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The toughest player ever to play Championship?????

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Replying To Inaroundehouse: " Replying To breffni47: "[quote=cavanman47: "Love reading threads like these. A great reminder of how the game used to be! And I can't let it go without posting this clip again link Just watch those first 15 seconds. . .mayhem!!" I went to a fight and a gaelic match broke out.... unbelievable start, assaults left, right and centre... great to see footage of Jim Reilly and Joe Dillon, terrific players..." Jim Reilly had everything. One of the best if not the best Cavan footballer I ever saw in a Cavan jersey. Rarely saw him play a bad game. He could play anywhere was so versatile. We could do with a few Jim Reillys nowadays."]Jim Reilly 100% first name to come to mind. Tough as nails. Skills to boot. Never lost a personal battle on the pitch either club, county or province. What a fantastic player cavan97 (Cavan) - Posts: 369 - 08/09/2017 12:34:53 2044149 Link
Replying To Inaroundehouse: " Replying To breffni47: "[quote=cavanman47: "Love reading threads like these. A great reminder of how the game used to be! And I can't let it go without posting this clip again link Just watch those first 15 seconds. . .mayhem!!" I went to a fight and a gaelic match broke out.... unbelievable start, assaults left, right and centre... great to see footage of Jim Reilly and Joe Dillon, terrific players..." Jim Reilly had everything. One of the best if not the best Cavan footballer I ever saw in a Cavan jersey. Rarely saw him play a bad game. He could play anywhere was so versatile. We could do with a few Jim Reillys nowadays."]I wouldn't argue against that on either count. breffni47 (Cavan) - Posts: 34 - 08/09/2017 13:12:38 2044163 Link
Aidan Connolly (bailieborough) could get in the heavy hits and play football Breffni81 (Cavan) - Posts: 182 - 08/09/2017 15:14:12 2044209 Link
Replying To DeeRobyn2010: "I am just curious about this post regarding "king" Denis O Keeffe Drumalee . It is referring to my deceased dad & I am just curious as to the person who posted this lovely comment . I was only a very young child when my dad played football so only have vivid memories of it but would love this person to enlighten me of dads football skills . Thank u & regards" "A king" refers to adge king Breffni81 (Cavan) - Posts: 182 - 08/09/2017 15:21:00 2044212 Link
Replying To Jampot: "Cian Murtagh of Cavan Gaels" is that the same lad that played with Kingscourt s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5520 - 08/09/2017 15:43:38 2044216 Link
Replying To opa01: "Andy McCabe of Kingscourt or Ollie Brady of Redhills" To be fair Andy played most of his football with Crosserlough s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5520 - 08/09/2017 15:46:20 2044219 Link
Replying To s goldrick: "To be fair Andy played most of his football with Crosserlough" As I said above: I was wrong up above - Andy was of course a Crosserlough man. Lived in Kingscourt later but I don't think he played for them. opa01 (Cavan) - Posts: 506 - 08/09/2017 16:36:29 2044231 Link
Toughest player to have played Championship football had to be Frankie Dolan from Templeport. I guess I am giving away my age but had the misfortune of having to play on him on many an occasion and suffice to say I was normally very sore around the ribs afterwards. A teak tough defender who wore the Breifne blue with distinction for up on 15 years. Joebe (Cavan) - Posts: 76 - 09/09/2017 10:37:50 2044330 Link
Replying To breffni47: "Having watched Cavan teams for nearly 50 years for me it has to be Andy McCabe, his sideburns alone frightened the life out of any forward who came near him, only remember him playing with Crosserlough.... Going on what my dad would have told me you would also have to mention Willie Doonan, it is widely believed that Cavan would have won a three in a row in '49 if he was playing, when Peter McDermot from Meath heard he wasn't playing it was said that he jumped up on down" The O'Keefes are and always will be a very respected family not only in GAA but in the wider community. A proud Drumalee family who hold the respect of all Gaels within Cavan and indeed outside of Cavan. May Dennis rest in peace. A gentleman of our time. YOUWONTCODME (Cavan) - Posts: 125 - 09/09/2017 11:48:46 2044344 Link
are we talking tough or dirty as most of the comments are referring to heavy hits, sore ribs etc Tom Lynch of Mountnugent represented club, county and province. He wasn't the biggest man in the world but was as hard as nails and more important, a very skillful player StirringIt (Cavan) - Posts: 374 - 12/09/2017 15:29:29 2045284 Link
Am Going back a few years now Eamonn O Connell (Ramor) Paddy Gaffney (Denn) RIP Eddie Halligan (Ballinagh) Terry Hyland (Lacken) Bernard Morris (Gowna) Manus McManus (Templeport) Tobar Connolly (Bailieborough) Val Yore (Munterconnaught) Gavin Hartin (Gowna) Philip Smith (Crosserlough) Tommy Smith (Killinkere) All tough Men - not always on the right side of the law but if you came up against them you knew you were in for a battle. fearcliste (Wexford) - Posts: 178 - 13/09/2017 17:16:11 2045715 Link
Don't know the older ones but of lads that I've seen Trevor and Joe Crowe - Lacken Bernard Morris - Gowna Charles Clarke - Baileborough Alan Clarke & Thomas Wakely - Kingscourt Tommy Carolan - Knockbride Christy Sheils & Danny Mel Reilly and Mad Eddie - Mullahoran Philip Smith - Crosserlough PatTheDandy (Cavan) - Posts: 356 - 15/09/2017 15:13:01 2046253 Link
Willie Doonan, Cavan Gaels and King of the Acre, he didn't need to lift weights or drink protein shakes, and he would have swallowed up and chewed modern day footballers for fun, and of course, his nephew James, played with the Gaels and Cavan, pure raw strength. The Reilly brothers from the Gaels, all hard men, would go through walls for the club, JJ (RIP) could fist an ONeills Ball over the bar from the 45m line. cavanblueman (Cavan) - Posts: 636 - 19/09/2017 15:51:42 2048147 Link
Of the current era, James McEnroe not afraid to hit a shoulder. FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2832 - 21/09/2017 18:09:57 2049103 Link
ADGE KING,JIMMY CARROLL-- LARAGH,BERNARD MORRIS,CIARAN BRADY_GOWNA,TREVOR CROWE-- LACKEN,EAMONN O'CONNELL RAMOR, JOE DILLON snr--KINGSCOURT, CHARLIE CLARKE--BAILIEBOROUGH,PAT FAULKNER--KINGSCOURT,CIARAN BRADY--MULLAHORAN,DAMIEN REILLY-- MULLAHORAN, PHIL SMITH--CROSSERLOUGH,OLLIE BRADY --REDHIILS,CYRIL O'KEEFE-DRUMALEE,TOMMY CAROLAN--KNOCKBRIDE, ALL TOUGH MEN,SOME BOTH TOUGH BUT DIRTY TOO,SOME JUST GENUINELY TOUGH BUT FAIR.ONE THING IN COMMON-MOST COME FROM THE FARM,BEST S&C KNOWN TO MAN IN THOSE DAYS. celt2018 (Cavan) - Posts: 160 - 03/11/2017 14:58:14 2060141 Link
Replying To celt2018: "ADGE KING,JIMMY CARROLL-- LARAGH,BERNARD MORRIS,CIARAN BRADY_GOWNA,TREVOR CROWE-- LACKEN,EAMONN O'CONNELL RAMOR, JOE DILLON snr--KINGSCOURT, CHARLIE CLARKE--BAILIEBOROUGH,PAT FAULKNER--KINGSCOURT,CIARAN BRADY--MULLAHORAN,DAMIEN REILLY-- MULLAHORAN, PHIL SMITH--CROSSERLOUGH,OLLIE BRADY --REDHIILS,CYRIL O'KEEFE-DRUMALEE,TOMMY CAROLAN--KNOCKBRIDE, ALL TOUGH MEN,SOME BOTH TOUGH BUT DIRTY TOO,SOME JUST GENUINELY TOUGH BUT FAIR.ONE THING IN COMMON-MOST COME FROM THE FARM,BEST S&C KNOWN TO MAN IN THOSE DAYS." If they were tough what does that make Andy McCabe or Crosserlough? Or Tom Lynch? Andy was the toughest man that ever put a Cavan jersey on. Inaroundehouse (Cavan) - Posts: 975 - 03/11/2017 15:59:18 2060161 Link
John McEvoy from Killygarry ! Ask Terry Hyland ! He had to eat his dinner twice that day ! Jampot (Cavan) - Posts: 76 - 03/12/2017 20:29:50 2064348 Link
Replying To Jampot: "John McEvoy from Killygarry ! Ask Terry Hyland ! He had to eat his dinner twice that day !" Tomsmith here from Cavan Town The Spear Lynch, Texas Brady, Andy Mc Cabe, and Enda Mc Gowen All were tough fare and a few of them a wee bit dirty. There was another character that played full back around Belturbet, Belaconnell or Swad area long ago when I was a Gausan and I am told that he would draw a line across the field about 30 yards out from his Goal and warn the full forward not to come in past it. The great Mrs T,s parents often spoke about him, He was a odious with apair of ankle breaker boots laced up to half way his shin bone tomsmith (Cavan) - Posts: 3982 - 03/12/2017 22:13:36 2064349 Link
Replying To tomsmith: "Tomsmith here from Cavan Town The Spear Lynch, Texas Brady, Andy Mc Cabe, and Enda Mc Gowen All were tough fare and a few of them a wee bit dirty. There was another character that played full back around Belturbet, Belaconnell or Swad area long ago when I was a Gausan and I am told that he would draw a line across the field about 30 yards out from his Goal and warn the full forward not to come in past it. The great Mrs T,s parents often spoke about him, He was a odious with apair of ankle breaker boots laced up to half way his shin bone" He's not the man you're referring to but John McVitty from Corlough was another tough player. He'd run through you all day long. Played a bit with the gaels too helping them win a county title or two in the late 70's. Westcavan5 (Cavan) - Posts: 27 - 06/12/2017 09:31:59 2064521 Link
Replying To Westcavan5: "He's not the man you're referring to but John McVitty from Corlough was another tough player. He'd run through you all day long. Played a bit with the gaels too helping them win a county title or two in the late 70's." the man Tom is talking about was a Maguire man who played for corlough. can't remember his name but he was a garda and a hardy boy. You'd need to have some confidence to challenge someone to that!!!! John Mc Vitty was a seriously tough man i believe, with great hands and a knack of taking lads out of it as he landed with the ball. theweanling (Cavan) - Posts: 414 - 07/12/2017 16:56:56 2064623 Link