1920-1930

There were instances of interference of British Army forces at games and with fans and players going to games. Once such occurrence was in May 1921 when during a game between Drumkilly and Ballymachugh at Drumkilly, it was interrupted while some “able-bodied men” were commandeered and forced to fill trenches cut in the road by the IRA.

Around the same time during a match between Belturbet and Drumbo at Belturbet, the field was surrounded and the male spectators searched and interrogated. There was always the fear amongst people that after the attack on Croke Park in November, 1920, in which a number of spectators were shot dead as well as Tipperary player Michael Hogan by British forces and known as Bloody Sunday that a football match played anywhere could become another Bloody Sunday. In January 1921 Eugene Smith, secretary of Cavan Co Board and Pol MacSeain, Cornafean, were both interned in Ballykinlar, Co. Down.

Cavan won the Ulster title that year and went into collective training for the first time under Mr Buckley of Kildare in Virginia and met Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final. When the game was finally played on 26 September-it had been to the postponed due to the serious condition of Terence McSweeney, on 26 September (he later died on hunger strike),  Cavan were far from match fit due to the fact that they only got two days notice of the game, and were outclassed.

Dublin had outstanding players that day in the Synott brothers, John and Seamus and Paddy McDonnell. The Cavan team was; Jack Heslin (Corlough), Patsy Fay, John Cullen, Pat Carolan, P. Cahill, J. Smith (Virginia), J. Clarke, J. Cahill, P. Leonard (Cavan Slashers), J. P. Murphy, P. Masterson, T. Flood (Cornafean), W. O’Brien (Belturbet), John Tiernan (Templeport), J. McGahern (Gowna).

Politics was still very much in the headlines and on March 4 1922, which was the fair day in Cavan, the RIC barracks was handed over at 4.30pm to the IRA under Commdt. Michael Gilheaney and the last members of the RIC drove out of the town en route to Dundalk amid cheers from the large crowd who had gathered from early morning to see history being made.

For some the Anglo-Irish history was a victory even if a little less than what they had hoped for. To others it was a defeat, a betrayal to those who had fought and died for a Republic. These were the issues which divided the country at that time and were to have serious repercussions at the outbreak of Civil War.

The GAA in Cavan, while holding their own strong, political convictions, they managed to avoid confrontation of brother against brother and saved the GAA from a serious split.

Surprisingly, the Cavan GAA 1923 convention went ahead in February, during the height of the civil war, and was one of the largest attendances in the association’s history. There were delegates present from 27 football clubs 5 hurling clubs and 4 camogie clubs. The county secretary J. J. Clarke could boast in his report that ‘both on the field of play and in the council chamber men holding the most pronounced and divergent political views were, under the banner of the GAA, able to leave aside these views and work together, play together, or meet in friendly rivalry of our national pastimes’.

Even then there were no shortage of suggestions as to the best way of improving the standard of football and other related matters. In 1922 a committee was set up for that very purpose and came back with recommendations. These included that clubs should be graded into senior, intermediate and junior; that the six top teams in the county contest the senior championship on a knock-out basis and that all other teams, not junior, play in an intermediate league.

These recommendations were put into effect the following year, and included that the Co Board should secure a county grounds. This need was felt for a number of years as whenever the county team travelled to play at other venues on standardised pitches they were at a disadvantage, kicks fell short and the players were beaten for speed and stamina.

In December 1922, a grounds committee was set up consisting of P. F. Baxter, Templeport; M. J. Lynch, Bailieborough; Pol McSeain, Cornafean; Andy McEntee, Cavan; Phil Ruddy, NT, Cavan, Michael Corr, Lacken and J. J. Clarke, Cavan.

After inspecting various grounds it was decided that two fields at Rosculligan would be most suitable. After negotiations with Mr James Simons who had rented the land and Mr W. H. Halpin, solicitor, agent for the estate, the property which included a third field overlooking the Green Lake was bought for £700. The field at the Green Lake was later sold for £360.

Work on the development of the grounds, which later included the caretaker’s residence, was carried out by Thomas McManus.

Breffni Park was officially opened on 22 July, 1923 by Dan McCarthy, TD, GAA President and Frank Fahy, TD secretary of the Gaelic League. The county chairman, Andy McEntee, boasted that it was the first time since ‘the troubles’ that a Free State and Republican TD had stood on the same platform, and was a tribute to the GAA as a unifying force in the community.

The day’s events included a challenge game between Monaghan and Roscommon which the latter won by 3-3 to 3-1. Then the GAA president declared the park officially opened.

General Eoin O’Duffy, who was also a member of the platform party, in his speech attacked the people of Cavan town for their poor response of only £100 to the Breifne Park fund, which was due to the political issues of the time. He saw it as the work of the GAA to unite all sections of the community and ‘to save Irish youth from moral degradation’. It was O’Duffy who had suggested Breifne Park, as a fitting name for the new grounds.

Cavan and Dublin met in the second challenge game that day. Cavan trailed by 1-2 to 1-1 at half-time however in the second-half, Cavan dominated the game, Jim Smith and Pat Conway dominating centre-field. Two goals from J. P. Murphy and two points from Kildare man Paul Doyle, then a member of the Free State Army in Bailieborough, left Cavan winners by 3-4 to 2-2.

That night a function was held in the Town Hall where the 1918, 1919 and 1920 Ulster championship medals were presented, as well as a fourth set for a challenge game with Monaghan in Belturbet in 1920. The function ended with the presentation of a gold watch to Andy McEntee in appreciation of his work for the GAA in Cavan. He had given a life-time of service as a player and treasurer of the old Cavan Celtics in the 1890s, as a founding father of the 1903 revival and as chairman of the county board from 1912 to 1920. He was also a reporter for the Anglo-Celt covering GAA matches in his own inimitable style.

Cavan enjoyed success at the Breifne Park venue during its early days, the juniors capturing the 1927 All-Ireland Junior title (the final was played in 1928) and five years later, Cavan made the breakthrough at senior level when winning the All-Ireland title.

Major improvements

The grounds underwent major improvements in the early fifties costing £14,000. The size of the pitch was increased (156 x 91 yards) and had sideline accommodation for 7,000 spectators. It was blessed and officially opened by Bishop Austin Quinn, Bishop of Kilmore on 8 June, 1952 and was marked by two challenge games, the first between Cavan and Kerry and was followed by All-Ireland champions Mayo and Ulster champions Antrim. In 1972 in further development work a stand was erected along with other top-class facilities and Cavan and Kerry played a challenge game to mark the event. Since then the grounds have seen further developments and is regarded as one of the top stadiums in the country.

Every aspect of the association in Cavan improved in the twenties –the organisation, i.e. county board, standard of football at club and county level, and a growing enthusiasm for the GAA in football, hurling, camogie and handball.

Great Slashers team

The twenties was one of the few decades that wasn’t dominated by any one club. Cavan Slashers, Cornafean, Kingscourt, Maghera and Templeport all got their names on the senior role of honour. In so far as to describe the top team of that period, it was undoubtedly Cavan Slashers. They won the championship title in 1922, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1930 and 1931.

The team was built around the Kelly brothers, Fred, Tom and Gerry; Willie Flynn, Jim Jermyn, J. J. Clarke and later still All-Ireland handball champion John Molloy, Louis Blessing, Terry Coyle and Sean Farrelly as well as Supt Paddy Colleran of Sligo. J. J. Clarke, a native of Fermanagh, but working in Cavan, captained the Slashers during their successes in the twenties. He is also remembered as county secretary from 1922 to 1937.

The Slashers closest rivals were Cornafean who won the senior championship in 1920, 1928-29 and the league title from 1928 to 1931.

Templeport’s proud record

In 1923 Templeport set up a record which remains to this stay, when winning the senior, junior and intermediate championships, all three finals being played in 1924.

That year it was decided that six of the best teams in the county be nominated to contest the senior championship on a knock-out basis and that all other teams, not junior, play in an intermediate league. It was felt it would help competition and raise standards by grouping the best teams in a competition of their own. Templeport were far from being a major force in Cavan football at the time. The old Bawnboy-Gallowglasses founded in 1888 had suffered the same fate as other clubs in the 1890s.

In the early years of the last century the parish had two soccer teams, Bawnboy Gallowglasses and Kilnavart Emmets. The first signs of a return to the gaelic fold came in 1905 with the foundation of the Raparees and finally in 1911 with the foundation of St Aidan’s

The first breakthrough for St Aidan’s didn’t come until 1922 when they won the junior championship. The club was sufficiently strong to enter teams in the 1923 intermediate and junior championship competitions. The intermediate team won all their games convincingly and were invited to take part in the senior championship, although not one of the six original nominated. They defeated Cavan Slashers in the semi-final by 4-1 to 2-0 and defeated Cornafean in the final by 3-2 to 2-3 in January 1924.

The Templeport team was; James Cosgrove, James Beirne, John Tiernan, J. Donohoe, Pat Donohoe, P. Prior, E. McDonald, M. Donohoe, Tommy Mullally, James Rowntree, M. Tierney, P. Brady, Jack Heslin, J. Maguire, B. Rourke.

A few Sundays later they won the junior title defeating Crosserlough by 2-2 to 0-4. Included in that team were John P. Dolan, Charlie Wade, J. P. McCaffrey, Mick Dolan, Pat Martin, James Martin and B. McAvinue.

The intermediate final against Bruskey made history, as it took four games to decide the winners, and all four games turned out to be thrillers. On the fourth attempt, the game played on 28 September 1924, eleven months after the first draw, Templeport won by 1-2 to 1-0.

Minor and schools leagues

In addition to the regular junior and senior competitions a minor league was organised for the first time in 1925. It was won by Cavan Slashers. A schools league board was initiated in 1926 with Tom Magee, Drumlane, as chairman and Seamus Gilheaney, as secretary.

This was the first serious attempt to organise under-age football and hurling in the county. A successful U-16 league in football and hurling took place in which Cootehill won both. However the continued efforts to sustain these competitions collapsed and responsibility reverted back to the senior county board.

It seems difficult to fathom but the county had to wait another forty years, until 1967, before it would have a permanent schools board. Seamus Gilheaney, a schoolteacher from near Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim, became chairman of the county board in 1927. He believed in keeping as many people as possible playing gaelic games. Attempts were made in the late twenties to set up district leagues. The most successful of these was the north-west league centred mainly around Templeport and organised by B. C. Fay, secretary of the county board.

The basic purpose of the league was to bring football to the extreme north-west of the county –areas like Blacklion, Dowra, Glangevlin. There was a lack of enthusiasm for the league and the organisers had to report back to the 1928 convention that this area ‘wasn’t interested in football’.

The league however worked to the advantage of places like Swanlinbar, Ballyconnell and particularly Templeport where it was responsible for teams like Port and Comagh. Elsewhere the district leagues were less successful.

Handball flourishing

Handball was also flourishing in the county, and was organised by a separate handball board chaired by Eugene Smith. There were clubs in Ballyhaise, Cavan, Maudabawn, Ballyjamesduff, Lacken, Killadoon and Virginia. The outstanding handballer of that era was John Molloy, a native of Clonturk, Co Leitrim, who was working in Cavan. He won the Ulster senior softball singles title nine times and was narrowly beaten in the 1927 All-Ireland final by J. Maguire of Dublin. He also represented Cavan in the Tailteann Games in 1928 and ’32.

In 1930 he was joined by Hughie Smyth in bringing Cavan its first All-Ireland junior soft ball doubles title. Hughie is remembered as being one of the longest-serving county secretaries in the country from 1937 to 1974. His father, Joe Smyth, had been one of the men responsible for re-organising the GAA in Cavan in 1903.

Molloy was equally successful as a footballer, winning Ulster titles with Cavan in 1931, ’32, ’34, ’35 and 1936 and an All-Ireland senior medal in 1935. He was also a good hurler.

Cavan dominated Ulster football in the twenties, winning six titles (1920, 1923-26 and 1928). Their principal challenge came from Monaghan who had a strong team towards the end of the decade. Their experience in the All-Ireland semi-finals however was one of hard luck and narrow defeats. Good performances against Kildare and Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-finals of 1923 and 1925 and in the 1928 All-Ireland final helped build confidence and helped to put in the background their inferiority complex which had characterised their form in the previous decade.

The high catch became an integral part of Cavan’s play and they had within their ranks one of the greatest football of that decade Jim Smith (Killinkere). He became a member of the county team in the early twenties and played right through to the end of the ‘thirties. He represented Cavan in the 1924, 1928 and 1932 Tailteann Games.

During his time in St Patrick’s College, Cavan, he was an all-round athlete who was equally proficient at football, hurling and handball. He combined great physique with elegant fielding and long, accurate kicking. He was one of Cavan’s heroes throughout the twenties and thirties and helped to fashion Cavan football after his own style.

The 1923 All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry at Croke Park was not played until April 1924 and was played under terrible conditions. The goal Cavan was defending in the second-half was a sea of mud. They held Kerry to a scoreless draw for the first twenty minutes. Then a Kerry point was followed by a Cavan goal from Tom Egan which put them two points ahead.

Then a low shot from a Kerry forward stuck in the mud in front of the Cavan goal. Jack Heslin threw himself on the ball as an incoming Kerry forward tried to force him over the goalline. But Heslin got to his feet with the ball and was forced against an upright. The net collapsed at this stage and finally, after a melee, the referee, Sean O’Neill; blew the whistle and after consulting his umpires decided to award the goal despite protests from the Cavan players..

Cavan launched another attack and a long drive from Standish O’Grady went to J. P. Murphy who sent it over the bar but the referee blew the whistle for full-time as the ball was in transit and the score was disallowed, leaving the score Kerry 1-3 Cavan 1-2.

There were strong feelings in some quarters that the GAA wanted a final between teams from Munster and Leinster as it would have been more financially lucrative and that the result ‘was arranged that way’

The Dublin newspapers the next day were agreed that the goal should not have been allowed. They were also agreed that the referee failed to allow for stoppages while the ball was being retrieved from Belvedere college grounds and while spectators were leaving the grounds.

The Cavan team was; Jack Heslin (Templeport), John Tiernan (Templeport), P. Masterson (Gowna), Standish O’Grady (Ballyconnell),Paddy Carolan (Bailieboro),Jack Clarke (Cavan), Dan Brady (Ballyconnell), Paul Doyle (Bailieboro), Tom Egan (Bailieboro), P. J. Masterson (Cornafean), John Sexton (Cavan Slashers), Jim Smith (Bailieboro), Brian Cumiskey (Bruskey), J. P. Murphy (Cornafean), Bob Mulligan (Cavan).

In the 1924 Ulster final, Cavan defeated Monaghan in a replay at Newbliss but were beaten by two points, 0-6 to 1-1 by Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Over 6,000 fans turned up in Monaghan for the 1925 Ulster final between Cavan and Antrim. The game turned out to be a thriller and ended in a draw, Cavan 2-3 Antrim 3-0. The half-time score was Cavan 1-3 Antrim 2-0, all of Cavan’s scores coming from J. P. Murphy.

A goal from Jim Smith put Cavan three points in front. Then shortly from full-time a shot from Antrim’s McGuckian was deflected to the net by a Cavan defender and the teams were level. The replay at Belturbet on 16 August was totally one-sided with Antrim failing to register a score, and Cavan winning comfortably by 3-3 to 0-0.

The stage was set for an All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Kerry in Tralee the following Sunday. The team and officials left Cavan by train on Friday morning at 6.30. The team which made the trip south was; P. Kiernan (Gowna), J. Jermyn (Cavan), P. J. Masterson (Gowna), J. Tiernan (Templeport), H. Mulvanny (Maghera), J. Sexton (Cavan), S. O’Grady (Ballyconnell), Jim Smith (Bailieboro), P. Sheridan (Tullyco), P. Conway (Maghera), P. Kirwan (Bailieboro), P. J. Masterson (Cornafean), P. Kieran (Bailieboro), J. P. Murphy (Cornafean), P. Smith (Crosserlough), T. Mullaly (Templeport).

Cavan were surprised at the size of the welcome at Tralee railway station.  A parade formed up behind the St Joseph’s Industrial School Brass Band and set off for the hotel where Cavan would be staying. The Mall was decorated with a banner ‘Munster welcomes Ulster’. At the hotel another banner read ‘Welcome to the men of Breifne’ and Kerry Co Board chairman P. J. O’Donnell welcomed Cavan on their first visit to Munster.

By 1925 Kerry had embarked on a golden era. The previous year, following the release of Republican prisoners from internment camps, they regrouped to win Six All-Ireland titles between 1924 and 1932, including four in a row, 1929-32) and four national league titles.

Already, many of the Kerry team were well established, Joe Barrett at full-back, Paul Russell, Con Brosnan and Bob Stack at centre-field and Dee O’Connell, the Daily brothers, John and James and John Joe Sheehy.

To take on this great Kerry team was a formidable task for the Boys in Blue especially as Cavan had a poor record against the men from the Kingdom. That Kerry also home advantage Things looked bleak as Kerry dominated the opening ten minutes and a goal from John Joe Sheehy was just the setback Cavan didn’t need at such an early stage of the game.

However Cavan were given a rub of the green when a long free from J. P. Murphy struck a Kerry defender and the ball ended in the net. This was followed by a point from P. Sheridan to give them the lead. O’Mahony equalised and approaching half-time, Kerry went two points ahead before Conway reduced the lead with a point and then Paddy Kirwan evaded the Kerry backs to charge the goalkeeper over the line for a goal. Kerry scored another point which left Cavan a point ahead at half-time, 2-2 to 1-4.

The second-half was keenly contested, Kerry scoring three points from J. J. Sheehy, Tom O’Mahony and Des O’Connell against one from Cavan’s J. P. Murphy. Cavan were in contention right to the end but Kerry held on for a one point win, 1-7 to 2-3.

Some of the Cavan players felt that Kerry’s winning point was well wide but Kerry umpire Dick Fitzgerald signalled a point. Cavan protested but referee Tom Walshe of Kilkenny allowed the score. Despite the defeat to have got to within one point of Kerry was considered a moral victory for the Breffnimen. Kerry congratulated Cavan on a fine display and the Cork Examiner described it as a “truly great match”.

Despite the good reception and the friendly terms on which the teams parted, Cavan Co Board insisted on pushing ahead with an objection. They claimed Kerry captain Phil O’Sullivan had played for both UCD and Faughs in the 1925 Dublin senior championship without having been transferred from the former to the latter.

The central council upheld Cavan’s objection and Kerry lost the match. Kerry then counter-objected on the grounds that J. P. Murphy played with Keatings in the Dublin championship in 1924 and with Cavan the same year. The central council also upheld the Kerry objection so both were thrown out of the championship.

Cavan didn’t come out of the affair too well and were made to look foolish, objecting to Kerry, when its own house was not in order. The entire affair didn’t help relations between the counties. Paddy Foley in his Kerry’s Football Story had an interesting aside on the situation. He records that terrior coursing was very popular in Kerry at the time and a dog called Kerry Blue owned by a famous Rock St Gaul ran successfully at a number of meetings under the name “Cavan’s Objection”.

In the other semi-final, Mayo beat Wexford and could become All-Ireland champions providing they beat Galway in the Connacht final which they failed to do. Galway were declared champions for 1925 without having to play in the semi-final or final. But to make up for the loss of revenue on the final central council arranged a tournament between Galway and Wexford, the winner to play Cavan in what would be the equivalent of the 1925 All-Ireland. Kerry refused to take part. Galway were anxious to prove they were worthy champions and had little difficulty in beating Cavan in Croke Park by 3-2 to 1-2 on 15 January 1926.

One of the highlights of the game was the clash at centre-field between Jim Smith and Galway’s “Knacker” Walshe.

The Cavan team was; J. P. Kiernan (Gowna); P. J. Masterson (Gowna), J. Tiernan (Templeport), J. Jermyn (Belturbet), J. Sexton (Slashers), Tom Campbell (Crosserlough), Harry Mulvanny (Maghera), Jim Smith, capt. P. Sheridan (Tullyco), John, Spud Murphy (Cavan), Pat Conway (Maghera), Paddy Kirwan, T. Mulally (Templeport), Frank Fitzpatrick (Bruskey), J. P. Murphy (Cornafean).

As 1925 Ulster champions Cavan were nominated to represent the province in the 1926 All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry. This was Cavan’s second time to meet the men from the Kingdom. In July the teams played out at draw in a challenge game at Croke Park and were leading up to the last few minutes. Kerry however face challenge games and championship encounters with different emphasis. The result was a comfortable win for Kerry by 1-6 to 0-1, Cavan’s only score coming from Sean Farrelly.

The Anglo-Celt in reflecting the general frustration of fans within the county asked the question; “Will an Ulster county ever win an All-Ireland title”?.

Cavan had a tradition of junior football going back to the early years of the last century. It won its first title in this grade in 1915. Despite the fact that junior football was well organised and played at a fairly high standard and that the majority of clubs belonged to this grade, it was still looked upon as somewhat second rate.

It was the ambition of most players to play senior football partly because it was felt to be more attractive and also that playing in this grade and lining out for one of the stronger senior clubs enhanced a player’s chances of being selected on the senior county team.

Cavan’s first major breakthrough came in 1927 and it came from the junior ranks. Prior to that particular year the junior teams had suffered the same fate as the seniors when it came to making an impact outside Ulster.

Very few expected an All-Ireland junior title in 1927 (the final was played in 1928) and only a small number of spectators watched Cavan win the Ulster title at the expense of Armagh by 4-8 to 1-2 in Cootehill.

The Anglo-Celt played down the importance of the victory. On 30 October Mayo provided the opposition in the All-Ireland semi-final at In Breifne Park. There were eleven changes on the Cavan team from the team which had won the Ulster title.

Cavan made a good start with a goal direct from a 50 by their team captain Pat Kangley, and he followed with a point minutes later. Mayo came much more into the game through their high fielding and despite playing into a strong breeze and sun in the first-half, were only trailing by three points at half-time, 1-2 to 0-2.

The situation looked bad for Cavan as the wind grew even stronger in the second-half. They were holding on to a one point lead with a few minutes left when Louis Mallon took a pass from J. J. Coyle and shot to the net. Then from the kick-out Hughie Reilly placed Mallon again and his centre was fisted to the net by Coyle to leave Cavan easy winners by 3-3 to 0-5.

Cavan were now in the All-Ireland final for the first time ever. Both of the other semi-finalists, Kerry and Kildare were disqualified and the title awarded to Cavan. Kildare had been disqualified for being late on the field but the central council after reconsidering the case decided that it wasn’t their fault. Cavan refused to accept the All-Ireland title without playing for the honour and asked that the final against Kildare be fixed for Breifne Park on 3 June 1928.

Cavan won a close game by one point, 0-7 to 1-3. The team was; J. Morgan (Annagh), J. Martin (Templeport), T. Crowe (Cavan), J. Malcolmson (Bailieboro), J. P. Dolan (Templeport), P. Lynch (Bailieboro’) Capt. F. Fitzpatrick (Cavan), L. Flaherty (Virginia), H. Reilly (Tullyvin), P. Devlin (Killeshandra), T. F. Corr (Lacken), F. Reid (Carrick), P. J. O’Reilly (Cornafean), Louis Mallon (Cavan), Andy Conlon (Cavan).

The celebrations were surprisingly low-key. This was due to the long delay between the semi-final and final, from October 1927 to June 1928 which dampened enthusiasm for this historic win, so too did the attitude to junior football in the county.

It was now Cavan’s ambition to win an All-Ireland senior title and they almost achieved that ambition in 1928.

In 1928 Cavan recaptured the Ulster title which they had relinquished to Monaghan the previous year by defeating Armagh in a thrilling final at Cavan by 2-6 to 1-4. They were drawn against Sligo,  in the All-Ireland semi-final at Breifne Park on 26 August, the Connacht champions were appearing at this stage for the first time.

The Cavan team included five of the side that won the All-Ireland junior title, J. Morgan, Patsy Lynch, Hughie Reilly, Packie Devlin and Andy Conlon. The Cavan team was; J. Morgan (Drumbo), J. J. Clarke (Cavan), P. Leddy (Cornafean), H. Mulvanny (Maghera), Tom Campbell (Crosserlough), Herbie Clegg (Cootehill), Patsy Lynch (Bailieboro), Jas Murphy (Cornafean), P. Fox (Cross), J. Smith (Bailieboro), H. Reilly (Kill), P. Devlin (Cornafean), J. P. Murphy (Cornafean), S. Farrelly (Drumbo), A. Conlon (Cavan).

Despite the heavy rain the football was of a high standard. Sligo had top-class performers in Click Brennan, Luke and Paddy Colleran and Mick Kilcoyne. They played well in the early stages but their shooting let them down and only had a one point lead at half-time, 0-3 to 0-2.

Cavan dominated the early stages of the second-half and after ten minutes Packie Devlin took a pass from J. P. Murphy to score a great goal from which Sligo never recovered. Cavan added a further 1-3 against one in reply to win by 2-5 to 0-4. The highlight of the game was the tussle between Cavan’s Jim Smith and Paddy Colleran.

Cavan were in the All-Ireland senior final for the first time.