Carmel McCabe was recently afforded the honour of being selected as Cavan's Lady Footballer of the Year for 2002. Kevin Carney talks to her about her career to date. Mayo, Waterford and Monaghan may have dominated the 2002 Ladies Football All-Star line-up but what's the betting Cavan won't have at least player included on the mother and father of all line-ups sooner rather than later? As Cavan take the fast track approach to claiming a place in the peleton of the country's quickest growing sport, it goes without saying that some of the county's very best players will come increasingly under the national spotlight. In this respect, for Mayo's Christina Heffernan, Monaghan's Jenny Greenan, Waterford's Julianne Torpey and Kerry's Geraldine O'Shea, read Cavan's very own Carmel McCabe (nee Rogers). Not yet a household name on the national scene, the Knockbride star is, nevertheless, very much a prophet who is recognised in her own land - her recent achievement in being selected as the Cavan Ladies Footballer of the Year for 2002 proof positive of Carmel's standing in the Breffni County. Arguably better known as Carmel Rogers, the highly-talented post office employee hails originally from the townland of Corravilla but ever since her marriage to John McCabe some eight years ago has lived in the townland of Ladonigan in west Knockbride. Ironically it was for her performances on the athletic fields and her camogie skills that Carmel first caught the attention of the Gaelic games fraternity in her native parish and county. Her sporting abilities were immediately recognised by her peers and her mentors at east Knockbride national school and thereafter at Bailieboro Community School. However in time, camogie's loss would be football's gain as she caught the big ball bug. In double-quick time, Carmel's switch of allegiance ignited a winning roll for both Knockbride and Cavan ladies. In 2002, the forceful midfielder was a key player for club and county. In her beloved red and green club colours, Carmel spearheaded Knockbride's successful push for county and provincial intermediate championship honours. In addition, the strong-running playmaker added on a Division Two senior league medal for good measure. Meanwhile on the county front, Carmel was unstinting in her efforts to catapult the Breffni Blues onto the winner's pedestal. Certainly it wasn't any fault of the Knockbride star that Cavan fell that bit short of claiming the junior provincial championship title. But what did Carmel make of her 2002 Cavan Ladies Footballer of the Year award? "It was a big honour but I genuinely wasn't expecting to receive it. Any number of other girls could have won it. "Maybe the fact I had played on two teams, Knockbride and Cavan, during the year gave me that bit more of a profile than some of the other girls. I'm delighted though and it rounded off a great year for me, the best year I've had in football so far." In truth, things have really taken off for Carmel's football career in recent times, culminating in the highs which 2002 presented to her and her colleagues. Part of the Knockbride footballing landscape when Fr. Anthony Brady got the ladies game up and running many moons ago, Carmel was at the cutting edge of club affairs when former Knockbride senior footballer Ciaran McCabe (brother of hubby John) took over the reins back some six years ago. But there was plenty of heartache experienced by Carmel and her team-mates before the dream was realised last year. "We must have lost at least four or five junior county finals over the years. "We had a lot of very young players then and we lost to the likes of Cootehill and Erne Gaels along the way which was disappointing and frustrating to say the least. "Two of the finals that we lost went to a replay before we were eventually beaten by just a point." And the missing pieces in the jigsaw? "I think we might have been missing a couple of more scoring forwards at that time but with Elaine Costin and Emma Clarke joining us in recent years, we have a lot more scoring power now. " Both of them can make and take scores and the team is now a lot stronger overall because of that." And yet, Carmel admits that it did enter her mind in those dark, unrewarding days that Knockbride were destined never to make the breakthrough in her time. "Fortunately we held the team together and our fitness and skills levels improved dramatically after that," she informs us. And with the growing maturity and experience of players like Aisling Traynor and Arlene Clarke complementing the potency of the aforementioned Costin and Clarke, Carmel McCabe et al really began to show their mettle. Coached by her brother Raphael (erstwhile Cavan senior player), the team duly romped to the county intermediate championship title last year when they got the better of seasoned campaigners Lurgan. "They were the clear favourites going into that final with about six or seven of them regular players for the county team. "Lurgan had been there before and had a lot of experienced players like Michelle Keating. We had never been at that stage before. It was a great game but they suffered a blow when Michelle (Keating) got injured. "I remember it was a draw at half-time but we got on top of them in the last 15 minutes because of our superior fitness and some great play by Elaine Costin in particular. Once we get our noses in front, we're hard to stop and that's the way it was against Lurgan," Carmel recalls. Later the newly-crowned Cavan champions stormed their way to the provincial title, beating Fermanagh champions Newtownbutler in a thrilling decider last October. It had been a whirlwind ride to the Ulster final with the red and greens initially beating a fine Scotstown team back in September, then Armagh champions Crossmaglen in the provincial semi-final. After conquering Newtownbutler in the Ulster final, Knockbride made a brave bid to make the All-Ireland decider but Roscommon champions Clan na Gael edged home by three points in a cracking semi-final. Again that game was one to be forgotten for Carmel. "That was another one that got away. We should have beaten them on the day but they played a very direct game and it worked for them in the fact that they got two goals at vital times in the match." Unsurprisingly Carmel states that Knockbride's goal in 2003 will be the winning of the Ulster crown. And she believes that if the team can stay injury-free, the close-knit east Cavan outfit can even give the race for the All-Ireland title a good run for it. With an excellent management team of Raphael Rogers, Adrian Rogers (another brother of Carmel), John Carolan and Ciaran McCabe plus John Carolan at hand, Carmel believes that Knockbride have enough talent on and off the field of play to beat all-comers. "I've no doubt everyone connected with the team will give it their full commitment in the coming year. As long as no injuries are picked up, we should go very close to realising our goals for 2003". Carmel is no less optimistic when it comes to waxing lyrical about the county team's chances of making waves on the inter-county front in the coming year. In 2002, Cavan clashed with Donegal in the Ulster JFC final but it wasn't a happy day for Carmel and co. as they were seen off by 1-8 to 2-14. At 31 years of age, Carmel has been playing ladies football at adult level for the past eight years and is one of the 'senior' citizens on the county junior team and, as such, is eminently qualified to judge just how far the county team has progressed in recent times. "As far as I'm aware, our appearance in the Ulster final last year was the first time Cavan figured in a ladies football provincial final since sometime in the seventies so that has to be progress. " But we could have beaten Donegal, all the same. I think a lot of us let the nerves get the better of us on the day. " We weren't used to the pitch in Clones and it was a nerve-wrecking experience. Donegal beat us in the league semi-final as well so losing to them on the double was hard to take," adds the mother of Jordan (4) and Janelle (21 months). And the overall standard of play in the ladies game these days? "In Cavan, like everywhere else, it has improved dramatically in recent years. The girls coming through are so much fitter and their skill levels are unbelievable. "Better coaching and the game's greater profile has ensured that many more talented girls are making an appearance at a much younger age on the county scene. " The future of the game looks very bright," Carmel concludes. And the self-same Cavan star is surely destined to continue to play her part in cementing the onward march of the sport. Tweet

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