In one of the strangest of years, we saw one of the most amazing stories unfold in Ulster. Looking back, you could imagine the script had been penned by some of Hollywood’s finest writer’s. Covid-19 hit Cavan particularly hard during this pandemic. Thomas Galligan was not exempt from contracting the virus and it hit him hard before the Ulster Championship began. He made a miraculous recovery to play a short but pivotal role in their first-round thriller against Monaghan and start the journey that would lead them to the promised land. His bloodied Ulster final performance was the personification of his and the team’s adventure, they simply never backed down when facing adversity. It was a fitting end to the story that he would be immortalised in Cavan GAA folklore by receiving an All-Star. This week we went ClubSpotting to Lacken Celtic GAA club with the man himself.
1. What are your earliest memories of Lacken GAA Club?
Lacken winning the intermediate championship in 2004 is probably the earliest memory of Lacken GAA club. There was a big group of us behind the Ballinagh goals thinking we were great!
2. Who was your sporting idol growing up?
My fellow club man Trevor Crowe was always someone we looked up to when we were younger. He was a huge inspiration to us growing up.
3. What is your proudest moment in a Lacken jersey?
Big moments have been hard to come by for Lacken these days. Winning the Division one league a few years back was a special day for the club. It was great to get our hands on some silverware after a few tough years fighting relegation.
4. Who is the toughest opponent you’ve faced?
There are a lot of tough opponents at club level. James Smith, Conor Brady and Padraig Faulkner are always a handful to deal with.
Matthew Ruane and Kevin Feely were probably the toughest so far while playing with Cavan.
5. Have you any superstitions or pre-game rituals?
I wouldn’t necessarily be the superstitious type, but I have been getting a coffee and Reece’s peanut butter cup on the way to games lately!
6. You were an integral part of one of the stories of 2020 winning the Ulster Title with Cavan, how did it feel to bridge the many years of hurt that Cavan has had?
It was a great way to end the year. You could see it meant a lot to all the people in Cavan from listening to different stories and experiences. It was great to give Cavan supporters something to look forward to each weekend. 23 years was a long time to wait for an Ulster title.
7. What are your hopes for 2021 with Lacken and Cavan?
If the league goes ahead, it would be great to get out of Division 3 because you need to be playing against the best to improve as a team year on year. It would be great to be able to give Ulster another run but we’ll have to take each game as it comes.
What is ClubSpot?
ClubSpot offers a wide range of features to ease the burden on volunteers in sports clubs and to help clubs increase their revenues. With a wide range of features, online payment and a customised Club App included.
For more information or to arrange a product demonstration for your club contact info@clubspot.app