By Niall Gartland

FORMER Cavan captain Dara McVeety has returned to Ireland and transferred back to his home club Crosserlough.

The 2019 All-Star nominee spent the last few years in Australia and continued to play Gaelic Football, lining out for New South Wales.

However, he has returned to Ireland and has completed a transfer request to his native Crosserlough, a top Division One team in the Breffni County.

It remains to be seen if and indeed when he’ll return to the senior intercounty set-up, but he’s one of the top intercounty players in Cavan to emerge in the last decade so it would be no surprise to see him back in county colours.

His stint in Australia meant that he played no part in Cavan winning the Ulster Championship in 2020, as well as missing out on his club claiming the Cavan Senior Championship in the same year, but in an interview, he explained he was philosophical about the situation.

“From my point of view, if things were normal, I would have been there, but this is how life goes. The reason I didn’t go home was Covid. I don’t regret it. I’m happy with where I am now. I mean my club also won the county title for the first time in 48 years,” he said.

“But coming here, the whole point was to realise there is more to life than football. At the time I was doubting if I did the right thing, but when I reflected on it you have to take it as it comes.”