Arva community ‘blown away’ as newly crowned Ulster champions return to heroes welcome

The bustling county Cavan town of Arva is toasting arguably its most momentous sporting achievement in its history after its GAA club were crowned Ulster Junior Champions in Roslea over the weekend.

The Cavan kingpins saw off Monaghan counterparts Blackhill by 0-13 to 0-6, becoming only the third side from the Breffni county to clinch Ulster Junior Championship honours.

Despite missing a second half penalty, Arva managed to see off Blackhill and in so doing claim their first Ulster title and with it unequivocal footballing immortality.

Speaking to Independent.ie, club chairman Oliver Miney told of how he and the wider community had been “blown away” by the magnitude of the past 48 hours.

“We have small numbers but these guys are out of this word,” he said.

“They are amazing guys and to be even involved with them is something else.

“We are so proud as a community, they are role models, they are leaders on the field and they are just all-round good guys. They are the best in the world.”

An engineering manager with Longford firm Panelto Foods, Mr Miney said while optimism was high going into Saturday’s final after the club’s semi-final victory over Lisnaskea, it had had been somewhat tempered by Blackhill’s resounding 2-10 to 0-7 victory over Tyrone champions Fintona in the competition’s corresponding semi-final.

“Last Saturday we came away from Clones after playing Lisnaskea and I actually drove my car behind the bus because the team management wanted to get back to Breffni Park to see Blackhill playing,” he said.

“The atmosphere in that car leaving Clones was amazing, just amazing. We were in the best form ever and then watched Blackhill absolutely tear Fintona apart.

“From us being on top of the world, we left Breffni Park saying how are we going to win.”

That latter question was one which rarely looked in question, however, as Arva buoyed on by the irrepressible figure of midfield lynchpin and club captain Ciaran Brady eased to victory in front of a large and vocal crowd of spectators.

Those same set of supporters were joined by an even greater posse of onlookers who lined the streets of the town on Saturday evening to greet their heroes home.

Mr Miney said the significance of that success would be forever etched in the hearts and minds of a town still very much coming to terms with the enormity of it all.

“We have won junior and intermediate (county) championships in the past, but that is as far as we have ever got,” he said, in referencing the club’s 2014 Junior Championship and 2016 Intermediate Championship winning campaigns.

“The club is the community, it is the rock of Arva and it just doesn’t get any better than this.”

Get ahead of the day with the morning headlines at 7.30am and Fionnán Sheahan’s exclusive take on the day’s news every afternoon, with our free daily newsletter.