By Cian O’Connell

Quietly, but effectively Cavan hurlers are beginning to generate momentum and belief again.

Under Ollie Bellew and Tomás Mannion’s shrewd guidance three wins from four matches have been registered in a competitive Allianz Hurling League Division 3B.

A place in the decider has been booked, illustrating the progress that has been made following a demanding stint in 2022. That was Kilkenny native Canice Maher’s first campaign with Cavan, but he is delighted that signs of progress are evident. Sunday’s Kingspan Breffni triumph over Leitrim was the latest addition to the developing Cavan story.

“I suppose coming off the back of last year when we didn't get one league result, not even a championship result, it is great to have the positivity going through the camp at the moment,” Maher says.

“It is a positive start, but it isn't without its hiccups either. We had a bad result two weeks ago against Lancashire so it was nice to erase those demons yesterday too.

“It was a bit of a strange weekend, you are waiting for the game all weekend, Saturday and the snow and everything. So it was great to get Lancashire out of the head and get back on a positive note.”

The highly regarded Bellew and Mannion are back making an impact with Cavan. “I wasn't familiar with the boys before this year,” Maher responds.

“The rest of the panel would have been, I'm only in the last two years. So they definitely have that relationship built up, from the time they were there previously.

“I think they have taken off basically where they left off with the results we have got so far. There seems to be a positive atmosphere going around. It is a good set-up.”

Maher, who hurled in the Walsh Cup for Kilkenny in 2011 and had a brief stint with Dublin, is relishing being involved at inter-county level.

So how did he end up in Cavan? “I'm married to a girl from Cavan, that is the long and short of it really,” he replies.

“We moved up to Ballieboro - her native home place - and we are currently building a house there at the moment. We are there for the long run. I started out the career in Kilkenny, but I'm happy to be still hurling at this age.

“Not a lot of lads make it into their 30s too, especially with the demands of the game at the moment, but I'm still happy to be playing. I only started really again with East Cavan Gaels as a social outlet, to get to know people when moving to a new place.

“One thing led to another, it is such a small hurling community in Cavan that I obviously got in with the county. It has been great. The four clubs in Cavan, it is fairly tight knit too. It has been a very positive experience.”

Maher is enthusiastic and optimistic about how Cavan can build on a solid foundation that is being established by Bellew. “That commitment is definitely there from the Cavan set-up,” Maher says.

“Some people like to compare it to football in Kilkenny, maybe there are similarities in that the hurling does take a bit of a backseat to the football. That is certainly not the case when you're in the dressing room at the weekend.

“You don't get the sense that hurling isn't as important as football or anything. You feel that we have the full backing of the County Board too. So maybe we are not at the level the footballers are at and the same numbers aren't playing hurling, but for the lads that are actually there playing it is number one.

“There is 100 per cent commitment. The comparison is there with Kilkenny in the football, but there is a high level of commitment in the Cavan hurling set-up.”

The prolific Maher remains adamant that Cavan are moving in the right direction. “We have that momentum now and things are very positive,” he adds.

“There is no doubt that the quality is there in the team. Even at club level you don't get any easy games in a championship match in Cavan. You are always going to be on a very tight or a very good hurler. So the quality definitely is there.

“For whatever reason last year didn't really click, the year before it did click and it seems to be clicking this year again. I think the quality is there, we are kinda showing that at the moment, although we have a little bit more to do.

“Yesterday there was very little in the game, Leitrim had a missed penalty and a few missed frees, we only won it by four points, and we were doing to 14 men too for a lot of the second half.

“We know there is work to do too, we feel like we have earned a spot at the top, but we feel it will be a different case come the league final or the Lory Meagher. We know there is improving to be done.”

Maher is relishing being part of it all.