Get ready to celebrate Cavan Day

At the risk of being big headed Cavan has a lot to brag about - looks, personality, sense of humour; the Breffni county is the whole package. It’s no wonder so many people want to be part of the Cavan family.

Take Cavan Day 2020, which takes place on Saturday, September 26, as an online celebration of the global Cavan family - its people, its diaspora and anyone who shares an affinity with the county.

The global pandemic may have changed the programme of events for the first-ever Cavan Day but it has not diminished the occasion.

Already messages are flooding in from all over the globe from people who cherish the piece of Cavan that they carry around in their heart.

Well-known Cavan people such as Hollywood heart-throb Chris Noth (Mr Big, ‘Sex and the City’); celebrity chef Neven Maguire; Ireland and West Ham football star Leanne Kiernan and internationally acclaimed actor Aaron Monaghan are all sending online greetings to the global Cavan family.

Taking place in lieu of the planned ‘Cavan Calling’ festival, which will now take place in 2021, Cavan Day will see Cavan people, their descendants, and those with a fondness for the county, don the Cavan colours of blue and white and take to the world wide web to send messages, post photos of their favourite places or treasured memories of trips home or their family tree.

Live Show

A highlight of the day will be a special ‘Cavan Day’ live show, which will broadcast live on Cavan TV and on YouTube (See bit.ly/cavanday), at 5pm Irish time (1pm, New York; 3am, Sydney) with interviews with some of the Breffni County’s best-known figures across the world of sport, arts, food, and business, along with messages from Cavan people around the globe.

In addition to the aforementioned stars, comedian and TV presenter Kevin McGahern, handball world champion Paul Brady, writer Michael Harding, and actor Derbhle Crotty will all feature in this magazine-style show, presented by Louise O’Reilly (IrishTV) and directed by renowned filmmaker Alan Bradley, the man behind RTÉ’s popular Virginia Show and Seán Boylan documentaries.

The many Cavan associations and societies around the world have also been sending messages of support, with greetings from New York, London, Philadelphia, Toronto, Auckland, Sydney, Kürnach in Germany, Jaunay-Marigny in France, and Cavan-Monaghan in Canada emphasising the truly global spread of the Cavan family.

Speaking at the launch of Cavan Day, Neven Maguire, Ireland’s best-loved chef and proud Cavan man, said: “Cavan people are fiercely proud of where they come from, and rightly so. Its people, its stunning scenery, proud history, and wonderful culture, food, and of course that unmistakable Cavan wit, are all worth shouting about.

“The past few months have been difficult, with many people separated from loved ones and a lot of people’s livelihoods placed under threat by the pandemic. Cavan Day is designed to give Cavan people at home and abroad a lift, and to remind us all that we are part of a wonderful global family,” said Neven.

Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Tommy Ryan said that organisers realised that bringing people together was more important than ever, even if a physical gathering was ruled out for now.

“One small consolation in these uncertain times has been the ability of the internet to bring people together and in taking to social media on Cavan Day - Saturday, 26th September... we hope Cavan people, those with Cavan roots, and friends of the county will make the #CavanDay hashtag a sea of positivity and celebration of our wonderful county,” he said.

There are a number of ways to get involved in #CavanDay on Saturday, 26th September:

- Watch the Cavan Day Live broadcast on Cavan TV.

- Post a picture of a favourite Cavan place or memory to the #CavanDay hashtag on social media

- If you’re overseas, put on your Cavan colours and post a picture of yourself at home or at a local landmark, to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, using the #CavanDay hashtag

- Post a video greeting to family, friends, or the Cavan diaspora to social media, using the #CavanDay hashtag

To stay informed about Cavan Day, follow @cavancalling and the #CavanDay hashtag on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram