Three years ago Eoin Morrissey swapped the blue and white of his native Waterford for the blue and white of Cavan.
In the coming week, he'll be flying the primrose and gold colours of Wexford as he takes up a signifcant hurling and football post there.
Such is the bohemian lifestyle of your modern day coach-in-demand.He came to Cavan biting at the bit but will leave biting his lip as he bids au revoir to his adopted county. All those positioned at the coalface in Cavan will tell you that the erstwhile county Hurling Development Administrator leaves underage hurling in the county in a much better place than what it was back in 2012.

Morrissey leaves with a heavy heart but it's the locals who might well feel like they've been left with a ball and chain given the hard sell that is still at the core of hurling promotion in Cavan.

The Waterford city native's confidence and faith in the local hurling faithful is bordering on the infectious:
"The past three years have been the best journey I've been on so far. I learned a lot from my experienced in Cavan and one of my abiding memories  will be the wonderful volunteers that are working away in the clubs.
"I've come to gain a whole new appreciation of hurling in the so-called weaker counties and for as long as I'm involved in the GAA, I'll be praising the work of the people on the ground in places like Cavan.
"There are hurling people in Cavan who would match anyone in the country as regards the hours they put into the game and the passion they have which is all the more praiseworthy considering they have so many more obstacles to overcome than their peers in the traditional hurling counties.

The risk Morrissey, from the Erins Own club, took in parking his studies for a Masters paid off for him and he quickly became embedded in the small but strong fabric of Cavan hurling's close-knit community.

Mutual respect between all parties came with the passing of time. Morrissey's apprehension about the reception he would receive personally and, more particularly, his ideas dissolved as quickly as the dew on a summer's morning at his adopted home of Kingspan/Breffni Park.

"There were some obvious negatives, like having no senior hurling board and a controversy about club identities versus the regional model but I was cautious initially, feeling my way but after getting talking to the various senior stakeholders and key personnel within the clubs, I felt there was an opportunity in Cavan to do something constructive and make progress."
It might have been a case of 'the only way is up' for Cavan hurling on Morrissey's initial watch but up it went.
The Decie takes deserved pride in seeing a situation now where more kids than ever are playing the world's best field game in Cavan.
With the help of Brian Seagrave and Annette Geoghegan, he got the hurling fixtures cemented into the Youth Board's fixtures Masterplan and hurling is thriving in so many more primary schools than heretofore.
As for highlights of his sojourn in Cavan, he quickly fingers the county's achievement in reaching the 2012 All-Ireland 'C' final and this year's double success in claiming the Ulster Division Two League and Championship double.
In addition, he was pleased to be involved (with Paul Divilly and Pauric Dowdall) in the setting up of the South Ulster Academy (involving Cavan, Monaghan and Fermanagh) at under 14 and under 16 levels and feels those panels could possibly morph into a senior unit in years to come.

But what bit of stardust could he possibly sprinkle now to leave Cavan hurling with a more prosperous future?
"I don't have a magic wand but I would ask everyone in Cavan to keep thinking bit and keep aiming high.
"I think getting a senior county team up and running should be one of the major priorities.
"There have been some good minor teams in the county over the past three or four years and those players should be encouraged to represent their county at senior level, say by 2015 or even 2016.
"Maybe if a senior development squad was brought together in the autumn of next year and depending on what the take-up on that was like, you could be looking at competing in 2015.
"The big thing in my mind though is to keep the teenagers hurling, keep them hurling as much as possible 'till they reach senior and then get them to commit to playing senior with Cavan."

 

Eoin Morrissey

Hurling Development Administrator

Cavan Coaching and Games Development

Ríomhphost: [email protected]

Guthán: 0872896735

 

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/CavanHurlingDevelopment

Twitter : @cavanhurlingdev / @eoinmorrissey88

Yammer : www.yammer.com/gaa.ie/users/eoinmorrisseyhdacavan

Linkedin : Eoin Morrissey

Cavan GAA Website : http://cavangaa.ie

Hurling Section - http://cavangaa.ie/hurling

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