Stage set for intriguing McKenna Cup opener tonight

GAA news

A large crowd will be expected at Kingspan Breffni tonight (Wednesday, 7.30pm) as Cavan host Derry in the opening round of the 2024 Dr McKenna Cup.

While there is always lots of interest in this pre-season tournament – despite almost annual calls for its abolition – tonight’s fixture is particularly notable as it marks Raymond Galligan’s first competitive match as Cavan senior team manager.

Adding to the intrigue is the fact that it will also be three-time senior All-Ireland-winning manager Mickey Harte’s first competitive outing with Derry.

Harte, during his near two decades with Tyrone, always put a lot of stock on this competition, as evidenced by the Red Hands’ outstanding record in it under his watch. As such, he will be expected to name a strong side as he looks to get off to winning ways.

In the blue corner, there are a lot of unknowns, as is always the case in the early days of a new regime.

Galligan, for his part, has been happy with the response of the players thus far and is itching to get going.

“Really enjoying it over the last couple of weeks. We have been doing a good bit of training and it has been a good opportunity for us to bring a few new players into the panel and for us as a management team to get to know each other on a personal level,” he told the Anglo-Celt.

“There has been a really good buy-in from everyone.”

Cavan have trained at a number of different venues, he said.

“One thing we put a big emphasis on at the beginning was that I wanted to move around. We have been very fortunate, we have the Polo Grounds there in Kingspan Breffni and it’s in fantastic shape. We have been at Virginia, Butlersbridge, Lacken and we have been in other different places like forest parks and things like that. We have moved around and we have been embraced by the clubs we reached out to so I think that’s really positive.”

The 2020 All-Star intends to use the McKenna Cup to give players game time but, he insisted, teams will be chosen on merit.

“I think it will be a two-fold, we will have a nice balance of experience and new players. There are a lot of players back in that have tasted inter-county to some degree, the likes of Paddy Meade, Brían O’Connell, Cormac O’Reilly, Caoimhin O’Reilly, Cormac Timoney.

“Lads who have been in for a season or two and got a taste of it and through injuries or opting out over the last couple of years, we’re trying to bring them back up to speed.

“Obviously we have new players coming in there as well, the likes of Ryan Brady, Liam Fay, Mark Magee. We are hoping to give them an opportunity in the McKenna Cup where it’s more competitive than the challenge matches.

“We’ll be holding nobody back, it’s not a case that anybody will get a pass because of their status. We made it very clear from day one that it’s a blank canvas for everybody and everybody will have to put in the work if they want to play.

“We’ve been working off a panel that has been very committed and has definitely put their head down and gone about their business nice and diligently over the last few weeks and those guys are going to be rewarded. The experienced players have also done the work so those guys will be getting game time.”

The Cavan team that starts tonight against Derry is: Liam Brady, Oisin Kiernan, Killian Brady, Cormac McKeogh, Jason McLoughlin, Niall Carolan, Brían O'Connell, James Galligan, Padraig Faulkner, Oisin Kiernan, Tiarnan Madden, Ryan Donohoe, Paddy Lynch, James Smith, Oisin Brady

Subs: Gary O'Rourke, Emmanuel Shehu, Gerard Smith, Cormac Timoney, Peter Smith, Mark Magee, Paul Smith, Cormac O'Reilly, Liam Fay, Jack Tully, Caoimhin O'Reilly.