Keelan Cawley has put down more than a decade in the cause of the Sligo footballers but the start of his career promised more than the following years were in a position to deliver.
An immensely versatile player from defence to the middle third, he debuted at wing back when Sligo defeated Mayo 12 years ago. That sense of competitiveness with top teams never left Cawley as his career moved through the seasons.
“The first year you go and take out Mayo and Galway and you’re wondering why aren’t we doing this every year. I know a gap has opened up in recent years and people look at us in Division Four and Galway and Mayo in Division One but I never have any fear going out to play Mayo or Galway.”
This weekend, he captains the county in Croke Park against Cavan in the semi-finals of the inaugural Tailteann Cup. He acknowledges constant trips to Dublin may begin to pall with Mayo supporters who are across the country and back like windscreen wipers but, for him, it’s an occasion.
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He has memories of winning a Division Three title in the stadium against Antrim in 2010 and losing a qualifier to Tyrone five years later.
“As players, there’s no better place to play football than Croke Park. It’s every young footballer’s and hurler’s dream when they’ve been watching All-Ireland finals since they were six and thinking, ‘I’d love to play there’. So when you get the opportunity, no one can take it away from you: ‘I played a semi-final or final or even a qualifier there’.
“The hurlers from Sligo have had a couple of great wins [2008 and ‘19] up there. I’ve friends who were on the first Nicky Rackard-winning team and they’d never give back that experience.”
Eamonn O’Hara, a former team-mate of Cawley and an All Star from Sligo’s golden period in the 2000s, says the captain’s role in the team is vital.
“His presence alone is key, given his experience. When confidence isn’t high and you’re operating at a level that you feel you’re better than, it’s difficult to keep guys focused. Keelan has been there and one of the better performers over the years even with his club, Coolera Strandhill where he’s been one of the leaders.
“It’s pressure on him because the group can be fragile. He needs to mind his own game but also keep an eye on the others. If they’re good they’re very competitive but sometimes things can get away from them.”
Sligo were six points off Cavan in the league meeting and finished in third spot in Division Four behind their opponents and Tipperary.
At the start of April there was shock in the team at the tragic death of Red Óg Murphy, the young promising Sligo player who was taking a year out from the panel. Cawley is cautious about speaking publicly on the matter.
“Anyone that knew Red had great time for him,” says Cawley. “Anything that’s gone on, we’ve kept in house and haven’t talked to media about it. It took a toll on anyone involved. The county took a big whack and the country as a whole when you saw the outpouring of emotion on social media.
“The fact that he was such a nice young fella. He wouldn’t let you go by without talking to you. I imagine he would be in a few people’s minds this weekend.”
The Tailteann Cup opened to reasonably high levels of scepticism. Counties were initially suspicious about its potential to become a ghetto for lower-ranked counties. Since it has started however, the engagement of players has been good.
Cawley says that he has enjoyed the experience so far but would like the winners to have a route back into the Sam Maguire the season they win the Tier 2 championship.
“It’s great to have the extended season but I’d like to see the winners getting back into the Sam Maguire, like hurling teams do after getting to the final in the Joe McDonagh. It would be another good step if we got to play some of the bigger teams and tested ourselves.”
In the meantime, he gets ready to rumble with the Tailteann favourites and in the best of all possible worlds lead Sligo to a national final.
