2008 saw all 40 clubs in the county play their part in hosting the annual All-Ireland Féile Peil nOg festival, proving a massive success for all parties involved on one of the paramount weekends of the GAA calendar. After months of preparation, Cavan took centre-stage in the GAA world back in the opening weekend of July last year as the county played host to over 3,000 children gathered from all over Ireland, as well as Britain and the United States, for the 2008 All-Ireland Féile Peil nOg competition. Twenty-seven years on from the first-ever festival, incidentally also held in the Breffni County, several of the Association's top figures were in attendance throughout the weekend of July 4-7 at Kingspan Breffni Park. GAA president Nickey Brennan and Ladies president Geraldine Giles, along with former Meath All-Ireland winning manager Sean Boylan, RTÉ commentator Micheál Ó'Muircheartaigh and a figure who would, ironically, go on to become the county's senior football manager two months later, Tommy Carr. Speaking at the official launch, in which all 156 participating teams crowded the playing field at Kingspan Breffni Park, president Brennan highlighted the importance of continuing to promote the underage game and cited the Féile competition as one of its crucial cornerstones. "We face many new challenges and huge competition," said Brennan. "We must therefore galvanise our efforts in terms of organisation, coaching and promotion. Féile is playing a huge role in this context, not just here at its final stage, but right through the year in the counties where the organisation of underage activity is motivated by its concept." The Kilkenny native also added that the friendships that would develop over the weekend between different clubs was one of the many attributes that the GAA has to offer young people, and that the dream of playing at Croke Park would one day become a reality for some of those players in attendance. "Many of the heroes of the future will take to the playing fields and display the skills that will one day grace the hallowed sod of Pair an Crocaigh - perhaps even on All-Ireland final day itself," he stated. "For the vast majority, while Croke Park may prove an elusive dream, the hope will be that they will enjoy long and fruitful careers at whatever level they reach and the friendships and bonds that are developed this weekend and throughout their involvement with the GAA will prove memorable and lasting." The first round of games saw each host team taking on their visitors at their home grounds on the Friday afternoon, before a colourful parade through Cavan town flooded into Breffni Park to be part of the Festival's official opening, producing a sight that is sure to go down as one of the memorable in the county grounds' history. With club members outside the county accommodated by the hosting parents throughout the weekend, Saturday had saw the games officially get underway with over 100 teams between the boys and girls grades battling it out in club grounds all over Cavan for place in the final of their respective divisions. Despite the brave efforts of all the home sides, Cavan would not have one representative club in Sunday's finals but it didn't mean that their charity was not still greatly appreciated by the clubs that travelled from all ends of the land and beyond its borders. Former Dublin manager Tommy Lyons' Kilmacud Crokes side had stolen the show to advance to the Division One final against Salthill/Knocknacarra of Galway, in the weekend's focal decider. After conceding three points in the opening three minutes with no reply, the Dublin side netted majors in each half, while keeping their Connacht opponents at bay thereafter to run out winners on a score-line of 2-5 to 0-3. Crokes captain Mark Hanratty was to be presented with the Division One All-Ireland Féile Cup by president Nickey Brennan before a large crowd at Breffni Park- a memory he is sure never to forget. In the boys' Division Two decider, New York met Mayo side Aghamore in one of the competitions most enthralling battles. In a back and forth encounter of football, not even extra-time could separated the sides as the winners had to be decided by means of a penalty shoot-out - a rarity in Gaelic games. The Mayo side got off to an ideal start with an early Darren Duffy goal, which was met by a Rory Redican penalty for the Exiles. Better accuracy saw Aughmore hold the advantage at the break by two, but a quick 1-1 from Redican moments into the restart edged New York back in front. Aughmore levelled the game in the end, with their only score of the first period of extra-time equalised with the superb Redican setting up Neil Lyons' point for the Americans. At that it went to spot-kicks, where 'The Big Apple' prevailed to bring the Cup back across the Atlantic. The Division Three final between Portlaoise and Naomh Eoin of Antrim was another that needed extra-time to separate the sides. After a tight first-half, Portlaoise looked to have their hands on the Cup with a stirring performance out of the trap for the second, but a Donal Quinn penalty brought the game into added periods for Naomh Eoin, as the Antrim outfit hit 1-1 without reply to ensure the title was theirs. In the fourth tier of the boys grade North London routed Clare side Wolfe Tones by 5-7 to 2-3 to return back across the Channel with some prized silverware, while Ellistown (Kildare) scraped past St Farnan's (Sligo) on a score of 3-5 to 2-6 to the Division Five crown. In the girls' grade, Southern Gaels of Kerry emerged as Division One Champions over Mountmellick Sarsfields (Laois) with 13 points to spare. After taking a quick lead of 2-1 after just four minutes, the Kingdom girls eased to a 3-8 to 1-1 victory with some forward displays that devastated their O'Moore County opponents at 'the Park'. In the second division a goal from Naomh Michael's Eimear Boyce proved the difference as the Donegal outfit overcame Kilmacud Crokes on a low score-line of 1-2 to 0-2. The contest for the Division Three title took place between southern sides Arklow (Wicklow) and Cahir (Tipperary), and proved to be ultimately one-sided. Aoife Cavanagh was the pivotal figure for the Garden girls as she chipped in with vital scores at the right time to help force a 5-7 to 2-3 victory, while in the fourth division St Pauls of Antrim saw off the challenge of New York by 1-6 to 1-2 to bring the Cup across the border. In the individual skills, a competition coveted by many young GAA enthusiasts, Conor Martin of Emeralds (Kilkenny) saw off competition from Cavan trio Conor McGearty (Killeshandra), Conor Sexton (Redhills) and Bracken McGivney (Denn) to take the title, while in the girls' section Aoife Cavanagh continued to impress, after helping Arklow to the girls' Division Three title, to see off competition from Lurgan's Lorna Reilly to land the individual crown. Speaking on the success of the event, Cavan County Board secretary and festival organising committee chairman Liam McCabe admitted that he was very pleased with how the All-Ireland Féile competition went under Cavan's second ever running, and lauded clubs around the county for their work and hospitality to visiting clubs over the weekend. "We were happy with the success - very much so," said McCabe. "It came off without a hitch and we had absolutely no problems from the clubs. Every club in the county had their own Féile Officer and at the end of the day we could only do so much once we'd left it to them and they came through." The Belturbet native also revealed the time that had went into co-ordinating the event so sufficiently, so as the Breffni County's first hosting of the event in 27 years would be one to remember. "In all, I suppose it was 18 months of planning," he admitted. "From around January-February 2007 we were having our first meetings, and organising the Ulster Féile was our first job as kind of a trial run for the All-Ireland. "It went well, apart from the weather, and kept us going right to September where myself, Nicholas Walsh and Patricia Walsh, along with several others, met practically on a weekly basis up until July." Tweet

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