PJ Galligan is one of the founder-members of Killygarry GAA. He's also a great man for talking up the merits of the red and blacks Long-time Killygarry clubman PJ Galligan boasts a massive amount of Gaelic football experience as a player, mentor, administrator and supporter. As someone who has been part of the local football landscape for as long as the Killygarry club itself, PJ is one of the wise 'oul heads among the red and black faithful. Over the course of four decades, the former star player has learned the value of patience in trying to fit all the pieces of the jigsaw together at Killygarry. No surprise then to hear him talk expansively about the long-term, rather than the short-term, future of his native club. PJ believes the Killygarry club is going through a transitionary period right now and that it will take maybe four or five years before the current crop of players gel together with the optimum potency. Despite fairly mediocre 2004 division one league and senior championship campaigns which saw them barely hold their own in both competitions, PJ is far from desolate. On the contrary, he's confident that things will slide into place in due course if everyone continues to keep their sleeves rolled up and the players are afforded leadership. It's imperative, he says, that in the short term the club beavers away at capitalising fully on the burgeoning population within its catchment area. "We're located in a small area but with a big population surrounding us and three national schools, Crubany, Killygarry and Corlurgan to dip in and out of. "It's important that we work hard to get the people who are new to the area involved in the club; get the adults to help out and get their kids to play the games. "It's no longer the case at the club whereby just a few families supply the players - that day has long since gone. "There are a lot of demands being made on the club nowadays and you need to make the best use of your resources to answer all the questions asked of you. "New blood is great because you need the help of as many people as possible to keep things progressing," explains PJ. PJ's own record of involvement with Killygarry brookes no debate. Along with his wife Toni, they have been two of the club's hardest workers for a long time. Both are well respected across the county for their selfless work at club level and, for PJ's part, his commitment to the cause at county level by way of his stint with the Breffni Park Development Committee over the years. A founding member of Killygarry GFC back in 1966, the personable, proud Cavanman believes that, all things going well, a major influx of quality footballers to the club's senior squad will take place over the next couple of years. Killygarry have won minor league and championship honours in recent years plus the success in fielding an under 21 team of their own in 2003 and 2004 were landmark achievements, PJ maintains. "In years gone by we amalgamated with the likes of Denn and Laragh at under 21 level but, no harm to either of those clubs, going out on our own is the way forward for us. "We had a panel of twenty players for the under 21s last year and they took great pride in going out and taking out the best of the rest in the county. "You only have to look at how well they (the under 21 team) played last year where they ran the Kill, Drung and Drumgoon combination to two or three points. "It was interesting that they (St. Finbarrs) then went onto lose out very narrowly to Cavan Gaels." Full of optimism and enthusiasm, PJ reckons that Killygarry could profit from fielding three adult teams, instead of the current quota of two, in the coming years. A coterie of subs from the Junior B side joining their senior counterparts plus a mix of upcoming minors would made for a handy third team, he opines. If, and when, a third adult mens team came about, that would bring the Killygarry team total to nineteen, from under 10 up to adult level; an amazing total. And to cater for the growing demand for sport in their area, the gaels in Killygarry haven't been letting the grass grow under its feet as purchasers of tickets for the club's recent, hugely successful fundraising draw can testify. "There was a big effort put into selling as many of the 100 euro tickets as possible and things went well with about 200,000 euros raised. "That money will come in fairly useful because debts need to be paid and work paid for on the building of two new dressing-rooms, a gym and a kitchen. The money raised will also go towards funding our purchase of extra land for the development of a full-size training pitch which we hope will be open in a year or so with the re-seeding taking place maybe this coming March or April." Like the club's development committee, PJ isn't one to lower his horizons when it comes to achieving targets and making plans. In this respect, he feels the Killygarry senior footballers of tomorrow have the potential to be the second force in Cavan football - after neighbours Cavan Gaels - within three or four years. This belief is partly fuelled by the potential he has seen in the performances of the club's under 21 troupes in '03 and '04 and the fact that with after the SFC final last year, Killygarry gave as good as they got against Mullahoran with a side that included the 'keeper (Patrick Galligan son of PJ and Toni), six of their backs, one midfielder and two of the forwards all under twenty-one years of age. "Unfortunately other than Raymond Galligan, we haven't got enough fellas in and around the mid-twenties mark in the team and that lack of experience is a big thing. "But the team did what we hoped at the start of 2004; retaining their senior championship status despite their lack of experience and a few injuries which cropped up," adds PJ who played with Stradone in the pre-Killygarry GFC days. PJ is not noted for viewing things through rose-tinted glasses so one must respect his opinion as far as the prospects for Killygarry's youngsters are concerned. And given that the self-same 2003/04 Killygarry under 21 crew swept all before them when they were at Cumann na mBunscol level and thereafter at under 16 and minor levels, then it's easy to see where the grounds for optimism lie. With all his experience of witnessing false dawns, rollercoaster rides, injury-ridden seasons etc. PJ is mindful not to take anything for granted in the world of Gaelic football. But he firmly believes that the club's premier trance of players have the ability and the ambition to lead the chasing pack of clubs and have the county town club looking over its shoulder by 2009. Certainly those looking from afar can see where the in-formed PJ is coming from. And with a tremendous level of interest springing up from underage level - from whence a whole host of Killygarry players graduated to represent their county at various levels to date - the future does look pretty rosy on the face of it for the ambitious red and blacks. Killygarry definitely seem to be putting together a strong squad of players at adult level with their performances in the top reserve league in 2004 fairly telling. Indeed only for the introduction of their heavy artillery, in the shape of Enda King, Tommy McCormack, Paul O'Donnell and Gavin Duffy, in the final, the Gaels may not have staved off Killygarry's brave bid for the spoils. "I don't think any of our fellas are in awe of any other club or have any inferiority complex But the 1968 Junior Football League medallist and Intermediate Football Championship medallist from 1970 is far from blinkered and he knows that nobody at Killygarry can afford to get above their station or extrapolate future dividends on past performances. Indeed, he's only too willing to admit that the team's 13 point SFC hiding to Gowna at Cornafean last Summer underpinned the notion of 'a lot done, a lot more to do' in terms of shaping a senior team capable of making a realistic challenge for blue riband honours. Victory over Ramor United and a draw with Castlerahan in last year's SFC did serve to put a more rounded slant on things though. So what's the outlook? "Long-term, I think we should be aiming to make a real go at winning the senior championship by about 2009. "In the meantime, it's very important that we continue to play senior football in the championship and the league up until then so that the lads can gain the necessary level of experience to challenge the best around. "Ideally we'd love to at least make the quarter-finals of the senior championship this year. "The lads have time on their side though and they're under no great pressure to deliver just yet." Tweet

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