CAVAN have announced a three-man shortlist of candidates vying to be the next manager of the county's senior footballers.
Current goalkeeper Raymond Galligan, Cavan skipper since 2019, Micheal McDermott and Jason O’Reilly are the prime candidates to take on the role which was vacated by Mickey Graham at the end of last season, the Anglo-Celt newspaper has reported.
The deadline for nominations from clubs expired on Sunday night and the trio were nominated by their home clubs Lacken, Shercock and Belturbet respectively.
All three candidates have impressive credentials. McDermott has an undoubted track record of success and has won senior club championships in four counties.
He guided Ramor United to the Cavan Senior Championship in 2016, managed the Clare senior footballers and led Banner county club Kilmurry-Ibrickane to the All-Ireland club final in 2010. His vast experience also includes a spell in Meath with the Wolfe Tones club with whom he won the senior championship in 2021 and he was also a championship winner with Monaleen in Limerick.
Belturbet clubman O’Reilly also has an impressive CV. Popular with the Breffni faithful, he established himself as a potent forward over 15 seasons in the blue jersey and he went on to manage Cavan Gaels to the county title. Since then he has served as part of the Leitrim senior management under former Breffni boss Terry Hyland.
Meanwhile, forward-turned-goalkeeper Galligan may be an unexpected inclusion but he has vast experience of the inter-county scene and, as a current player, is ideally placed to understand the demands placed on the modern player. Galligan captained Cavan to the Ulster Championship in 2020 and was an Allstar winner the same year.
Cavan chairman Kieran Callaghan confirmed that a sub-committee would be formed to appoint the new senior team manager. It is understood that the sub-committee could look further afield but the new manager is most likely to come from the trio shortlisted.
