George Cartwright was involved in setting up 'The Breffni Gallery'
By Cian O’Connell
Throughout the past 18 months or so a committee has been working in diligent fashion to ensure a new gallery will be a welcome addition at Kingspan Breffni.
Cavan’s tradition matters deeply so reflecting that with a museum at the famous venue provides a source of optimism. The past, present, and future of Cavan GAA can connect in the coming weeks and months.
GAA President Larry McCarthy is set to launch ‘The Breffni Gallery’ on Saturday September 24 at 6pm. Former Cavan GAA chairman George Cartwright was delighted to occupy a role in developing this interesting initiative.
“It is worthwhile, there is a great interest in GAA history in Cavan, probably the critics or the cynics would say we should be trying to make new history and everybody in Cavan is trying to do that,” Cartwright says.
“It still shouldn't prevent us from remembering or recognising the past. Also putting together memorabilia that is out there that will be lost.”
Cartwright acknowledges the willingness of County Board chairman Kieran Callaghan to help the project. “There was a vacant room available in Kingspan Breffni, it was on the initiative of our county chairman Kieran Callaghan, who got a couple of us together to think about the idea, to see how we could progress it,” Cartwright explains.
“That is a year and a half ago now maybe, we have thought about it, and it has moved on. We will have reached our destination in another fortnight when Uachtarán Larry McCarthy will officially open it on September 24.
“I would like to say it is a flavour of our past under all of the sporting disciplines under the umbrella of the GAA - obviously there is football, hurling, handball, camogie, Ladies football, Scór, and rounders.
The Kingspan Breffni Gallery will be launched later this month.
“It is an introduction really to it because there is so much, but at least it will give young people an interest and an opportunity to explore more. It will record for posterity some of the photographs and memorabilia that otherwise would have been lost.
“It is not the last word on the history of the GAA in Cavan or anything like that because there is so much more out there, but it is a snapshot of some of the famous achievements of the men and women of the past.”
That a number of different organisations and businesses have contributed handsomely has aided the gallery significantly according to Cartwright. “It is essential, our greatest contributor was Leader and we are very thankful for their assistance,” he replies.
“The Cavan County Council were very much on board with us. The Cavan County Council and Cavan GAA work together on different projects. The heritage officer in Cavan County Council was involved. We had a lot of goodwill from a lot of people.
“As we know there is a very fine museum in Ballyjamesduff, this display room in Kingspan Breffni is to complement the one in Ballyjamesduff. If somebody is on a day trip to Cavan they want places to go to, and we can now outline for example Ballyjamesduff, the County Museum, the GAA Museum in Kingspan Breffni, and you have other attractions in Cavan too.
“It is in Cavan County Council's interests that we have this display room. It is within the GAA interests too because often you'd have visitors to Kingspan Breffni, who want to see it. There is a lot to be seen. It is ideal for school tours or any kind of tours, you have a lot to see now.”
The addition of this gallery is the latest chapter in the Cavan GAA story. Something always needs to be done. “It is going alongside a lot of development in Breffni over many, many years,” Cartwright adds.
“It will be the centenary next year, but you have ongoing developments on the other side of the river. You have the development of what we call The Polo Grounds Centre of Excellence, to augment the other facilities that are there.
A general view of Kingspan Breffni.
“A new gym was recently opened, it is not in any way as if the GAA or the progress of the teams is in any way inhibited or diminished far from it. So much work is going into all of that in all of the grades. It is healthy overall the GAA in Cavan.”
During the last year and a half Cartwright has been delighted with how people have co-operated to finish the project. The collaborative approach bodes well with possibilities existing to develop Kingspan Breffni further.
“Joanne Hayes, the tourism officer for Cavan, is certainly interested in working with us,” Cartwright says. “We have a lot of people, Savina Donohoe, the former curator in Ballyjamesduff in the county museum has been fantastic.
"We have Anne Fortune, liaison officer with Cavan County Board, who has brought so many ideas to us.
“We've had a great buy in from people, who have memorabilia in their houses, old gems that were probably lying in a press over many years. It is an opportunity for them to make those available to the display room or the museum as we call it.
“I think it will motivate people to see if they possibly have something that should or could be included. It isn't a very big room, so there is a limit to what we can actually demonstrate.
“We have curtailed the amount of text that is available to read on the walls. We have a QR codes at every discipline, people can access the Cavan GAA website to find out more information on the areas.”
Cartwright is thrilled that people in Cavan continue to contribute handsomely. “Martin Gaffney, a native of Kilashandra has been invaluable to us,” he adds.
Kingspan Breffni Park.
“Martin is an artist and designer, he designed the museum for us. His experience and interest in the project has been invaluable. We want to thank too Mels Signs in Cavan, who are doing a lot of the technical work.
“We have a lot of people, who are helping us, we have to remember that. Jimmy Galligan from Lacken and his team did some of the construction work early on. We have had plenty of buy in from people, we appreciate that. Without all of that it wouldn't have come together.”
Two of Cartwright’s passions, history and Cavan GAA, are part of the museum. “It is true, I have a good interest in history,” he replies. “That didn't come quickly, it came over a long period of time, going back to school.
"I suppose the teachers I had, I studied history in my degree. I grew up in Cornafean, I still live here.”
Gaelic Games were always on the agenda. “Cornafean is an area and a club steeped in the history of the GAA with a fantastic past,” Cartwright remarks.
“Listening to stories from my late Dad about Cornafean etc. I grew up with that and I was happy to write about the history of the club way back years ago.
"I wrote a few books since, a records book on Cavan GAA and I also did a book on the gallant John Joe O'Reilly, a Cornafean native, who captained Cavan in the famous final in the Polo Grounds.
“Having retired from the day job a few years ago I have pursued my interest in history somewhat and helped Cavan GAA with projects like this in my spare time, when I have any. You have to be at something, and when you are at something that interests you it is nice.”