National Forum

20 years ago today

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Great memories of Cavans last Ulster title, true legends of men playing that day. The story since then hasn't been a good one. Why is it that we can be the greatest force in ulster at one point in time and then nothing for 20 Years. Hard to know where the blame lies.

One other point, on the way home from the all Ireland semi final in 97, beaten out the gate we were, a lot of Cavan fans had to endure the rath of the Meath Stone throwers. Forever in Cavan, we will identify any Meath man as a stone thrower. It all went down hill from there for Cavan GAA.

foxes_denn (Cavan) - Posts: 129 - 20/07/2017 16:38:45    2020108

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I'll grab the popcorn to sit back and watch the comments flow in from the last paragraph there...

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 20/07/2017 16:53:39    2020120

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Careful now foxes_denn, we're only a stone's throw away!!! :-)

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 20/07/2017 17:03:32    2020127

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Population might have something to do with it. Cavan has a relatively small population, and in the last half century as the games became more organised, especially with the implementation of the parish rule, other counties in Ulster got their act together, and numbers began to tell.

You would have to factor in the whole situation in the 6 counties as well. As things got worse, the GAA became more important to the Irish up there, and doing your best for where your from meant an awful lot to people who had nothing and were victims of law and politics. Lads playing for their county going up against lads playing for their people? No contest.

And of course, and rather obviously, they just haven't produced good enough teams.

dblackandamber (Kilkenny) - Posts: 92 - 20/07/2017 17:05:27    2020131

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Replying To dblackandamber:  "Population might have something to do with it. Cavan has a relatively small population, and in the last half century as the games became more organised, especially with the implementation of the parish rule, other counties in Ulster got their act together, and numbers began to tell.

You would have to factor in the whole situation in the 6 counties as well. As things got worse, the GAA became more important to the Irish up there, and doing your best for where your from meant an awful lot to people who had nothing and were victims of law and politics. Lads playing for their county going up against lads playing for their people? No contest.

And of course, and rather obviously, they just haven't produced good enough teams."
We're all Irish on this island.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 20/07/2017 17:36:47    2020157

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Replying To Htaem:  "Careful now foxes_denn, we're only a stone's throw away!!! :-)"
Ha. Brilliant:)

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 20/07/2017 17:49:04    2020161

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Definitely the case that the bigger counties have become more dominant in the gaa.A county with a population of less than 100,000 hasn't won the All-Ireland senior football championship since Offaly in 1982.Hard to believe how dominant Cavan once were in Ulster.Cavan won 27 senior Ulster titles between 1915 and 1950.We'll always love Cavan in Roscommon because we beat Cavan to win our first senior All-Ireland football title in 1943.I'd love to see Cavan back in an All-Ireland Final.

endgame (Roscommon) - Posts: 2161 - 20/07/2017 17:55:08    2020164

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Replying To dblackandamber:  "Population might have something to do with it. Cavan has a relatively small population, and in the last half century as the games became more organised, especially with the implementation of the parish rule, other counties in Ulster got their act together, and numbers began to tell.

You would have to factor in the whole situation in the 6 counties as well. As things got worse, the GAA became more important to the Irish up there, and doing your best for where your from meant an awful lot to people who had nothing and were victims of law and politics. Lads playing for their county going up against lads playing for their people? No contest.

And of course, and rather obviously, they just haven't produced good enough teams."
You mean as things got better, you are aware that things in Ulster (the 6 counties) have improved significantly since 97 than previous, a cease fire, cross community policing, it is a lot better than early 90s or 80s 70s and so forth. No more British army or watch towers. Of course bigots still exist (on both sides) I don't differ between bigots, be they so called unionists or republican, a bigot is a bigot IMO. But things have improved, sinc 1997

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 20/07/2017 17:57:16    2020167

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I don't think the current Cavan team are that far away from challenging for Ulster, remember they drew with Tyrone last year. But they need a championship win against the likes of Monaghan or Tyrone in the next few years otherwise all their great under 21 teams of recent years will go to waste.

John Joe O'Reilly was supposed to have been a great player, even had a song about him...like Jimmy McGuinness lol.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1874 - 20/07/2017 18:21:03    2020175

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20 years ago a Monaghan man won the Ulster final for Cavan.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 20/07/2017 18:34:34    2020180

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It was twenty years ago today
Larry Reilly double hopped and Ray
Cunninghams shot went two foot wide
But it's guaranteed to raise a smile
So may I introduce to you
The score we've known for all these years
Super Jason Reilly's Blue Dreamland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYoNp_YKc_E

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12116 - 20/07/2017 18:55:34    2020187

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Replying To Breffni39:  "It was twenty years ago today
Larry Reilly double hopped and Ray
Cunninghams shot went two foot wide
But it's guaranteed to raise a smile
So may I introduce to you
The score we've known for all these years
Super Jason Reilly's Blue Dreamland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYoNp_YKc_E"
seen it on the day, Pat McEnaney and his umpires have free drink for life after that day.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 20/07/2017 19:13:41    2020193

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Replying To foxes_denn:  "Great memories of Cavans last Ulster title, true legends of men playing that day. The story since then hasn't been a good one. Why is it that we can be the greatest force in ulster at one point in time and then nothing for 20 Years. Hard to know where the blame lies.

One other point, on the way home from the all Ireland semi final in 97, beaten out the gate we were, a lot of Cavan fans had to endure the rath of the Meath Stone throwers. Forever in Cavan, we will identify any Meath man as a stone thrower. It all went down hill from there for Cavan GAA."
Well done to Cavan. Memories are special to us smaller counties. I remember being at the beach in Curracloe, Wexford that day (not an extra for Saving Private Ryan!!).

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 20/07/2017 19:20:24    2020196

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Cavan have 37 Ulster titles but only one since 1969, that's insane. What the hell happened for such a dramatic decline in fortunes?

Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 20/07/2017 19:29:27    2020202

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Replying To royaldunne:  "You mean as things got better, you are aware that things in Ulster (the 6 counties) have improved significantly since 97 than previous, a cease fire, cross community policing, it is a lot better than early 90s or 80s 70s and so forth. No more British army or watch towers. Of course bigots still exist (on both sides) I don't differ between bigots, be they so called unionists or republican, a bigot is a bigot IMO. But things have improved, sinc 1997"
Very good point RD. We were still a year away from Omagh. A long time ago but feels so recent. Meath and Kildare were playing one of their 3 games that Sunday too. Wexford had been Kilkenny and put back to back Leinster hurling titles. They're U21 hurlers had just won Leinster too.

I remember this date 20th July 25 years ago for other reasons, another minor challenge game and i got a push in the back kicking a ball and did my cruciate ligament at 16. We were playing Tullow, Carlow in a minor challenge. Cruciate injuries are bad at the best of times but in 1992.. things were primitive. Start of a litany of injuries and retired at 30.

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 20/07/2017 19:33:37    2020203

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Replying To Killarney.87:  "Cavan have 37 Ulster titles but only one since 1969, that's insane. What the hell happened for such a dramatic decline in fortunes?"
39 titles


Don't believe everything Wikipedia (or even the GAA website!) tells you.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5012 - 20/07/2017 20:12:48    2020214

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My parents are both from Cavan and although I was born on the right side of the county line 97 was my first time at an Ulster final & first time in croke park. I was cheering for Derry & kerry in those games because I couldn't listen to the rest of the family if Cavan were winning! :)

I remember the stone throwers too but we got it on the way up & not the way back if I remember. The young lads must have been wrecked pelting stones all day

white.n.blue (Monaghan) - Posts: 249 - 20/07/2017 23:30:36    2020321

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Replying To shaggylegend:  "seen it on the day, Pat McEnaney and his umpires have free drink for life after that day."
Hard to believe you're still so bitter 20 years later. Derry folk aren't even that bitter.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12116 - 21/07/2017 10:09:52    2020407

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Offaly were Leinster SF champions in 1997, beating Meath in the final. Roy Malone tormented Meath that day,scoring 3 goals. Meath were All Ireland champions, and were raging favourites
Mayo ended Offaly's campaign in the semi final. They went on to become league champions in 1998. Tommy Lyons was Offaly manager then, how we could do with him now. Things have changed utterly since that era, look at the events of the past few weeks.

Offaly Co. Board are like the Oscar Wilde character, to lose one manager is unfortunate, to lose two is careless.

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1741 - 21/07/2017 11:23:38    2020453

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Replying To thelongridge:  "Offaly were Leinster SF champions in 1997, beating Meath in the final. Roy Malone tormented Meath that day,scoring 3 goals. Meath were All Ireland champions, and were raging favourites
Mayo ended Offaly's campaign in the semi final. They went on to become league champions in 1998. Tommy Lyons was Offaly manager then, how we could do with him now. Things have changed utterly since that era, look at the events of the past few weeks.

Offaly Co. Board are like the Oscar Wilde character, to lose one manager is unfortunate, to lose two is careless."
Always a great spectacle when Meath are bet in anything.

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 21/07/2017 11:39:59    2020462

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