Marking David Clifford, a Sigerson Cup fix, learning on the edge

Cavan footballer Niall Carolan on the conundrums of the Sigerson Cup and marking David Clifford

“You can’t bury it. You have to learn," said Niall Carolan about a tough day marking David Clifford last summer. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

For Niall Carolan, 2025 was a mixed year. He was named on the Sigerson Cup Team of the Season and delivered a series of standout individual performances, shutting down attacking talent like Mayo’s Ryan O’Donoghue.

But ultimately, when he reflects on 2025, he thinks through the prism of Cavan. When he reflects on Cavan’s campaign, there is only one word: “Disappointment.” 

“We had a few poor performances and a few poor days, obviously Donegal and Tyrone being the main ones,” he said, speaking at the Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup launch.

“I’d say Kerry wasn’t pretty at the end. We fought back but still wouldn’t be overly happy. Mayo was obviously the highlight. That was a brilliant day in Castlebar and showed that we can compete when we do perform.” 

Their season ended with a nine-point defeat against Kerry at Fitzgerald Stadium. It was a taxing day for Carolan too. David Clifford struck 3-7 in a virtuoso display.

That is the double-edged sword that modern markers have to embrace under the new rules. They get the opportunity to test themselves against the game’s best forwards one-on-one, walking a fine tightrope in the process.

“You can’t bury it. You have to learn. We analyse where things didn’t go right on the day and how to improve. Kerry is a good benchmark seeing as they went all the way. To beat a lot of the opposition in the room tonight (other Ulster counties) on the way as well, it is good to see how you go on against the best and how can you improve.

“Some went better than others. If you are out against the best, you won’t get the better of them every day. I’d like to think I held my own for a lot of them. Maybe some of them, not so much. But is it great to be in a position to go against them.” 

It demands a significant level of preparation. Every opponent has a different tendency and threat.

“Obviously when you are preparing for a David Clifford, he has a bit more height and you have to position yourself differently whereas Ryan, he has a low centre of gravity to the ground and he takes people on a lot around the arc when he gets one-on-one. Stuff like that, you have to see that is the area he likes to go after.” 

Stick to the theory, because the reality is the three-time Footballer of the Year proved largely unmarkable in 2025. How do you stop him?

“Well I don’t have the answer for it anyway,” said Carolan with a smile.

“He is just unbelievable. He plays it at his own speed. You try to get physical and he is a big, big man. If you are too loose, he can kick over you. You have to find that nice middle ground of being good and physical, on your toes. If I was to do it again…” 

After excelling for Technological University Dublin (TUD) in the Sigerson Cup last year, Spatial Planning and Environmental Management student Carolan is involved again for 2026. That is not without its own complications either. For example, Cavan are set to face Fermanagh in the McKenna Cup on Wednesday. TUD are scheduled to play DKIT on Tuesday.

In a bid to avoid the player welfare concerns of previous years, the GAA’s higher education committee and the four provincial council secretaries drove a proposal that third-level students cannot line out in pre-season fixtures that fall within 48 hours of a Sigerson or Fitzgibbon Cup game.

A clean solution beyond that is still elusive.

“There is just so much on this time of the year. I’m lucky this year I don’t have exams but I did the last few years. Mix that with McKenna Cup, Sigerson, it can all be a bit much. I had a good run with the club this year so I didn’t get it but the last few months you’d generally get a good preseason to prepare you for it.

“I don’t know if there is a fix for the Sigerson. You don’t want to pull lads away from their county, the preparation and possibly losing a spot on your county team, I suppose it takes good communication between managers.” 

He, like countless other players, loves the competition. He found it immensely beneficial in 2025 too. That is part of its enduring appeal.

“Cavan didn’t have the best start to the league last year, but I found you were going well with the college and can bring that positivity back. We were playing the old rules then and going back to the new rules and even still, I found it extremely beneficial from my own perspective.”