 Anthony Sheridan Substitute Mullahoran St Joseph's
21 Fiachra Hughes Substitute Cootehill Celtic
22 Tadhg Barry Substitute East Cavan Gaels
23 Rory Farrell Substitute East Cavan Gaels
24 Mark Moffett Substitute Cootehill Celtic
25 Gavin Fitzpatrick Substitute Cootehill Celtic
26 Caoimhín Carney Substitute Cootehill Celtic

Current management team

Managerial history

Name Origin Years
Dinny Cahill Tipperary 2017
Michael Carr Galway 2018–19
Ollie Bellew Antrim 2020–21
Neil Cole Meath 2022
Ollie Bellew (2) Antrim 2023–

Honours

Main article: Cavan GAA honours

National

Provincial

References

  1. ^ a b "Cavan — Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh". Ulster GAA. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  2. ^ Reilly, Terry (26 April 2011). "Cavan pull out of senior hurling action for five years". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Cavan hurlers withdraw". Irish Independent. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  4. ^ McCarney, Damian (25 January 2013). "Starting from scratch: Cavan hurling's silent revolution". The Anglo Celt. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  5. ^ Duffy, Emma (30 April 2017). "The one county that were without a senior hurling team: Cavan reignite the flame". The42.ie. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  6. ^ Duffy, Emma (18 April 2017). "The only county without a senior hurling team are making a comeback on Saturday". The42.ie. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  7. ^ "Return of Senior Hurling Team". Cavan GAA. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  8. ^ Fitzpatrick, Paul (24 July 2021). "Hurlers off to Croker after magnificent comeback against Louth". The Anglo-Celt. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  9. ^ Duffy, Emma (31 July 2021). "A six-year layoff to making history in Croke Park - Cavan chase hurling glory". The42.ie. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  10. ^ Fitzpatrick, Paul (31 July 2021). "Lory Meagher Cup Final: Keenan stars for Fermanagh". Gaelic Athletic Association. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  11. ^ Fitzpatrick, Paul (1 April 2023). "Allianz HL D3B Final: Cavan pip Letrim". Gaelic Athletic Association. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
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