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plan which revolved around working with younger players. "I was disappointed when the new panel appeared in the local paper and my name wasn't on it. That's the way it was done in those days.� King's exclusion from McGee's inaugural county panel came as a surprise to most football fans in Cavan. The Laragh schemer had, after all, amassed massive experience and garnered lots of kudos for his performances in three Ulster SFC finals, namely 1976, '78 and '83. On each occasion in those provincial deciders, the strapping Poles-born midfielder gave as good as he got against some of the best footballers in Ulster. He has vivid memories of the '76 meetings with Derry, the Oak Leafers winning the Anglo Celt Cup after a replay.
form." All told, Adge King played for Cavan seniors for 11 years, 1973-84. In all that time he won nothing with the county. How come? "Probably because we just weren't good enough as a team in those years. We were good enough to get to league quarter-finals and to championship semi-finals and finals but not just good enough to go the distance. "The seventies and eighties were a poor period for Cavan football. Maybe we were a bit unfortunate, maybe we didn't always get the rub of the green Were the proper structures in place in Cavan in those days to facilitate the construction of an Ulster title winning team? "I'm not sure. Looking back, we probably weren't up to speed in those years with the way the GAA was developing across the border in terms
There was no lack of self-belief among the players I lined out with. "We got to finals and to semi-finals and there was no question of monkeys being on our backs. "At least the players I played with definitely had no hang-ups about what other Cavan teams from the past achieved. They weren't comparing themselves to great Cavan footballers from down the years." Any regrets about the way his intercounty career seemed to peter out? "Disappointed that I didn't play after '84 and that I hadn't a medal to show for my time with Cavan but I'd have to say that I enjoyed every minute wearing the county jersey. I got my chance." Of course, Adge's football career wasn't guillotined entirely by his noninclusion in the county squads, post1984. Au contraire. He continued to strut his stuff on the domestic front 'till 2000
The Laragh senior championship winners of 1979 honoured at the 2004 county final, front l/r: PJ Farrelly, Kieran King, Hugh Brady, Philip Cullivan, Aidan Carolan, Kieran Brady, Paul Tobin on behalf of Matt Rudden, Tracey Smith for PJ Smith, Laurence Brady, Martin Brady, Jimmy Carroll, Ray Cullivan. Back: Hugh Reilly, Vincy Smith, Adge King, Fionan McDonagh, Donal Donohoe, Bernard Donohoe, Michael Hannon, Dermot King, Anthony Conaty, Laurence Brady junior for Brian Brady, Theo Duke, Joe Sharkey, PJ Smith, John Reilly
He recalls coming up against his selfconfessed greatest adversary Colm McAlarney (Down) - "he wouldn't stand with me and slug it out" - in the 1978 decider. And then there was the 1983 final where he crossed swords with messrs. Molloy, Murray, Griffin etc: "Losing to Donegal that year was probably the most disappointing of all three Ulster finals," he opines. "I suppose '83 sticks out in my mind because I was more of a permanent, established player at that time and I felt there was an added responsibility on me because of my experience and playing midfield. "I remember that final mostly because I didn't play well on the day. Like many another player, I had my bad days. I was inconsistent at times. I was either good or bad in a game. There was no inbetween. In the '83 final I wasn't on
of facilities, tactics and training. "The managers of the various teams I was part of did their best but I think the teams from the Six Counties were always that wee bit of a step ahead of us in the way they prepared their teams. "And when the Troubles were at their height, it seemed like Gaelic football took on another identify as far as the northern teams were concerned. "Teams up the North really wore their heart on their sleeve when it came to the football and they had a tremendous passion for Irish culture which showed up in their determination on the football field." What about the notion held by many in Cavan that the county teams of the seventies and eighties suffered from being compared to very good provincial title winning Cavan teams from the sixties and even fifties? "No I wouldn't go along with that idea.
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when he brought the curtain down on his Junior 'B' innings with Laragh. Six years before hanging up his boots, he played an instrumental role - at the age of 40 - in helping United claim the Intermediate Championship win a win over Cornafean. There were other honours collected too after quitting the intercounty premier scene. He enjoyed collecting an AllIreland Masters medal with Cavan. No matter what the team or competition, he always sought to go out and enjoy togging out. He says playing football remains the best buzz he has ever gotten from his involvement with the GAA. "Like everyone else, of course, winning helped the enjoyment of playing. If your team won and you played well that was the ideal package because you personally felt good as well as your team-mates and the club as