When St. Patrick's Arva sit down at year's end they will look back at a season that provided much promise and hope for the future. The club just finished out of the top four in the league and will be bitterly disappointed at having exited out of the junior championship after a semi-final replay against Shercock.

There was very little to separate these two teams and having played two hours of absorbing and pulsating championship football, it took extra time to finally eek out the winners. Arva exited this semi-final epic by the slenderest of margins finally succumbing 0-10 to 0-9. Arva had to face this crucial encounter without the services of Shane Finnegan and Kevin Bouchier which ultimately proved to be a major setback. The loss of Bouchier, the talented county minor, was a serious setback for the Arva club. An horrific shoulder injury during the drawn game robbed Arva of a vital cog in their armoury.

In a very competitive league campaign, Arva just missed out in a top four placing in Division 3 but can take heart from the manner in which this side performed. With a relativley young side - many of the team are in their early twenties - Arva can realistically look to the future.
The season started well with the appointment of team manager, Longfordman Padraig Mulligan. Mulligan proved to be popular with the players and helped to mould this side into a team with expectations. A consistent league campaign and a good run in the championship was just reward for the effort put in by all.

Indeed with a little bit of luck Arva could have had a place in the junior football championship final.
Arva will hope that the scourge of emigration will not rob of it their youthful talent as many at the club feel that a dawning of a new era could be on the horizon.

Arva has always been a club immersed in the rich fabric of Cavan GAA. Their contribution to the annals of the Breffni County does not end in the long list of players who wore the county blue but also to their contribution in helping shape the future of Cavan football. Administrators of the calibre of Phil Brady (former Cavan Co. Board Chairman) and Barney Cully have contributed enormously to the cause of GAA in Cavan at executive level on the Cavan Senior County Board. The list of players who have donned the Cavan jersey with distinction is well documented with many of the names of the past transcending time and now appearing in the current team sheets.

With such a proud historic background St. Patrick's will be hoping to rekindle former glories through this present crop of players. For a club with such a proud tradition the lack of silverware at senior level is something that they would dearly love to redress.

While one swallow does not make a summer, the hope that the great championship run of 2011 will be the spark that can rekindle the old flame of glory for this proud club.
Players of the cailbre of Gavin Doyle, Dermot McGlade, the Bouchier brothers, David and Shane and Peter Morris, have a wealth of experience and can help build the backbone of a strong side.

Fundraising
Arva commenced a major fundraising effort this year with the introduction of their own club lotto. It is anticipated that this latest venture will go a long way to financing the running costs of the club. All money raised from the lotto will be used to help outlay the cost of running not just the senior club but also the juveniles and ladies sections.

Vibrant Committee
Arva have been served well through a strong vibrant executive committee of chairman, Barney Cully, Secretary, Siobhan O'Hara and Treasurer, Cyril Sheridan.
Through their dedication and that of the committee, football in the Arva area is still a vibrant proposition. Their enthusiasm should see rewards in the future and while they are not in this for the personal glory, their contribution should be acknowledged.

Juvenile
Arva have invested a great deal of commitment into the coaching and training of juvenile football at the club. Juvenile coaching commences from the age groups of under 8 upwards. Due to the lack of numbers Arva has joined with neighbours Killeshandra in order to compete at a number of levels of underage football. Playing under the banner of St. Josephs, this combination has proved to be greatly beneficial to both clubs. With players experiencing football at a high level St. Joseph's has established itself as a force at juvenile level in the Breffni County. All credit must go to those coaches that have forged this link and worked tirelessly to bring the potential of underage footballers in both clubs to a level that will benefit all in the future.

St. Joseph's capture U-13 title
With Arva and Killeshandra already well renowned for its strong juvenile teams, this was the first year that both clubs fielded a team at this level.
Skill and determination were the defining factors in this exciting U13 Division final win against a tough Gowna side. The game played at Kingspan Breffni Park produced some excellent football from both sides but it was the greater determination of St. Joseph's that helped set them on their path to victory. St. Joseph's emerged worthy winners on a scoreline of 2-10 to 1-7. With the sides level at half-time both teams came out for the second half in a determined mood. With little to separate the teams as the game moved into the final quarter, St. Joseph's dug deep to find that extra reserve and tagged on some excellent scores to forge a winning margin. This was a victory for skill and determination from the all the squad and for the astute management of Bernard Brady and Declan O'Hanlon, and Brían Ellis, John Hamilton from Arva for all their work with the players over this past year.

St. Josephs: Cian O' Hara, Bill O' Hanlon, Finbarr Mc Avinue, Luke Bevis, Rory Mulligan, Mickey Cully, Tristan Noack Hoffman, Oisin Sheridan, Darren Cusack, Shane Hamilton, Danny Ellis, Owen Brady, Darren Hanlon, Stuart Bell, Charlie Conneely, Michael O' Reilly, Jordan Manning, Rory Fitzpatrick, Padraig Tighe, Luis Montgomery, Emmet Brady, Aiden Sheridan.

St. Joseph's U14s finished third in the Roinn C. League thus putting them into the play-off stages for a league title. In a tough semi-final clash St. Joseph's overcame the stubborn challenge of a determined Denn in the semi-final by 4-7 to 3-7. This victory earned them a final place against Ballymachugh. The game which was played on the 3G pitch at Breffni Park produced an exciting encounter with some excellent performance the young stalwarts of Arva - Killeshandra. The winners got of to the better start and had registered 1-3 to 0-1 in the first eleven minutes. Physically stronger and backed by a strong breeze, Ballymachugh looked set to run riot as they commanded a 3-8 to 1-4 interval lead.
St. Joseph's found themselves further in arrears just four minutes into the second half when Ballymachugh scored the opening goal to give them a thirteen point advantage. Credit to the fighting qualities of the this young St. Joseph's side as they manfully began the task of reeling in the winners. Cormac McCabe ignited the challenge when he blasted a pile-driver to the back of the Ballymachugh net. McCabe was on hand two minutes later to register his second goal and giving his side a fighting chance of taking this title. With the scoreline now at 4-8 to 3-8 St. Joseph's could smell the scent of victory. In their eagerness to hit the front they concentrated too much on looking for goals and spurned opportunities to take points. This was to prove their undoing as Ballymachugh held out for their narrow two point victory. The success of making it to the final was down to great commitment from the players and the expert guidance of their mentors.
St. Joseph's: Cian O'Hara, Rory Mulligan, Finbar McAvinue, Joseph O'Hanlon, Cormac McCabe (2-1), Mickey Cully, Tristan Noack Hoffman (0-2), Oisin Sheridan (1-2), Liam Dinneny, Shane Hamilton (0-2), Danny Ellis (0-1), Stuart Bell, Ben Cooney. Sub: Jack Bell (0-1).

The success of St. Joseph's was also seen with the progress of their U16 side. Playing in a very competitive Division 3 league St. Joseph's finished in second place in the league table thus earning a place in the semi-finals. Taking a strong Ballymachugh side, St. Joseph's emerged convincing winners by 3-12 to 3-6 earning them a tilt at Denn in the league final. In what proved to be a very exciting league final Denn just proved to be too strong and ran out winners by 4-12 to 3-4.

Ladies football
Ladies football has always been a vibrant section of the Arva club and the highlight of the 2011 season was the inclusion of three of the club's most prominent players on the Cavan Ladies All-Ireland team. Donna English, Ciara Gray and Grainne McGlade have been part of that famous Cavan team.
The club would also like to acknowledge the valiant efforts of three other Arva ladies, Lisa and Ruth Mulligan and Emma Connolly who helped Gowna win the Cavan Ladies Intermediate football championship.
Coaching for the ladies U13 side has proved a great success. It is testament to the commitment of those involved with the ladies section that three of their representatives have played an influential part in the Cavan Ladies reaching the All-Ireland Ladies Intermediate football championship. No doubt with the emphasis of a strong coaching ethic it will not be long before Arva will be providing future stars for Cavan Ladies football. The ladies have taken up the mantle of Arva providing talented players to showcase their talents on the inter-county arena. Tweet

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