McCabe confirmed as new Cavan football boss

Cavan GAA have confirmed Dermot McCabe as the new manager of the county's senior football squad.

The appointment is for a three-year term following ratification at Monday's county management meeting.

McCabe, who this season managed Westmeath after taking over from Dessie Dolan last October, was, alongside Finbar Reilly one of two nominees for the Breffni post. However, O'Reilly pulled out of the interview process over the weekend, so leaving the way clear for McCabe to manage his native county.

The Gowna clubman, who spent 15 seasons as a Cavan senior footballer, takes over from Raymond Galligan who concluded his two-year term with the All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final exit to Kerry.

As a player, McCabe was on the Cavan team that won the 1997 Ulster title, the year that he also picked up an All-Star. For his club, six county titles were won.

Moving into management, McCabe was part of the backroom team that guided Cavan to an Ulster minor success in 2011. And then in 2020, he assisted then boss Mickey Graham as the Breffnimen ended a 23-year wait for a provincial senior title, when defeating Donegal in the decider.

McCabe was joint-manager of Gowna as they claimed back-to-back county titles in 2022 and 2023.

And now the 49-year-old is taking up a second inter-county post after completing one year of a two-year term in Westmeath. And while his tenure in the Lake County saw relegation to Division 3 and a Tailteann Cup quarter-final defeat to Wicklow, the side suffered a number of marrow defeats and were certainly unlucky in dropping down a tier in the league.

McCabe and Cavan will begin 2026 in Division 2 where they look to be competitive, so removing any doubts about their participation in the All-Ireland series.

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