Hurling's profile in Cavan has seldom been higher within the county itself. The hope is that the Breffni Blues can achieve a greater degree of credibility further afield though. Kevin Carney reports There aren't many in Cavan who can't wait for the 2005 hurling season to begin. Truth to tell, outside of the senior county panel of 45 plus the team-management, there are very few gaels in the Breffni County with their eyes focussed on February 20th. That's the date when Cavan's National Hurling League season kicks-off. And yet there's little doubt but that there's a huge amount of goodwill directed by Gaelic football people towards the disciples of the small ball game in Cavan. The problem is that that goodwill falls way short of manifesting itself as a practical, sleeves-rolled-up effort to get players on the training pitch and teams registered. It's not correct though to say that nothing has changed in terms of the shape or nature of the Cavan GAA landscape. Although its place as the poor relation of the GAA in Cavan remains cemented, the game in the county is now doing more than merely holding its own. It's going forward. County Chairman George Cartwright was present at the county hurling board AGM before Christmas last and was taken aback by the healthy attendance - the best he'd ever seen, he said. The county has seldom, if ever, boasted as many senior clubs as it does at present; six in total. In 2004 Cavan staged its first senior hurling championship for 13 years. Add in the juvenile operations at Cootehill Celtic and Arva and hurling's vista looks brighter than for quite some years. But all six senior clubs, Mullahoran, Cavan Gaels, Drumgoon, Woodford Gaels, Ballymachugh and Ramor United are still loosely binded. The search for a strong, cohesive, lasting web across the county is ongoing. For the moment, county action rather than club action will concentrate the minds of hurling followers in Cavan. In this regard, how the creme de la creme of county's emerging hurling talent perform against Louth will make for interesting viewing. While one game never made a season, it's hugely important for morale and confidence that Cavan kick-start their attempt to consolidate the progress made in recent years with a home win against Louth in this year's National Hurling League opener. The clash with the Wee County should go a bit towards quantifying just how far Cavan's premier hurling team has come on over the last couple of years. In the opening round of the 2003 Division 3B league, Cavan were trounced by their Louth by a whopping 16 points (0-7 to 2-17). In the corresponding opening tie with Louth last year, Walsh's men chiselled out a deserved draw, 1-7 to 1-7, at Kingspan/Breffni Park. A win at home this time around would paint a very nice picture of progress. And yet one wonders will the football fraternity even be aware of that victory, should it emerge? Cavan senior team-manager Tom Walsh alleged that the Croke Park authorities had arranged a junior football and an intermediate All-Ireland semi-final for Kingspan/Breffni Park on February 20th. Such is the lot of the hurling disciple in the game's backwaters, that being true. Still Cavan's preparations for the new season continue at full tilt. The Cavan squad resumed training shortly after Christmas but, like a lot of other counties, pitches suitable for hurling matches are as scarce these days as hen's teeth. It's the weather not the apathy that can be the chief irritant for Cavan's hurling fraternity at this time of the year. Certainly interest among the players at senior level seems to be spot on. Training, post-Christmas, saw attendances average out at around the thirty mark. And that's even with exams concentrating the minds of some players as well. Among the panel of players, a couple of new faces are expected to make their bow in challenge matches in the early part of the year. The more seasoned players will be looked to though for the most part as the upcoming league ties will be far removed from challenge games. Pitched into Division 3B, Cavan will not get any sympathy votes or leg-ups from their rivals. League opponents, Tyrone, Monaghan, Fermanagh and Louth, boast equally ambitious goals for 2005. And Cavan are likely to be without Conor Rabbitte, arguably their most accomplished player, for a large part of the year. The talented duel star from the Cavan Gaels club underwent a cruciate ligament operation which will necessitate a long recuperation period for Rabbitte who played for Ireland at Under 21 level in 2003. Cavan can ill-afford to do without any of their star players as the Breffni Blues are top-heavy in youth and inexperience. Many of the players who were introduced in 2004 were less than 22 years of age. And, given the make-up of the 2005 squad, it doesn't look as if the panel will be any more seasoned. But the Cavan team-management has committed itself to pursuing a youth programme. Over the last four years the county has succeeded in winning the Ulster Under 21 B Championship and two Ulster Minor Hurling League titles. The hope is that, in the longer term, the county will have a squad of players with the necessary experience and skills to compete for the top spot in the peleton of Ulster senior teams chasing the leading pack of Antrim, Down and Derry. Still, Tom Walsh, his management team, and his players will harbour realistic hopes of gaining promotion. That's even allowing for the fact that Tyrone gave the Breffnimen a real hiding (1-5 to 3-12) in 2004 on a day when Cavan could do nothing right. Earlier, the game against Monaghan went to the wire before the visitors ran out 1-12 to 1-11 victors. Cavan certainly underperformed in going down by 1-6 to 1-12 at home to Fermanagh before losing out to Donegal (0-7 to 2-10) in round two. A 1-11 to 2-7 victory over Longford on April 18th left Cavan finishing in eighth place and a place in the National League Shield final beckoned. Sadly Donegal won the decider with a late flourish after the weakened Cavan side was well positioned with ten minutes left to play. With the new season fast approaching, Cavan Hurling Inc. will be striving to make the middle division of the hurling family. Improving on 2004 and reaching the top three of the Division 3B would be a major filip to the game in Cavan. Booking a berth in the higher division three grade rather than a run in the consolatory Shield competition would make for good tidings in '05. The Cavan think-tank is convinced that the margin between any of the teams in the lower echelons of hurling is minimal. Back to back victories over Leitrim in challenge games last year hinted at as much while a similar run-out against top-rated division three side Sligo resulted in just a two point defeat. Sligo will be plying their skills in division two in 2005, taking on the likes of Meath and Kerry. Cavan's team-management reckon that summer hurling is a must for Cavan's finest and all the so-called weaker counties. Not surprisingly, the mantra among Cavan's hurling hard-core remains that if the Sligos of this world can make it up to the second tier of hurling then why not Cavan? 2005 will determine just how close to making that quantum leap Cavan come. Interesting days lie ahead. Tweet

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