Five minutes with Cavan’s Ryan Connolly

Name: | Ryan Connolly. |
Age: | 21
Occupation: | Personal Insurance Account Handler

Teams played for:

Drumlane, St Pat’s, Cavan, St Joseph’s, DIT, Cavan

If you were throwing a party and you could invite anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would you ask around?

Cristiano Ronaldo, Harvey Spector and Blake Lively

Where do you like to go out to celebrate after a big victory?

The back room in the Orchard in Cavan has hosted some enjoyable nights

If you weren’t playing GAA what would you be at?

Doing more coaching than I currently get to do with our u-17 team in the club

What’s the worst pitch you’ve ever played on?

Knockbride or Mountnugent. Visibility on the back pitch in Breffni does be poor at the best of times also

Which character in any film are you most like?

The original Ben from Eastenders when I have me specs on

Any odd items in your kit bag?

I’ve had the same holy medal in whatever Cavan bag I’ve used for the past six years that my neighbour gave to me the night before my first minor game in 2013

What’s your preferred brand of gear?

Adidas boots and ATAK gloves are looking after us at the minute

Who’s the biggest joker in the teams you play for?

Cian Mackey. In Drumlane, Conor Lunney and our Kitman Tony provide the laughs

Which team mate has the best looking other half?

David Brady has a lovely looking ‘Byrd’

Who is the worst trainer?

Mattie McKenna hasn’t been seen for a while now. With Drumlane, John O’Dowd has been known to sit out the odd shooting drill …. and runs and tackling drill…

Who spends most time in front of the mirror in the dressing room?

Donal Monahan is always fixing his hair for snapchatting young ones

Who’s the best/worst person to share a room with on away trips?

Had Brendan Argue and Darragh Gannon in the room for an u-21 trip last year. The boys provided good tunes, had treats in their bags and even provided Ben Conaty with a fresh barnet.
Worst has to be Caoimhin O’Reilly – like sleeping with a lawnmower beside you.

Who’s the best/worst person to sit beside on the team bus?

For going down the road to training, Ray Galligan is best. He gets there two hours before training to practice kicking. Worst is Killian Clarke, makes you swipe right on his Tinder the whole way down the M3 as he drives.

Who has the best and who has the worst diet on the team, and what does it include?

Dara McVeety, only eats fish and a rice cake. Conor Brady’s diet must be poor, carrying a lot of excess weight.
In Drumlane Gary Tubman rewards himself with a Chinese after a gym session.

Toughest opponent you have faced?

You’re always sore after an hour in Declan Lunney’s company.

Best or worst quote you’ve heard, either from a manager, player, opponent?

“They’re level in Clones” as Jody Clarke wound one up from 50 yards on the back pitch in Breffni. Peter Walsh told us that “there’s a 99.9% chance this game will go ahead tomorrow” the night before the Meath game was cancelled for the second time a few weeks ago.

Best manager you’ve ever played under?

Like to think I’ve taken something from every manager I’ve played under but Finbar Reilly and Andy McGovern are the two I took the most from.

Best ever performance?

Promotion play-off against Belturbet in 2014.

One to forget?

Hitting the post against Monaghan last summer.

When you were playing in the back garden, who did you pretend to be?

Ciaran McDonald or Ross Munnelly.

If there was a transfer market who’d be in and who’d be out of the team?

Don’t think we can fit anyone else into our dressing room due to Thomas Galligan’s egg-shaped head but if we could I’d bring Fermanagh corner-back Cian McManus back to where he belongs.