By John Harrington

How best to sum up the passion that Cavan people have for Gaelic Football?

Over to you, Stephen King.

“In Cavan all we talk about is football and the weather,” King told GAA.ie. “Maybe someone might throw in a bit of sex. That's about it!”

On July 20, 1997, the weather was good, Cavan won their first Ulster Championship for 28 years, and, such were the celebrations, their third favourite topic of conversation probably got a good airing too in the following days and weeks.

Looking back now at the video of the day, it’s the images of unfettered joy that exploded after the final whistle blew that resonate as much if not more than the nerve-shredder of a match that preceded them.

Rarely has a pitch invasion been so rapid or raucous.

Donegal manager Martin McHugh was swiftly consumed by the celebrating masses while he was interviewed in front of the RTE cameras and had much of the air back-slapped out of him while he tried to give his thoughts on a momentous achievement.

For a moment you even worried for the health of ‘Wee Martin’ as he was lifted off his feet by the crush, hugged by many, and even given a smacker of a kiss by one of the deliriously happy mob.

Stephen King was Cavan’s captain on the day and by then had been representing the county for 18 seasons.

He had finally reached the promised land after a long trek through the desert, but would change nothing about the journey that got him there.

“You just really couldn't put it into words,” he says. "It was a wonderful time for me and it was a wonderful time for everybody in Cavan.

“It was one of those great days. People were being lifted over the wire as soon as the final whistle went. They're every-lasting memories.

“To finally win an Ulster Championship after all those years was fantastic, but I wouldn't take away from my time as a Cavan footballer before then.

“Obviously I wouldn't have medals hanging out of the ceiling as regards my career as a county footballer, but, in saying that, the enjoyment and the friends that I've made, I wouldn't change it.

“It was an absolutely fantastic time of my life when I was playing football. I've managed teams obviously since and given a great help to the club and always go back to the club, but I think the friendships you make through playing football, both club and county, is one of the reasons why the GAA is one hell of an organisation.”

Cavan’s 1997 adventure was almost over shortly after it began. They very nearly lost to an unfancied Fermanagh in the Ulster quarter-final, but ultimately made good use of the lessons learned from a 1-12 apiece draw.

“We were lucky to get over the drawn match against Fermanagh,” admits King. “A bit of luck and Fermanagh would have beaten us the first day, but we were worthy winners in the replay.

“Then it was Donegal in the semi-final and we were up for that. Martin obviously had an insight into them, and it was a big game for him. We played extremely well that day.

“We had the experience of doing reasonably well as a team from 1995 to 1997, but in 1997 we certainly benefited from the U-21s who joined the panel moreso than would have been seen in other counties or even Cavan previously.

“We really benefited from the introduction of players like Peter, Jason, and Larry Reilly coming into the team. There was quite a bit of experience there already with the likes of myself, Ronan Carolan, Damien O’Reilly, and Fintan Cahill, there was a good core there, and the U-21s who had won the Ulster Championship and got to the All-Ireland Final who came in really enhanced what was already there.

“We ended up with a great mixture of experience and youth which played a big part in us winning the Ulster Championship that year.”

Martin McHugh also made a decisive impact as manager. He’d brought Cavan to the Ulster Final in his first year in 1995, and by Year Three of the project in ’97 he was really getting a sweet tune out of the team.

“Martin was good,” says King. “We did a lot of hard training. Joe Doonan, Catherina McKiernan’s coach, came in in the early stages and that changed the way we were training as regards getting our stamina up. We trained extremely hard.

“Tactically, we did a lot of ball stuff on the field as well. Martin and Donal Donoghue and Mickey Reilly were great.

“I think the players really gelled together as well and knew the work that they had to put in. And once you're winning, it's not that big a job to train or put in the effort. Some of us had to do extra nights and you did it with a heart and a half.”

Cavan went into the 1997 Ulster Final as underdogs against a Derry team that featured nine of the 15 who’d won the All-Ireland title in 1993.

Perhaps their lustre had faded somewhat in intervening four years, but players like Anthony Tohill, Henry Downey, and Joe Brolly were still regarded as among the very elite in the country.

Cavan were quietly confident, though. They felt they had legs and the game-plan to get the job done.

“Even at club level I was always massive believer that if you could get to a Final then the cliché that it's all on the day is very much the truth,” says King.

“Sometimes it's difficult to express yourself when you're trying to get to a Final, but then it's easier in the Final itself.

“I felt that, not only did we have a good enough team, but we had a reasonably strong panel as well. We had to pick our fights as well, though, we had to know what Tohill was going to be at and we had a named player to look after Joe Brolly.

“We had our homework done on Derry and thing definitely went our way on the day. Paul O'Dowd in goals made a couple of great saves. We won a few vital kick-outs, we got scores that sometimes wouldn't go over for you.

“The atmosphere was incredible. Those are experiences that you won't forget. I'll never forget that Ulster Final.”

23 years later, the most memorable moment of the match for most Cavan supporters is surely substitute Jason Reilly’s decisive goal ten minutes from the end.

Philip Smith drove a long delivery into the danger-zone which was won by Damian O’Reilly who popped a pass to the supporting Reilly.

The 19-year-old kept his cool to place the ball under the advancing Damien McCusker and then wheeled away with his jersey pulled up, Fabrizio Ravanelli style, over a face that was surely screaming for joy.

“The goal came at a great time,” says King. “Damien won the ball and just played it off to Jason. It still had to scored and he put it away nicely, he kept it on the carpet.

“That's something we would have talked about in training, that balls hit at elbow level make it easier for goalkeepers.

“We were always practicing on keeping those sorts of shots on the ground in training and Jason kept it on the ground. It was a great substitution bringing Jason on.

“There was total euphoria at that stage but the game still had to be won. We still had to play down the clock. When the final whistle eventually went it was fantastic.”

When the final whistle blew it was every man, woman, and child for themselves as the Cavan horde made it their business to pour through gates and climb fences in order to bask in the glory of the victory on the field of battle where it was won.

“That was absolutely mayhem,” says King. "Even to try to get up to the Stand. They were pulling people left, right, and centre.

“It just showed you what it meant to Cavan people. I don't think anyone has ever seen the pitch in Clones covered by so many people since then even. The euphoria of the Cavan people was unbelievable.

“There was all sorts of roaring and shouting and even someone handed my daughter over to me for a while. There was great hugging and then I handed her back.

“I was thinking about what I was going to say in terms of a speech and you could just see the masses of people on the field and there were even flags coming into your face.

“I can remember Damien and Fintan and Jason and Larry, they were the ones who were beside me. I can remember all of those good things.

“And I can remember the nervousness of thinking about what I was going to say to so many thousands of people that it meant so much to.

“The biggest memories of all were coming home. That really put into perspective the impact of what we'd achieved.

“When we came to the village of Butlersbridge the bus was just halted about 500 metres from it and nobody could get through. There must have been thousands and thousands of people.

“We had to get off the bus and go into Con Smiths for half an hour just to let it quieten down. Because we couldn't go anywhere else.

“Looking back, they were great times. It's fantastic what the GAA does for communities and counties.”

1997 Ulster SFC Final

Cavan 1-14 Derry 0-16

Scorers for Cavan: R Carolan 0-6, J Reilly 1-0, P Reilly 0-3, L Reilly 0-2, F Cahill 0-1, R Cunningham 0-1, D McCabe 0-1.

Scorers for Derry: A Tohill 0-4, J Brolly 0-3, G Coleman 0-2, G McGill 0-2, J Cassidy 0-1, J McBride 0-1, F McCusker 0-1, K McKeever 0-1, D Dougan 0-1.

Cavan: P O’Dowd, P Kermath, C Brady, T Farrelly, G Sheridan, B Morris, P Shields, S King, D McCabe, P Reilly, R Carolan, R Cunningham, L Reilly, F Cahill, D O’Reilly Subs: J Reilly for Cahill, P Smith for King, M Graham for L Reilly

Derry: D McCusker, K McKeever, D O’Neill, G Coleman, S Lockhart, H Downey, J McBride, A Tohill, D Heaney, G McGill, D Dougan, F McCusker, J Brolly, S Downey, J Cassidy. Subs: K Diamond for Dougan, G Doyle for McGill