Family ties have made Paul Cassidy the footballer he is
Paul Cassidy of Derry poses for a portrait during an Allianz National League media event at The Palace Demesne in Armagh. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
By John Harrington
Last weekend was an emotional one for Derry footballer Paul Cassidy.
His club Bellaghy hosted a first ever senior 7-a-side camogie tournament in memory of his late mother Majella who passed away last year.
Majella was her son’s biggest supporter and a hugely popular Bellaghy club member which was reflected in the support the tournament received.
“It went well, she used to love the seven-a- side tournaments, she used to play in them when she was younger,” says Cassidy.
“It was a nice idea we came up with and it was run well. Luckily Bellaghy ended up winning it so that was nice.
“She was obviously sick for a number of years but she was still my number one supporter and that’s who I was playing for, whenever I played football, and I still am. That’s the number one reason why I’m playing. She was my biggest supporter, she was at every game I played in.”
Paul Cassidy pictured at the seven-a-side camogie tournament organised by Bellaghy in memory of his mother Majella.
Cassidy was always likely to be a talented sportsperson given his mum Majella was a fine camogie player and his father Kevin a hardy defender for Bellaghy back in the day.
His Grandfather Harry managed Bellaghy to the All-Ireland Club title in 1972 and also had a three-year stint as Derry manager in the 70s, so Paul grew up in a household that always revolved around Gaelic games.
“I mean, in younger days you were going to every tournament under the sun," says Cassidy. "You were dragged out of bed even if you didn't want to go.
“That's how much the family wanted you to play football. It was good growing up in a club with so much history, the most championships in Derry, so all you wanted to do when you grew up was just go and play football and that's what we done.
“After every game my grandfather would be asking me to come down and see him after and talk about how you got on and how you played.
“It didn't even matter if you won or not, he just wanted to know how you done. That's how much he cared for you. It was lovely, it was nice that way too.”
Cassidy has been outstanding for the Derry footballers in recent weeks during a run of four wins on the trot that has propelled them to the top of the Allianz Football League Division 2 table.
After a disastrous 2025 that saw them fail to win a single match in either the League or championship it looks like the Oak Leaf County are starting to move in the right direction again.
“The past 12 to 18 months we had a rough two years and not winning a game or anything, but those things happen,” says Cassidy.
“Ciarán (Meenagh) and Chrissie (McKaigue) came in this year and sort of turned the corner a bit and it was down to the players take responsibility for it as well.
“I know we were off to a bad start against Meath this, but we sort of pulled it around with four wins on the bounce.
“You see all the same players are still there so I'd probably say there's a good togetherness.
“Even when we were losing, we still wanted to be there. We still wanted to train. That's probably the main reason why you're getting back to winning ways at the moment.”
Paul Cassidy of Derry during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Derry and Tyrone at Celtic Park in Derry. Photo by Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile.
They’re motoring nicely now, but only after the false start of that defeat to Meath in the opening round.
Considering how last year went it would have been easy for the Derry players to hang their heads afterwards, but instead they bounced back with a vital win over Tyrone in Round 2 that gave them a renewed momentum.
“In the changing rooms after (the Meath match) it was quiet,” says Cassidy. “We were training well and we thought things were going well.
“We just got shocked by Meath to be honest with you. We were targeting the Tyrone game after that and it was pretty much do or die at that game.
“We had to win it to give us that boost for the group of players. That was a tough, tough game because you know how tight it's going to be and how good Tyrone can be. So it was nice to get over the line on that one.
“Three games after it has shown that it's given us a lot of confidence. The scorelines reflect that as well.”
Derry have scored an average of 26 points per game across the five matches they’ve played so far during the League and Cassidy has been a key figure in their attack.
He’s racked up 2-12 to date and has done a lot of his best work around the arc where his ability to shoot points from distance and take a man on makes him a very useful weapon.
“I know the first few years I started in the old rules I was in the inside line, corner forward and stuff,” he says.
“But once the two point arc was introduced, I was a big shooter, a long range shooter, I've enjoyed that and I've come out of it. You enjoy that long range opportunity.
“If you have that bit of pace you're going to be out in the arc more often, taking men on and stuff like that.
“And if you have that ability to shoot the two point from the arc as well, it just gives you multiple opportunities to attack.
“You have to be going after the two-pointers, because you hit two or three of them in a row you know how much momentum that gives you. It's just as good as a goal to be honest with you.
“Once you have multiple two-point shooters in your team, you'll be doing well because you're going to be marked higher out of the pitch. It just gives you an opportunity to go for goals as well.”
Cassidy isn’t afraid to go for goal himself. His spectacular strike against Kildare in Round 3 of the Allianz Football League was a real collector’s item.
Quite fitting really considering that collectibles are Cassidy’s stock in trade.
Paul Cassidy of Derry during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Kildare and Derry at Cedral St Conleth's Park in Newbridge, Kildare. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile.
What was once a side-hustle selling collectible sports cards has now become his full-time job through his TikTok account, PCollectibles.
“I sort of came across it there last year on Instagram and TikTok and stuff like that,” he says. “I got a growing interest to it and then I was just sort of doing it on the side to the previous job I had, and then the past few weeks there I had a chance to go at it full time so I decided to go for it, I felt I had nothing to lose so I may as well.
“I buy them on the internet and sell them on Tik Tok shop and eBay and stuff like that. That's the way the world is going at the minute, online shopping.
“At the minute I'd be mainly doing soccer cards, Premier League and stuff like that, that's probably the most popular.
“I had a card there recently and it was a one of one. There is only one of it and it's autographed.
“It was of Marc Bernal, the young Barcelona player. There’s a bit more expense on him because he's a rookie and he has that potential of becoming a star. Once you see players like that, they're worth their fortune, so they are.”
Derry’s fortunes will also be on the rise if they can make it five league wins in a row away to Louth on Saturday.
Victory would put them within touching distance of promotion back to Division One, and Cassidy thinks that’s exactly where they need to be if they want to fulfil their potential as a team.
“I think you do. You need to be targeting Division One if you want to be playing the best, playing the best players, day in, day out. But, look, we've Louth this Saturday and they're Leinster Champions League so it may as well be Division One territory.
"It's definitely in our hands but Louth is a big game because if we get bet by them they're on eight points the same as us and would have us on the head-to-head so it's a big game."
