The 2005 campaign saw Butlersbridge compete in the intermediate ranks once again and although there was no success achieved, former player Gerard Boylan believes it will not be too long before the club are picking up more silverware. The new millennium has been kind to Butlersbridge so far as they have won't the junior football championship on two occasions (2002 and 2004), while the club were also named Cavan Club of the Year in 2002 and 2003. Incidentally, the junior championship cup is named after a former Butlersbridge and Cavan player, the late Sean Leddy. Gerard gave a life time of service to the club as a player before deciding to hang up his boots at the age of 34. More significantly, he missed out on the club's success in 2002, although Gerard has many great memories from his playing days. "I played from underage right up to junior and intermediate. I wouldn't have much silverware to show for playing and a league medal is all I possess," said Gerard. "In saying that, it was great to be able to play for the club and I enjoyed every minute of it. My brothers Matthew and Fergal still play, while my sister Brid plays camogie and ladies football for Cavan," he revealed. Gerard's father Andrew, who was a TD in the area and is now the local councillor, has also been a keen supporter of the club and it is fair to say the family is steeped in GAA tradition. Despite, spending the majority of his adult level living in Dublin, Gerard has never lost touch with the club and still follows their fortunes. "The lads have been doing really well in the last few years. Winning the junior championship twice is a great achievement, but they have to move on to the next level and secure their status in the intermediate ranks. "Even though Butlersbridge have to choose from a small catchment area, they have some very good footballers in their ranks and their underage structure is second to none. "The fact that Cavan Gaels is one side of us and Drumalee the other, doesn't help the club when it comes to picking players, but they have always managed to field," added Gerard. Butlersbridge went 28 years between junior championship wins, although they did reach the final in 1999 only to lose to Drumlane in the decider, a match that Gerard played in. The kinfolk of Cavan are passionate about their football and Gerard is no different. One of his dreams is to see Cavan win their sixth All-Ireland title, but he feels that the Breffni County are like the majority of counties in the country in that they are well behind the top three. "It would be great to see Cavan win an All-Ireland in my life time, but at the moment you just can't see that happening for a few years. Armagh and Tyrone in particular have raised the standard to the next level, even Kerry are trailing slightly behind, so it is very hard for the likes of Cavan to compete against them. "The Ulster championship is very competitive, even though the big two have dominated for a few years now. However, the tide will turn eventually as most counties have dominated at some stage or another," said Gerard. The former Butlersbridge player never donned the blue jersey of Cavan at senior, but did have two trials under separate managers (PJ Carroll and Martin McHugh). Gerard is general manager of Tedcastle Oil Products, one of Ireland's leading oil importation and distribution companies. Founded in 1960, today TOP is the most widely known company within the Tedcastle Holdings Group; a 100% Irish owned family firm which dates back over 200 years and comprises business interests as diverse as fuel retailing and distribution, retail stores and property not only in Ireland but also in the United Kingdom and North America. TOP Oil is owned by the Reihill family who have been in control of the company since it first began trading. Most of their oil is imported from England, Holland and Russia, with 180 service stations and 16 offices around the country; it is easy to see why TOP Oil is the forefront of their field of expertise. The company have had a long association with the GAA and their name can be seen on many club jerseys around the country, while they have All-Ireland medals on their books "We do our fair share of sponsorship and have a close connection with the GAA, which we feel is important. Also, the likes of former Dublin footballer Paddy Holden, Kilkenny's Charlie Carter, Waterford hurling manager Justin McCarthy and current Meath selector Jodie Devine who have won All-Ireland medals work for us, while current Waterford star Ken McGrath is another employee," he pointed out. In contrast with the majority of its competitors in the marketplace, the TOP brand was both conceived and created in Ireland and, as a result, reflects a highly unique and distinctly modern Irish retailing image that goes as far as to include the subtle use of bilingual signage. The corporate use of the colour green is intended to not only harmonise with the environment, but also to underline the company's on-going commitment to safeguarding the environment. Across Ireland, TOP is best known for its nationwide network of service stations, commercial and agricultural fuels, domestic heating oil service, fuels for the aviation industry, and its ownership of one of the country's largest oil terminals with a storage capacity of over 55,000 tonnes. "There are a number of divisions within the company that include Domestic Heating oils, Distributors, Network Fuel Card, Retail, Lubricants and Aviation. All these areas strive to be ahead of their competitors," added the Cavan native. Even though heritage is a part of the company's philosophy, TOP has its sights firmly focused on the future. The Company has a renewed commitment to its corporate ethos and tradition of customer service, while at the same time expanding its many business activities. Throughout every one of these areas the company maintains a business philosophy which promotes world class standards and a deep sense of responsibility towards its customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers and the communities in which it operates. Tweet

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