Dermot McCabe appointed as new Cavan boss

DERMOT McCabe has been appointed as the new Cavan Senior Football manager on a three year term. McCabe is an icon around the Breffni County for his outstanding playing career in the blue and white.

The Gowna clubman won an Ulster title in 1997, the year after earning a provincial title at u21 level when Cavan went all the way to the All-Ireland final, but lost out to Kerry in the end.

He also picked up an All-Star award at wing half forward in 1997, only Cavan’s second ever All-Star winner. In fact, he was Cavan’s most recent All-Star winner before their Ulster heroics in 2020.

McCabe’s coaching and management CV is equally as impressive. He was part of the management team that captured the Ulster title in 2011 with Cavan and was a member of Mickey Graham’s backroom team that claimed the Anglo Celt Cup in 2020.

As a player, McCabe won six county championship titles with Gowna in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and managed them to two senior championship crowns alongside a league title.

More recently, he was in charge of the Westmeath Senior footballers for the 2025 season. Westmeath were relegated from Division Two this year, but put in a number of quality performances throughout the league.

They exited the Leinster Championship at the hands of Kildare, losing another narrow battle before surprisingly crashing out of the Tailteann Cup at the quarter-final stage, with Wicklow edging them out by the minimum of margins.

Cavan will compete in Division Two next season having finished midtable under Raymond Galligan in 2025, winning four of their seven league outings. McCabe’s backroom team will be finalised in due course.