TYRONE’S Colm Cavanagh is one happy man. The big Moy player picked up his first Allstar award on Friday night in Dublin, named at midfield alongside Dublin’s James McCarthy, and described the recognition as an “amazing feeling”.
In claiming the award, 30-year-old Cavanagh joined an exclusive band as one of 12 sets of brothers to be recognised – his brother Sean having picked up five awards.
Even more remarkably, it is the 11th award to go to the Moy club, with Philip Jordan having four on his mantelpiece and Plunkett Donaghy collecting one in 1986.
“It means an awful lot,” said Cavanagh.
“It is such a prestigious award and they are not easy come by. To try and get into that team – I’m sure there’s a very rigorous selection process, and I wouldn’t like to be the people who are making the selections because looking around me on the night, with all the nominees – you are sort of going – how am I going to get one here ahead of such-and-such?
“You don’t think about them throughout the year as much, just because it is a team orientated game and you’re always looking out for your team-mates and trying to do the best by them, but to actually win an Allstar is an amazing feeling.
“There are a lot of lads who have put in serious shifts all year, and could feel that they were in with a shout, so I suppose that’s just part of the process and I was lucky enough to get the nod this year.
“I think that it will always be something that I will be able to look back on with a real sense of pride”.
Cavanagh also paid tribute to the Moy – with no club in Tyrone having produced more Allstar winners than this year’s Tyrone Intermediate Football Championship winners.
“To join that list is extra special,” insisted Cavanagh.
“As I say, they are hard come by and for the Moy to have such a good representation is pretty incredible for such a small club.
“It’s great, albeit that Sean has five and Philip I think has four, so that only leaves myself and Plunkett Donaghy with the other individual awards – but it’s still a great stat, and it’s still a great kudos for the Moy club and what they’ve done, and how they’ve developed people over the years”.
