It was the Ciaran Brady final in Croke Park as the Cavan star inspired his club Arva to the All-Ireland intermediate title.
The 2020 All-Star nomination spearheaded his club’s revival as, having trailed their opponents Listowel Emmets by four points at half-time, they completed a remarkable turn-around in the second half to win out by 0-13 to 0-10.
In doing so, Arva became the first Cavan club in 23 years to win the All-Ireland junior title, with Drumgoon having won the first renewal back in 2002.
Listowel went into the game as favourites, with Kerry teams having won six of the last eight junior All-Ireland championships, but Arva upset the odds.
Man-of-the-match Brady was the driving force for his club, kicking four from play from midfield, with his manager Finbar O’Reilly hailing him for what he described as a ‘legendary performance.’
“Ciaran Brady was awesome,” said O’Reilly.
“It was a legendary performance. He caught balls in the air, he won breaking balls, kicked points, he was instrumental in that turn-around.”
After the game, Brady told TG4’s Mícheál Ó Domhnaill that, having started slowly, the message at half-time was to attack the game and he certainly led from the front from that perspective.
Scór Lán-Ama@EmmetsCLG 0-10@arvagaa 0-13
Comhghairdeas le @arvagaa , seamipíní na hÉireann 2024 👏
Captain Ciarán Brady accepts Corn Seamróga Chraobh Mháirtín 🏆 #GAABEO #GAA @GAA_BEO @CavanCoBoardGaa pic.twitter.com/6dZUlGo4WA
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) January 14, 2024
“It’s surreal, unbelievable, the stuff of dreams,” said Brady.
“We re-grouped at half-time, we weren’t happy with where we were at.
“We do see ourselves as a progressive attacking team but to a man, we stood up in the second half,” he said.
The former Ulster title winner with Cavan was then rushed to the steps of the Hogan Stand where he gave his captain’s speech.
“As a young fella you often dream, you see past players lifting cups in the Hogan stand, what a privilege it is to be lifting an All-Ireland trophy for your club,” he said.
“I do also want to pay a tribute to all the people in the club that have gone before us, my own dad Vincent, a past captain of the club.
“I know they will be partying with us and they will be looking down on us today and they will be proud of us.”
“One last thing, when we won the county final, I said that there would be no winter in Arva. When we won Ulster I said Christmas would be delayed. Well now that we’ve won the All-Ireland, there will be a party in Arva.”
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