Paul Rouse: Cavan's struggle for relevance shows GAA cannot be complacent about its future

There was a brilliant bit of journalism recently by Paul Fitzpatrick in The Anglo-Celt newspaper. It asked the provocative question: “Is Cavan still ‘a football county’?” 

GREAT LEAP: Thomas Galligan of Cavan during the Tailteann Cup Final match between Cavan and Westmeath at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Next weekend the John Joe O'Reilly Memorial Committee is unveiling a statue to John Joe, Cavan's All-Ireland winning captain of 1947 and 1948, in Cavan town.

John Joe O'Reilly, one of the greatest footballers ever to play the game, died at just 34 years of age; he is a true icon of a period of dominance which saw Cavan win five All-Ireland senior football titles in the middle decades of the 20th century.