According to Belturbet Rory O'Moore's club chairman. Brendan Fay: "Yes we had a tough year, but with true resolve and a great deal of commitment and belief, we overcame the hurdles put in front of us as a team, and now look to the 2009 season with confidence and determination." As a club the Rory's have an unique commitment and a very strong and loyal base from all of those involved and it is this kind of resolve, dedication and determination that has seen the club build itself from humble beginnings to its present position. "We here at the Rory's have been imbued with the foresight of people like Seamus Minogue, Jack McGuigan, Benny Corby, Liam McCabe, big Paddy O'Reilly to mention but a few who have all contributed to the growth of Belturbet as a football club. From the restructuring of the old showgrounds to its present state of the art facilities with a first class playing and training area which are all hallmarks of the efforts of all those involved over the years. We also have a dedicated team of individuals who give of their time and experience to the juvenile section of the club and it is through this that we have now the makings of a team for the future. Indeed quite a number of the young minors have already staked a place on the senior time and it is fitting that that should be the case. It was through this infusion of youth and experience that saw us overcome what many in the club feel was the greatest test of our character since we joined the senior ranks some ten years ago. While we set out at the beginning of the season with high hopes we found ourselves at the back end of the year facing our toughest test when it came down to the wire in the championship relegation play-off against Knockbride. "This was a winner takes all kind of tie as the losers were doomed to play their championship football in 2009 at intermediate level. This was something we felt would not be good for the club. On the night the game provided an entertaining and exciting climax to our championship season. Played under lights at the excellent venue of Mullahoran, we faced an experienced Knockbride side that had former Cavan county players Larry Reilly, Peter Reilly, John Tierney and Raphael Rogers in their line-up. We had just regained the services of Paul Murphy and Johnny Higgins who both had been out for some time through injury so our hand was somewhat strengthened. However, we still had to do without the services of Conor Walsh, who was recovering from a knee operation. Just an hour before the game, our goalkeeper and inspirational player, Aaron Donohoe injured his back and was consigned to the sideline. This setback at the eleventh hour was a severe blow but young Danny Anscombe stepped up to fill the position and proved himself a worthy deputy. "The game because of its closeness and intensity no doubt provided the neutral with an entertaining spectacle while at the same time elevating the blood pressure of those involved standing on the sideline. We did not really find our rhythm during the first half and conceded a penalty which gave them the advantage. Paul Murphy who had been out through injury was superb throughout but his heroics in the first half typified the Rory's spirit. Our second-half performance was what won this crucial game for us and who better to lead the charge than our own 'Jayo' Jason O'Reilly who set the Rory's on fire with a superb run and point at the beginning of the second-half. We were down two points at the interval but soon had ourselves on level terms before we edged in front. The game was level one more time but with Johnny Higgins making some superb runs from the half-backs we began to open them up. "All our young players Damien Reilly, Mark Teevan, Bud Fitzpatrick, Conor Vaughan proved that they could step up in critical games like this and take the honours. Also our 'veteran' stars, like big Ollie Donohoe, Eoin McGuigan, Stuart Murphy, Gareth McDonald, Gareth Fitzpatrick, Eamon Corby, Kevin O'Connell, Paul Murphy and Jason O'Reilly also worked with great spirit and intensity to ensure that the dreaded drop did not take place. "As a club, we feel we are much more suited to playing our championship football at the senior level. I would also like to pay tribute to the management team not only for their efforts throughout the season but also to their belief in the team and the club. What this victory meant to the Rory's could be seen on the faces of die in the wool Rory men like Vinny Fitzpatrick and Benny Corby to mention but two," stated a proud and happy Chairman. With a passion for football running in his blood it is no doubt that the quietly spoken but determined Rory's chairman was overjoyed with the final result of this epic championship campaign. Brendan who is a native of Redhills found little difficulty in making the transformation of a new arrival in the town to becoming intrinsically involved with the local Rory's football club: "I arrived in Belturbet back in 1999 having returned from the USA. I had bought the 'Widows Pub' and was intent on starting up my own business and where better than Belturbet. As part of the Parish of Annagh, which Redhills was also in it was an easy transition. In the past, the amalgamation of Belturbet and Redhills, known then as Annagh, went on to win the Cavan senior football championship. I had played all the grades with Redhills in my youth right up to their senior team and also played for Dundalk IT before emigrating to America. While in the USA I was a playing member of Stanford Gaels in Connecticut. So football was very much in my blood. "My first involvement with the Rory's was through fund-raising and in 2001 I was elected as chairman. I took over from the popular and hard-working Paddy Reilly, who has given a life-times service to the club and still does to this very day. I held this position up until 2004 during which a great deal of work was done with the juvenile section. We worked hard in fostering a youth policy and the input from people like Declan Reilly, Patsy Teevan, Jimmy Cohen, Micky Lawlor, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Brian Henry, Liam McCabe, Tony Gorby and Gerry Forde to mention but a few was of immense value. Their task was made that much easier with many of the senior football players becoming involved with the juvenile players in a 'buddy' system. We at the club feel that this has been a tremendous success as many of the younger players initially involved in this project are now holding down regular positions on the senior team. The coaching at juvenile level has paid off with our U21s making it to the semi-finals of the Cavan Division 1 championship. We feel at the club that the future of the Rory's is well secured and with so many young players now coming on stream, I have no doubt that in the future we will make that long awaited breakthrough," stated a determined chairman. While the honest brokers involved in football will readily testify to the fact that no two seasons remain the same and the fortunes of a club can often balance on the availability of players or that vital piece of 'lady luck' on a given day. This would seem to hold true for the Rory's during the 2008 season. The 2007 football season held much promise as the club's senior team made it to the semi-finals of the senior football championship only to lose out, in many peoples' opinion, unluckily, against the might of Cavan Gaels. The Rory's over the past ten years have contested the final stages of the Cavan senior football championship on a number of occasions but never really reached their potential in making it to the actual final. According to Brendan: "We certainly had high hopes as we set out in the 2008 season. Like all good clubs, we had set ourselves goals which we felt were both realistic and obtainable. Our objective to make it back to the senior championship semi-final and to go one better was something that everyone at the Rory's felt was a realistic objective. The coaching staff of Mark Lawlor, Declan Beatty and Pat Donohoe along with the players felt that this was the year to achieve their objective. A blend of experience and youth seemed to be gelling well but it was not to be. The vagaries of championship football raised her unpredictable side and the Rory's found themselves crashing out the competition at the hands of Mullahoran by a scoreline of 1-12 to 0-11. Further defeats in the regulation battle only seemed to compound a worrying trend. While the team were short a number of their more experienced regulars, in Rory Donohoe, Gavin Walsh, Johnny Higgins and Paul Murphy, the commitment from the young players was commendable. "As a team while we lost out to clubs like Gowna in the relegation play-offs, however, we nonetheless gave a good account of ourselves. Our inability to hold our form in these games for the entire sixty minutes was something which was putting us under pressure. It is my belief that the first half performance against Gowna in the relegation play-off was as good as has been seen from any Rory's side in the past. Unfortunately, we failed to hold our form in the second half and a rather fortuitous Gowna goal, gave them the upper-hand and ultimate victory." While the senior side failed to produce what they expected of themselves the club's second team playing in Division 4 left little doubt as to their ability "Our second team which is made up of a very young panel of players were blazing a trail in the league with some great results and also put in a great display in their championship before losing out in the semi-final. Their results will give them and the club confidence that we have the basis of a strong and youthful side on the way at the Rory's," stated Brendan. "Off the pitch, the club has always maintained a progressive outlook and has constantly looked at ways of improving the infrastructure. This is something that all chairmen and committees over the years have contributed to. "We have a well appointed ground with a full size playing field and a magnificent training area. The clubrooms are spacious and with the recent implementation of a state of the art gymnasium, very little has been left undone. The recent acquisition of a new gymnasium which is open to all was the brainchild of Jack McGuigan and Dennis Fitzgerald, both strong driving forces behind the facility." Brendan pointed out that the club is now in the process of organizing and running a members draw which will be run over a five year period. This limited draw will provide attractive prizes with the capital gained from it contributing to proposed future development at the club grounds. A running track, which will be a tremendous asset to the town, is something that is on the agenda along with the possibility of re-orientating the pitches at Rory O'Moore Park. U16s go under with dignity and honour The club may see the U16 final defeat by Denn as a game that they lost. While this is true, the inescapable fact is that Belturbet produced a battling performance against the odds and it took all the might of Denn to quell the fire produced by the battling youngsters of the Rory's. Denn were much more physical than Belturbet and it is well recognized that size is very important at this level. The manner in which Belturbet battled to overcome a second-half setback when Denn fired two goals and two points to propel them into what seemed an unassailable lead was truly commendable. Belturbet settled their nerves and a battling midfield duo of Trevor Dunne and Niall Reilly provided the platform for a heroic effort and brave battling performance which saw them a one point behind with just over a minute remaining. While they failed to bridge the gap and emerge winners, there was no doubting that this well coached team had a special character, as they grew in stature in the face of adversity. Great credit for this must be afforded to team trainers, Kevin O'Connell and Aaron Donohoe both playing members of the senior squad. When Brendan looks back on the 2008 season he does so with a pragmatic viewpoint and a belief that the experiences encountered will only stand to the club. "I believe the pressure and intensity of the final part of our season should give our younger players the experience to handle pressure situations and triumph and this can be no bad thing," he concluded. Tweet

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