Cavanagh announces his Tyrone retirement
TYRONE’S Colm Cavanagh has brought down the curtain on a 14-year inter-county career.
The Moy accountant, having returned to training last week with the Red Hands squad, found he didn’t have the appetite to embark on another Championship campaign and announced the news on Twitter last night.
He won five Ulster titles, in 2007, 2009, 2010 — in which he scored a famous goal against Monaghan in the final — 2016 and 2017.
Cavanagh also scored a point when Tyrone won the All-ireland final in 2008 against Kerry, the year his brother Sean won the Footballer of the Year award.
At club level, he won county and Ulster Intermediate titles in 2017 and an All-ireland in 2018.
His statement read: “2020 has taught us a lot, for me it has confirmed that your health is your wealth and with that, it is time for me to step back and pass my Tyrone jersey on to the next in line.”
His decision leaves Tyrone significantly weaker ahead of their opening Ulster Championship clash against Donegal in Ballybofey on November 1.
But Cavanagh owes his county nothing after a long career of sterling service in which he put his body through incredible pain to redefine the role of defensive midfielder and win two All-stars in 2017 and 2018 as he seemed to get better and better as the years rolled on.
His last game for Tyrone was the rain-lashed victory over Dublin in Healy Park in February.
With Colm Cavanagh’s retirement from the inter-county scene, so ends a story of a player who demonstrated better than most what you can achieve through dedication to your craft.
When he was first brought onto the Tyrone panel in 2007, having won an Ulster Under-21 title in 2006, it was almost held against him that he was not the type of dynamic box-to-box midfielder his brother Sean was. His first experience of Championship football wasn’t easy either, stretchered off in Clones after a collision with Fermanagh’s then All-star full-back Barry Owens.
However, as the game evolved he made so much of himself and often played through the pain barrier in service of his county. It’s patronising to say he became something of a cult hero, but his evolution into possibly the most important player on the team, his leadership and sheer bravery led many to revise their opinion.
His retirement statement read: “I am very proud and honoured to have worn the Tyrone jersey for as long as I have and had some of the best days of my life while wearing it.
“I wish the current and future teams the very best of luck in the seasons ahead and I have no doubt they will be raising silverware together for many years to come.”
The Donegal county final scheduled for this Sunday between Kilcar and Naomh Conaill has been postponed until October 7 after a Kilcar player tested positive for Covid-19. Under protocols, all those who were close contacts are required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Kilcar raised concerns as to how their player became infected. Why was he required to attend a county training session while his club were still in a county championship?
This goes against the rules around allowing this window for club action. They also have concerns some public health and GAA guidelines may have been blurred. This may become a regular issue up ahead.