Second Moy arson attack has Colm Cavanagh baffled

Tyrone defender and Moy clubman Colm Cavanagh said he is ‘baffled’ by the latest arson attack on his club and fears it could happen again.

Moy members are reeling from last weekend’s arson attack on their facilities, the second such incident in six months.

The clubhouse had only reopened a matter of weeks ago following renovation work when the attack occurred after a flammable liquid poured into the privately-run gym at the premises was ignited. Tyrone sweeper Cavanagh, younger brother of team captain Sean, said a motive for the attack hasn’t yet been established. He said it may or may not have been sectarian-related and revealed his frustration with the reality that it could easily happen again.

“Possibly, yeah,” said Cavanagh. “And you see it’s so strange, and I was only talking to Sean about this the other day, because the Moy area is not an area this stuff happens. The Moy has been such a nice peaceful village for years and years.

“It still is and that’s why no-one can understand (the reasoning). I think the first time it happened, there were rumours it was a couple of young lads, their immaturity showing. No-one knows for sure. Hopefully it doesn’t happen again because the village is such a nice village. Everyone mucks in and there are no issues down there normally. It’s very strange that this happened.

“It’s baffled me how it’s happened a second time. The first time you might say, ‘these things happen’ and we’ve gotten on with it but for it to happen a second time is very strange, definitely.”

Cavanagh, an All-Ireland medallist with Tyrone in 2008, is confident the club will rally again and rebuild and renovate.

“Yeah, the club will,” he said. “People have already helped us out in so many ways over the last few months. They’ve helped us get back on our feet and I have no doubt that there’ll be no problem getting the club back to where it needs to be.

“The club had no gym, we had just got one open and the lads were really looking forward to working in it because strength and conditioning is such a big part of football now. So that’s going to be a setback on that side of things but hopefully we can get it sorted again, move forward and put it behind us.”

The incident has brought Cavanagh back down to earth after a successful few months with Tyrone. They have achieved promotion back to Division 1 and if they beat Cavan in the Division 2 final, they will collect their third piece of silverware since December.

Cavanagh admitted that, for him personally, the real driving force is to pick up an All-Ireland medal as a first- team regular later this year, having appeared as a sub in the 2008 semi-final and final.

“That is driving me,” said Cavanagh. “I’d be very open and honest about that. We won the All-Ireland in ‘08 and I had a lot of injuries in ‘07, ‘08 so I was never fully part of the whole team, I didn’t think. I came in and out, when I wasn’t injured. I’m getting on now, 28, 29 in July, you just don’t know how many more years you have left.”

Colm Cavanagh was speaking at the Etihad Airways GAA World Games 2016 launch in Croke Park yesterday.