Major development in race for Cavan senior manager position

Dermot McCabe (left) and Finbar O'Reilly.

Major development in race for Cavan senior manager position

Breaking

In a major twist in the search for a new Cavan senior team manager, the Anglo-Celt understands that one of the two candidates for the position, Finbar O’Reilly, has withdrawn from the process on the eve of the interviews.

O’Reilly was one of two candidates nominated, the other being the current Westmeath senior team manager and Cavan Head of Games Dermot McCabe. The interviews were due to take place today (Saturday) for the role.

At the time of writing, O’Reilly has not yet publicly stated the reasons for his decision.

Cavan had appointed a five-man sub-committee tasked with interviewing prospective managers. The committee consists of Martin Cahill (Head of Operations, secretary), Mark O’Rourke (chairman), John Keating (vice chairman), Tom Moore (Treasurer) and Peter Reilly (former Cavan footballer and U21 manager).

The way now seems clear for McCabe to take on the role. With the board having already publicly stated that their preference was to appoint one of the two nominated candidates, it would seem extremely unlikely they would overlook the Gowna clubman at this point.

Complicating matters is the unprecedented situation regarding Westmeath. At the time of writing, McCabe remains Westmeath senior team manager while also, it appears, a certainty to be confirmed as Cavan manager. The situation which has caused unease in that county according to the local Westmeath Examiner newspaper.

“Round two of the local football championships take place next weekend and the feeling on the ground in Westmeath is that it is no longer feasible for McCabe to continue as manager on the basis that he accepted the nomination for the Cavan position,” reported journalist Damien Maher.

“And there is concern among the football fraternity regarding the current situation.”

Candidates had been informed that little emphasis was to be placed on prospective backroom teams, a unusual approach which perhaps explains why, in contrast to other counties, there has been little or no speculation in recent weeks as to who might join McCabe or O’Reilly as selectors, coaches and so on were either to be successful in their candidacy.

McCabe has been employed as Games Development Manager (later retitled as Head of Games) since 2013, combining the role with his position in Westmeath last season.

McCabe, one of the county’s best players of recent decades, was joint-manager of Gowna when they won the Cavan Senior Championship in 2022 and 2023 and selector with Cavan seniors when they won the Ulster Championship in 2020.

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