Morris, Seamus


The link with Cavan's last All-Ireland SFC title success (1952) was weakened in October with the death of the team's goalkeeper, Seamus Morris.

It was quite poignant that Seamus passed away at the age of 81 in the week after his beloved Arva managed to capture the JFC for the first time in 21 years.

In his prime, Seamus was rated as one of the best 'keepers in the country, winning nearly every honour in the game.

A native of Arva, Seamus won a National League medal, a Railway Cup medal, five Ulster Championships and four Dr. McKenna Cup mementos in addition to his aforementioned All-Ireland gong.

A nominee for the number one position on the Cavan Team of the Millennium in 2000, Seamus first hit the headlines locally when he helped Arva win the Cavan MFC when just 15 in 1939 and in 1941 and '42 he played on the Cavan county minor teams.

He  was the goalkeeper of the Cavan team in 1944 that won the Ulster JFC title.

Four years later he gained his one and only NFL medal before winning his first of four Ulster SFC medals the following year.

On the club front, he joined Cornafean when Arva broke up and Gowna went their own way and he promptly won a SFC medal with the Reds in 1956 (the last time that Cornafean won it) after being on the losing side to Cootehill in the final two years earlier.

The last game Seamus played county senior was in the Ulster SFC against Derry in Monaghan in 1958, on the same day that two other Cavan stars, Phil "Gunner" Brady and Victor Sherlock also retired.

After hanging up his boots, Seamus went onto manage the Cavan minor team during the years of 1972-74, guiding the Breffni county to the Ulster MFC title in '74 before taking the reins at county under 21 level between 1977 and 1980 when the blues lost out in three provincial finals.

Seamus died peacefully at Mullingar General Hospital and his funeral took place at The Sacred Heart Church, Arva with burial afterwards in Coronea cemetery.

Seamus was predeceased by his wife Kay and his brother Paddy (former Chairman of Cavan Minor Board).

He will be sadly missed by his daughters Geraldine, Katherina and Deirdre, son-in-law Tommy Swabrigg, grandchildren Jane, Peter, Aisling, Nessa, Clodagh, Gareth, Katie, Kelly and David, his great grandchildren, Lauren, Alison, Emma, James, Joshua and Ava and his brothers Gerard and Vincent, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and extended family.




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