Mullahoran show great league consistency
November 27, 2011This is one of the 'big' football clubs in the county and as such expect to be a major player at the cutting end of championship football. When it comes to their contribution to the annals of Cavan football history the list of talented and influential players that have graced the county jersey is known not just in the Cavan, but throught the country. It is through this historic backgound that the famous 'Mullahoran spirit' has been forged and is something that is imbued in all that pull on the blue and yellow jersey.
A proud club with a great championship tradition they will be hurt at having exited the premier competition at the quarter-final stages where they lost out to championship 'dark horses' Ballinagh on a scoreline of 0-15 to 1-8. However, a resurgence is quite definitely on the cards as one has only to look at the age profile of their team to see that youth aligned to talent is the main ingredient expertly coached by the more influential senior players on the field.
Another influential factor in the club's quest to re-establish its place at the top of Cavan football hierarchy is the contribution being made by former senior players.
To this end you have only to go as far as their current chairman, Gerry Sheridan. When you look at Gerry's footballing curriculum vitae, you get a great understanding of what it is to be a Mullahoran man. Nurtured through the club's juvenile ranks, Gerry represented the club for many years at senior level, amassing a treasure trove of silverware. With a number of senior league and a championship title to his credit Gerry also says that he was a proud winner of a junior football championship medal in 1984. "This medal meant as much to me as any of the others," said Gerry.
His football career expanded beyond the boundaries of Cavan club football. Having played all the underage grades for Cavan he became a regular on the Cavan senior team for over eleven years. His love for the game did not end when he was 'deemed' too old as he took up the challenge of playing for the Cavan Masters and was part of that historic Ireland Masters tour to Australia.
On his retirement from active football, Gerry took up the reigns as Chairman of his local club and has held the position over the past three years.
So who better to give an opinion as to how his club progressed in the 2011 season.
When asked how he felt the 2011 season unfolded for Mullahoran you are left in no doubt that his answers will be truthful and to the point. "Well as a playing force we have in my opinion made great strides. We produced very consistent performances in both the senior and reserve leagues. Our senior team reached the league final where we took on last year's county champions Kingscourt. In an exciting encounter in the league final the game ended all square at 0-10 apiece. We failed to produce any real form in the replay and lost out on a scoreline of 1-7 to 0-6. It was disappointing that we did not win this title but I feel that playing league football this late into the season takes the edge of players' competitiveness," said Sheridan.
This good league run put the club in a strong position of having a real prospect of a good championship run. Mullahoran played well in the pool section of the championship and beat last year's champions Kingscourt along the way. Qualifying from our group they were drawn against an emerging Ballinagh.
"We knew we had a stiff battle on our hands against a talented young side. Nonetheless we did feel we had the firepower to overcome this challenge. It was not to be as we did not fully rise to the occasion but we produced a battling performance and lost out in a very closely fought contest.
"It was a disappointment but we will learn from this defeat. All the squad were bitterly disappointed and I have no doubt that their ambitions for next season will only be stronger after this defeat," said Gerry.
"The reserve team finished in second place in their league and lost in the cruellest of fashion in their championship clash, conceding a loat goal to Killygarry. Having made a battling comeback they led by two points with a minute to go. A goal by Killygarry in the dying seconds left with no way back leaving them facing a one point defeat," said the club Chairman.
"Realistically, we are in my opinion an emerging force and a work in progress. We have some very good young players and when you think that one of our outstanding players this season was Paddy Brady who is considered one of the new 'veterans' on the team at the tender age of 23."
Some of the talented young players coming on stream are Michael Brady and Sean Briody, both of whom were on the Cavan U21 side that reached the All-Ireland final.
Other young players who can make an impact in the coming season will be Ray Lynch, Killian Brady and Dominic Crudden as well as some of the young minors who will come through the ranks.
"When we talk of the youth coming through it would be easy to loose sight of the enormous contribution made by our more senior players, Christy Sheils and Danny 'the Gunner' Brady. Both players have donned the Cavan jersey and are households names in Cavan club football."
Their contribution along with another famous Mullahoran stalwart Eamon Reilly has helped bring on the young talent at their disposal.
"Overall the balance on the football field is I feel just right with all involved having a contribution to make. One of the great things at Mullahoran currently is the effort being re-invested by former players. You only have to look at the current senior management set-up of Damien O'Reilly and Ciaran Brady."
Both Damien and Ciaran are selectors and work alongside, Niall Lynch who is also team trainer. This combination has worked very well all season and is well respected by all the players. The entire squad showed great commitment and responded well to all the challenges put before them by the management team. "We would sincerely hope to be able to keep this structure in place for the coming season as I believe that continuity is all important for gaining success and it is success that we seek at Mullahoran," said a determined Gerry.
"The club is I believe currently in a good place as we now have a very strong underage system in place. For a number of years back we found ourselves in the position that the majority of pupils attending the local primary school were girls. While this may have been good for the ladies team it meant that we had very few boys coming on stream and as such we had a serious problem fielding some juvenile teams.
"That trend has reversed itself and once again we have groups of boys passing through the school which when you look at it is our nursery for the senior club." This season the club were in the position to field a minor team for the first time in over a year. A minor team is an essential cog in the wheel of any club as it is the conduit for players passing through from juvenile to senior ranks. Playing minor with their own club as opposed to an amlgamation helps foster a sense of their own club and parish.
"The input by former players as I have already mentioned is tremendous and very much appreciated by all the Mullahoran club. Nowhere is this involvement more obvious than at underage level where not only have you former players but also current players putting in a supreme effort. Like all clubs we start them off young and who better than current senior team member, Christy Sheils to take charge of the U-8s and U-10s.
"Christy makes up a formidable coaching partnership with Seamus Briody. Ciaran' Brady another one of the club's great stalwarts who along with Nicola Wilson take charge of the U-12s and U-14s while current senior team player, Danny Brady and James Reilly take charge of the U16s and minors.
"As you can see from this management structure the input of players and former players are all willing to play their part in helping guide the club back to former glories. Currently we have a number of very promising young footballers coming through from U14 to minor category, so their input into the senior side in the not too distant future will be a force," said a very proud chairman.
Mullahoran has always been a club that has encompassed all things GAA and have branched their playing capabilities out embracing Ladies football and hurling. When the chairman talks about Ladies football you can see that he is equally passionate about their success.
"We may not be as strong a combination as we were a number of seasons back. They lost out in the Intermediate championship but had a good run in the league making it to the semi-finals. The work being put in by chairperson Patricia Galligan, Monica Sheridan, Julie Ann Sheridan and team trainer Dermot Sheridan is trojan," said Gerry.
The Chairman has four daughters who all play on the ladies team with Mona a current member of the ground breaking and historic Cavan ladies side who played in the All-Ireland final against Westmeath.
Mullahoran also has a vibrant hurling team and have been one of the clubs to the forefront in trying to promote the game in Cavan. The club contested both the league and championship finals winning the league final after a replay but losing out in the championship as their main rivals, Ballymachugh overturned their league defeat to take the honours on a scoreline of 4-8 to 1-6.
Mullahoran St. Josephs edged out close neighbours Ballymachugh in an exciting league final replay on a scoreline of 3-5 to 0-12. The replayed final went to extra time before Mullahoran the kingpins of Cavan hurling could finally and firmly put their hands of the coveted league trophy. The game was played in wet and windy conditions and proved to add to tension of the occasion. Mullahoran suffered a setback as early as six minutes into this final when they lost the services through injury of the inspirational Anthony Sheridan. Ballymachugh proved to be worthy opponents on both occasions but it was the greater experience of the champions that saw through in the end.
Mullahoran St. Jospehs - Mark McEntee, James Brennan, George Bagnall, Damien Brady, Brian Comiskey, John Fitzsimons, Francis Byrd, Anthony Sheridan, Jamie McMahon, Adam Mulcahy, Sean Briody (2-0), Ryan Smith, (1-1), Vincent Dolan, Ronan O'Hagan (0-4), Alan Donohoe. Subs: Dominic Crudden for A. Donohoe; Philip Brady for V. Dolan; Gerrard Clerkin for A. Sheridan (injured), Sean Og Brady for B. Comiskey, Barry McArdle for S. Briody, Martin Baker for J. Brennan; S. Briody for R. Smith.
Gerry was strong in his praise for the club's executive and said that in Yvonne Brady they had a very hard working and efficient secretary. The Chairman also said he would like to extend his gratitude to the hardworking treasurer James Anderson.
"At the end of any year there are a number of people that deserve to be credited and I would like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsor, Michael Fagan. His commitment to the club as a former player and now as its sponsor is great appreciated by all at Mullahoran.
"The club would also like to extend their gratitude to all the people who have given of their time freely in coaching, and helping out in any way. A special word of thanks is also extended to Gerard Clerkin who has been a guiding force on our events and finance committee and to T. P. McGahern whose input into the club at training and on match days is greatly appreciated. It is these people who work in the background that help keep clubs running efficiently," said a grateful club chairman. Tweet
