Mark Lawlor is now in his second season as a selector with the Cavan senior and under 21 football team-managements. Up until the time he came on board the Good Ship Cavan, Mark Lawlor thought he knew all about what the word commitment meant in the world of Gaelic football. For years and years he had led by example on the field of play with his native Belturbet Rory O'Moores club and at various levels with the Breffni Blues. During his playing days he also more than dabbled a little bit in the business of training and coaching the up and coming youngsters of a maroon and white hue. Later stints as a manager at adult level with, most recently, Kildallan GFC served to hone his man-management and coaching skills and broaden his mind further to the kind of effort which needed to be expended to reach the top. Consequently by the time he reached his 'forties, he was fairly au fait with what is loosely regarded as commitment to the cause. However for all the coaching and various teams he had played with and managed over the years, nothing could have prepared him for the intensity of the effort required as a selector with the Cavan senior and under 21 football teams. He admits himself that he had his eyes opened in a big way when he answered the call to link up with the Eamon Coleman management team. "I knew how much commitment went into managing a club team but the county scene is in another league in terms of the time and effort that you spend with the squad." Despite not being fully aware of what he was letting himself in for, one wonders did the Belturbet clubman have any hesitation about rowing in behind the new think-tank? "It didn't take me too long to make up my mind after the manager (Eamon Coleman) rang me because its a matter of pride and honour for anyone to be involved with their county team and I'm no different. "There's a lot more commitment needed from everyone involved with the county scene though but we're in it to do our best and bring success to Cavan," Mark insists. In linking up with the Ballymaguigan clubman plus fellow selector Paddy McNamee and Mickey Reilly, the popular Belturbet-based businessman has, as is his wont, given 100% commitment to the Cavan set-up. Lawlor, as usual, has led from the front since joining up in support of the Coleman/Martin McElkennon axis and has been an example to all within the Breffni Blues' camp. Despite a busy working life, family life and an unbroken umbilical chord linking him to his beloved club, the 41-year old gael says he's enjoying his time with the county. Lawlor's involvement with Cavan reminds one of the adage which dictates that 'if you want something done, ask a busy man.' It helps, of course, that Mark boasts a tremendous zest for Gaelic football and for the O'Moores and Cavan. It helps also when his fellow gaels are right behind you. "There's a fantastic football support in Cavan but the county hasn't reaped the level of success in modern times that everyone feels the county deserves. "The years are moving on and even the Ulster title win in '97 isn't remembered too well at this stage by a lot of people in the county. It's time we hit the jackpot again." Only time will tell as to whether Cavan manage to regain the Anglo-Celt Cup but, in the short term, the county's premier players and team-management have a definite plan. "The plan is to get promotion into the top division of the league. It's early days in the year yet but that's the priority as things stand right now. "Obviously we'll be going all out to win the championship. I've heard some people say that reaching the semi-final of the championship would be progress but we're aiming to win the provincial title not just have a good run in the competition," Mark insists. The expectations of Cavan football fans are legendary and as someone who has, in the past, followed the Blues the length and breadth of the country, Mark is only too well aware of how the legions of county supporters can be the harshest of harsh judges. "I know supporters were disappointed with a couple of the team's performances in the McKenna Cup but it was used to get a look at players we otherwise mightn't have seen tested in challenge games. "We used the McKenna Cup to experiment; another win and getting through to the semi-finals would have been a bonus for the team-management and the players. "The first few weeks after Christmas was all about getting the team ready for the league in terms of improving the lads' stamina, getting a fair bit of ball work done and putting the players through a weights programme," the former Fr. Manning Cup medallist opines. Unsurprisingly, Mark says that he personally identified Derry and Meath as the major obstacles that Cavan would have to overcome in the national if they were to succeed in their stated objective of gaining promotion. Mark reports that the spirit in the Cavan camp as we go to press is excellent with a healthy competition for places and a level of self-assuredness and confidence which bodes well for the run-in to the all-important championship campaign. So the team's relegation from the top flight last year didn't effect team morale unduly then? "No. It was disappointing to lose our division one status but we were always looking towards the championship to make a strong impression," Mark counters. Sadly, things went pear-shaped in the Ulster championship and didn't go any better really when the back-door system offered a lifeline. Interestingly, while agreeing that Cavan exited the qualifiers with a whimper in going down to Derry after an extra-time collapse, Mark remains more disappointed with the way things earlier panned out for the team against Armagh. "We were two points up at a vital time against Armagh but let them off the hook and paid the price in a big way. "The Armagh game was typical of a lot of our performances last year where we lost games in the last five minutes. "Apart from the game against Sligo, the team finished practically every game very poorly and were caught out on the line. "That's something we've been working hard at cutting out this year. We keep telling the players they have to go flat out for the whole game not just until five minutes to go." Mark is pleased to report that the squad is putting in a big effort, all told, this year. Of course, you can't beat a bit of new blood to freshen things up and, in this respect, Mark is fulsome in his praise for the contribution of new kids on the block, Michael and Colm Hannon plus clubmate Keith Fannin and the recalled Mickey Graham and, last but by no means least, an increasingly fit Peter Reilly. Underpinning such obvious senior talent is, Mark confirms, a coterie of impressive under 21 players. It is said that the current team-management has placed great store in the ability of the current county under 21 players to secure silverware in 2005. And with burgeoning talents like Micheal Lyng, Anthony Gaynor, Paddy Brady, Sean Johnston, Shane Cole and Luke Mulvey - among others - to call upon, one can understand just why the underage troupe are so highly rated. Looks like there's a fair chance then that Mark and the rest of the county team-management could well see their 'year' extended well into this coming Autumn. Here's hoping! Tweet

Most Read Stories