Feature: Damien O’Reilly looks back on some of his memorable career moments

THIS week we look back at the career of former Mullahoran and Cavan star Damien O’Reilly as he recalls some of his memorable games.

Teams played for:

Mullahoran, Cavan and Ulster.

Current involvement:

None, but I helped out with coaching for last number of years with my club.

Which club game, that you played in, will you never forget and why?

Mullahoran winning the Cavan Championship in 1998. I was coming towards retirement, and coaching and playing that year. It was my first club championship.

Which club game, that you watched, will you never forget and why?

The 2022 All-Ireland Club final between Kilcoo and Kilmacud. It had everything, it looked like Kilcoo were finally across the line, then no, and they needed extra-time to prevail.

Which county game, that you played in, will you never forget and why?

The 1997 Ulster final with Cavan. It was 30 years since Cavan had won and fans were unbelievably supportive all that time.

Which county game, that you watched, will you never forget and why?

The 1982 All Ireland final – watching it on TV Kerry going for five-in-a-row. The game was more or less over and then Seamus Darby scored that historic goal.

What was the funniest thing you ever saw in a game?

It was when a player left the field of play on a pitch once where the goalposts were close to the wire fencing.

A player ran around the back of the goals and back in the other side onto pitch, the referee gave him a yellow card as you cannot leave field of
play.

The player was so annoyed he did it again to challenge the ref to see if he would give second yellow – he didn’t.

What was the strangest thing you ever saw in a game?

Where a referee appeared to know he had a poor performance in a very tense club match and blew the final whistle when he was very close to the exit gate out of the pitch.

What was the most memorable performance from a player in a game that you watched?

There have been games of less significance where a player has excelled, but the 2003 All-Ireland final comes to mind as it’s different.

It was an All-Ireland final, with Tyrone’s Peter Canavan going off before coming back on and then lifting the Sam Maguire.

What was the most memorable performance from a player in a game that you played?

In 1997 we went to New York on the 50th Anniversary of 1947, in a National League game. Kerry had won the All-Ireland, Maurice Fitzgerald scored 1-10 out for Kerry’s total of 1-12 that day.

What did you love about the games you played in?

The challenge, trying to get the better of your immediate opponent and giving our supporters something to be proud of.

What did you hate about the games you played in?

Never really was a fan of winter football in poor conditions.