The Ulster Senior Football Championship gets under way this weekend with a derby clash between neighbours Monaghan and Cavan. Gardaí in Monaghan are advising motorists to expect longer than expected travel journeys this weekend. The warning comes as the county prepares to host a Monaghan Stages Rally and St Tiernach Park's staging of the first round of the Ulster Senior Football Championship in Clones between Monaghan and Cavan on Sunday.
Speaking to Northern Sound, Cavan GAA historian George Cartwright said there is "great history" between Cavan and Monaghan. According to Mr Cartwright, the rivalry goes back 136 years ago and the tradition has continued ever since. "There's a great history and tradition between Cavan and Monaghan," explained Mr Cartwright. "Obviously Cavan has had fantastic teams in the past and have had the upper hand. Monaghan went 58 years without beating Cavan so you can understand when they do get around to beating Cavan they take great satisfaction in that and of course Cavan don't like to be beaten by Cavan. So it all adds up to the intrigue of both counties meeting regularly in the championship. In the glory years of Cavan, when they were winning All-Ireland's, on five of those occasions that they won the All-Ireland, four of their toughest games were against Monaghan." Elsewhere, former GAA player and three time All-Star winner Nudie Hughes believes that Monaghan are " well seasoned" but a local derby could go either way on the day.
