For the first time in the history of the paper's GAA coverage, the Cavan players and management refused to co-operate with local newspaper The Anglo-Celt ahead of Saturday's football qualifier with Wicklow.
The camp refused to grant any interviews to the paper ahead of this weekend's game as they took umbrage with a headline reading 'Cavan GAA Player Disqualified Over Drink Driving' in the paper's courts report.
Conor Moynagh from Shantonagh, Castleblayney is a member of the Cavan senior football squad and was last month disqualified from driving for three years, having been charged with drink driving in Virginia on December 3rd, 2017. Moynagh's involvement with the Cavan squad was raised in court, and the player asked Judge Denis McLoughlin to postpone any driving disqualification, as it would make it difficult for him to commute to training from his base in Dublin.
The Anglo-Celt's reporting and headlining of the story has annoyed the Cavan players, and the squad refused to co-operate with the paper last weekend with the backing of management. It is also understood that some members of the squad expressed annoyance that the court report was published without a byline, although this has been standard practice in the paper's 172-year history.
Sports Editor of The Anglo-Celt, Paul Fitzpatrick told Balls that he is concerned at the precedent this incident sets.
I would be concerned at the precedent this is setting and the message the county board in particular are sending out by supporting it.
The last thing I want to do is throw mud but i think it's important to note that this guy's status as a county player was brought up by his own lawyer originally, not by the newspaper.
I'm told it will be temporary, which is puzzling, our offence must have only carried a one-match ban! Hopefully Cavan can get the win on Saturday and move on.
The Cavan players have always been exceptionally generous with their time and that's appreciated but obviously a newspaper has to be allowed report impartially on non-sporting matters too without fear of sanction from a group of players or a county board.
A spokesperson for the Cavan County Board confirmed that the squad refused to co-operate with The Anglo-Celt ahead of the Wicklow game over the headlining of the piece, but said that they are not boycotting the paper and will grant interviews after Saturday's game. The Board also placed on record the fact they do not condone Mr. Moynagh's behaviour, but felt that the headline used above the article "was designed to grab attention to it".
Cavan had a fine national league campaign - while they lost the Division 2 final to Roscommon they earned promotion to the top tier at the first attempt following last year's relegation- but lost comprehensively to Donegal in the preliminary round of the Ulster championship. They head to Aughrim on Saturday to save their season, with the game throwing in at 6pm.
