2011: Cavan Gaels 4-11 Castlerahan 0-7

THIS was Castlerahan’s first ever appearance in the Cavan Senior Championship final, but they produced a disappointing display against a Cavan Gaels side teeming with championship pedigree. Kevin Meehan banged in their first goal inside three minutes, and more majors followed over the hour from Martin Dunne, Sean Johnston and Robert Maloney-Derham. Dunne top-scored with 1-4, while Johnston wasn’t far behind him with 1-3 as they retained the Oliver Plunkett Cup with plenty to spare. They could even afford to empty the bench in the closing quarter, sending on veterans Paul O’Donnell, Sean Reilly and young defender Daniel Graham.

2012: Mullahoran 1-8 Kingscourt Stars 0-7 (replay)

EVEN though the first game ended in a draw, Mullahoran were 21 outsiders to get it right at the second time of asking. However, they upset the odds. The impact of two men who are still going strong for the club – Philip and Paul Brady – was important. Mullahoran trailed by 0-7 to 0-4 heading into the closing stages, but they racked up an unanswered 1-3 to claim their first title in six years. Philip Brady struck a match-winning goal three minutes from time, while dual star Paul Brady won the official man of the match award. Their stock has fallen in recent years but they’ve been having a good championship campaign to date, so who knows – the Dreadnoughts could be on the way back.

2013: Ballinagh 0-12 Cavan Gaels 0-11

BALLINAGH fans won’t need much reminding of this one – their one and only senior championship triumph in their long history. To say they were outsiders heading into the game would be an understatement – Cavan Gaels were bidding for their ninth title since 2001 – but Ciaran O’Reilly’s side showed incredible fortitude and ardour to hold on for a one-point victory. Niall McDermott’s frees were crucial – he scored seven of them – while Padraic O’Reilly was immense in the middle. Their defence also put in a heroic effort in the closing stages to prevent the concession of what would’ve been a heartbreaking goal. Ballinagh’s finest day.

2014: Cavan Gaels 0-16 Kingscourt Stars 0-15

BUT the Gaels weren’t done yet. In fairness, they were made to fight until the very end by a Kingscourt side who had Padraig Faulkner sent off after only 12 minutes of play. Managed by Peter Canavan at the time, Cavan Gaels seized the initiative in the final 20 minutes with Seanie Johnston running riot in attack (he scored four points in the space of just seven minutes), while Michael Lyng fisted over a late winner after trading passes with joint-captain Eamonn Reilly. It was sore on Kingscourt but they were possibly over-reliant on Barry Reilly, who struck seven frees and two 45s on the day.

2015: Kingscourt Stars 1-9 Castlerahan 0-11

SWEET redemption for Kingscourt. Like so many finals in this era, this was a tense, competitive contest, but the Stars survived a late scare from Castlerahan to take the spoils. The foundations of victory were laid during a 10-minute spell in the second-half which saw them carve out a lead which they never relinquished. The decisive score was a 52-minute goal from man of the match Philip Tinnelly, and while Castlerahan conjured up one final chance to snatch victory, corner back Paul Smith’s shot rebounded off the crossbar in the dying seconds. It was Kingscourt’s 11th title, while Castlerahan’s search for a first ever triumph continued.

2016: Ramor 0-10 Castlerahan 0-8

YET more heartbreak for Castlerahan, but this was Ramor’s day. This was the second game between these two teams, the first match a high-scoring draw, but the replay was more of a slow-burner. The sides were level at 0-5 apiece at the interval, but Ramor, who found their scores a little easier to come by, hit the front on the three-quarter mark through Conor Bradley. The introduction of Cavan player Jack Brady gave the Virginia outfit a serious lift in the closing stages, and late points from Adrian Cole and Killian Maguire delivered their first senior championship win in 24 years.

2017: Cavan Gaels 0-13 Castlerahan 0-8

THE same old story for Castlerahan, unfortunately. In their defence, they were beaten by a Cavan Gaels team supremely well-managed by Jason O’Reilly, and they ended up reaching the Ulster final where they were beaten by Sleacht Néill. As for the final itself, it was a fairly drab encounter but there was no disputing the better team. Castlerahan didn’t help themselves, hitting a string of wides while Cian Mackey scuffed an effort from the penalty spot. Down the other end, the likes of Seanie Johnston and Michael Lyng showed all their craft and experience, and while Castlerahan fought hard, they weren’t able to turn the game on its head and had two men dismissed in the dying stages.

2018: Castlerahan 2-11 Crosserlough 1-13

LONG-SUFFERING Castlerahan fans finally had something to cheer about when they claimed a hugely dramatic victory over a youthful Crosserlough side in the 2018 decider. Castlerahan were appearing in their fifth final of the decade, but had come out on the losing side on the four previous occasions. It looked like they were on course for yet another heart-breaking defeat, as they trailed by six points when James Smith hit the net in the 45th minute. But it’s as if Castlerahan said to hell with it, and Donal Keogan’s side summoned a famous comeback that saw them claim their historic first ever senior championship triumph with goals from Oisin O’Connell and Sean Brady helping steer them over the line.

2019: Castlerahan 1-9 Ramor 0-10

CHAMPIONSHIP titles were like buses for Castlerahan as they secured the back-to-back with a deserved win over Ramor. A seventh-minute goal from Oisin O’Connell was absolutely pivotal, particularly as Ramor set up defensively from the word go. The Virginia men came out to play in the second-half, but they couldn’t get their noses in front and Castlerahan’s experience told when the game was in the melting pot, with Cavan legend Cian Mackey doing damage when shunted into the inside forward line. Ramor had chances to get something from the game late on, but their late efforts on goal drifted wide.

2020: Crosserlough 0-13 Kingscourt Stars 0-10

ANOTHER replayed game, and it was Crosserlough who learnt most from the first day out as they bridged a gap of 48 years without a senior title. It had been coming – they’re a side brimming with youthful talent – but their victory was all the more notable as former Cavan skipper Dara McVeety was on his travels. While it was a fairly cagey game, Crosserlough duo James Smith and Mark Stuart wreaked havoc throughout, and they landed the insurance point when Patrick Lynch curled over a beautiful score. Kingscourt could have no complaints about the replay defeat, but will rue the fact they didn’t put the game to bed on the first day out.