A YEAR TO REMEMBER
November 27, 2011This year a new wave of Breffni soldiers took to the battlefield which saw the minors follow up on that Under 21 success by claiming an Ulster crown of their own.
If they are to kick on and go on to the next level in the near future, then it will be McKiernan who is expected to be one of the driving forces behind that invasion of the new generation which have already made a name for themselves.
His performance in the Ulster final was one of the most influential of any Cavan player since the turn of this millennium and his two points along with his commanding presence in midfield was enough to see the side emerge victorious over Tyrone on a score-line of 1-10 to 0-10.
Still just 21 years of age, Swanlinbar's Gearoid McKiernan is very much the leading light of the new generation of Cavan footballers. Shane Corrigan spoke to the midfielder about what was an unforgettable year for him after leading the county's Under 21s to Ulster championship glory.
In Gaelic football, it is often said that a good start is half the battle and McKiernan made his mark count from the very beginning for Terry Hyland's charges in their decider at Brewster Park in Enniskillen this past April.
Immediately from the throw-in, he rose to fetch the ball and delivered it in a flash towards the danger zone, where speedster Niall Murray raced towards and the Cavan Gaels attacker stuck the ball in the net for Cavan with just 11 seconds on the clock and that three-point gap was one which Tyrone would never retrieve.
"Yeah that was something we had worked on before in training and we tried it a few times in games. I suppose we couldn't have picked a better game for it to actually work," said McKiernan.
"Murray getting that goal was a dream start for us and it really helped us settle into the game."
Up by three early on, Cavan went toe to toe with Tyrone, a side that had won two of the previous three All-Ireland minor titles, and never gave them an inch. McKiernan admits it was the collective work-ethic of the side that got that that elusive title and not any individuals.
"We played three games to win an Ulster title beating Fermanagh, Donegal and Tyrone and in each game it was different people stepping up to the plate when they were needed. We weren't just relying on a few lads to get us out through games," he stated.
"In the final our work-rate and effort was right up there with the very best. Everybody put their shoulder to the wheel and dug in and it was a pleasure to play with. The backs were excellent but the forwards deserve their credit as well because they chased lost causes and got turnovers that we ended up getting scores from."
"I remember myself that I got a point in the first half against Tyrone because 'McD' (Niall McDermott) tracked his man out the field and dispossessed him. Teams hate that sort of pressure being put on them."
Growing up nearly every child in Cavan will have closed his eyes at some stage and imagined himself lifting a trophy after captaining his side to an Ulster title. McKiernan has now been there and done that but did he really believe that this Breffni outfit were capable of achieving Ulster championship glory from the beginning of the year?
"Yeah we would have felt we had the talent to go on and win Ulster but before you start dreaming about that it takes a lot of hard-work. We had been working towards that all year and everything we did was geared towards that," the captain stated.
"In the middle of January when we were playing a Hastings Cup match or whether we were just in a car and driving down the road from Dublin for training it was all we ever talked about. That night in Enniskillen was a big one because more or less the same Tyrone team had stopped us reaching an Ulster final when we were minor and that was a tough one for us to swallow.
"We went there with a job to do and the management had made everyone's job clear. I think every single player did what they had to do on the night. We worked and we tackled for each other and it's as simple as that.
"That night wasn't about individual performances it was about get getting the right result for the team and for Cavan and thankfully we managed to get it. To be the captain of the team was a real honour," he added.
The team's journey in 2011 ended in disappointing fashion when they lost out to a much-talented Galway side in the All-Ireland decider.
In what was a nightmare conclusion to their campaign, a Cavan side, which now had earned themselves hero status in their home county, were taught a harsh lesson on May 1st when they were overran by the Tribesmen's attack which was packed with pace, power and deadly accuracy.
Despite the pain of the result, that Cavan crop received the valuable experience of having a run out at Croke Park in an All-Ireland final, but interestingly it wasn't McKiernan's first time to do so, as once again the young midfielder had already been there and done that earlier in the 2011 season which will be unforgettable for him.
In 2010, he had been a key cog in Swanlinbar's machine as they achieved Junior Football Championship success in both Cavan and Ulster and marched on towards the All-Ireland club JFC final the following February.
Cruelly though for McKiernan, both trips to GAA headquarters have saw him endure bitter disappointment, as Swad suffered a heavy defeat to Kerry outfit St Mary's in the final on what was a truly miserable night in the capital for the west Cavan contingent.
However, it was by far a lost cause for McKiernan, who says getting to Croke Park with his club was a proud moment despite being comfortably beaten by a side filled with rich talent which boasted players of the calibre of four-time All-Ireland SFC winner Bryan Sheehan, who McKiernan had the pleasure of marking at centre-field, while the proud south Kerry club also had greats such as Jack O'Shea and Maurice Fitzgerald.
"It's every club player's dream to get to Croke Park and play there and I doubt all that many players get to actually do it," he stated.
"I honestly don't think anyone in Swad would have ever imagined that we would be leaving the town to head up there to play a game of football. We got well beaten and it was a massive disappointment for all of us but at the end of the day we were beaten by a better team that night."
After starring in the Under 21 campaign, McKiernan would play in all 140 minutes of the Cavan seniors' All-Ireland championship campaign which saw more heavy defeats suffered to Donegal and Longford, but next year brings a whole new set of competitions for the Breffni County and, admittedly, it is going to be difficult for the teams to match the achievements of the 2011 gang.
However, if the Cavan seniors are to make much needed strides then few can deny that Gearoid McKiernan is going to play a central part. Tweet
