OPPONENT WATCH: Cavan looking to dent Mayo's All-Ireland hope

The Sunday clash of Mayo and Cavan in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park represents an interesting prospect for each side.

The Breffni men will be making the journey into the West, aiming to avoid the mistakes of 2024.

Meanwhile, Mayo will be looking to put in a big performance, get off the board, and put themselves in a position to challenge for the top spot in the group.

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Here, we’ll cover everything the men from Breffni Park bring to the party on Sunday, including their season so far, the record between the sides, and everything in between.

How have Cavan been in 2025?

It’s fair to say that Raymond Galligan’s men have had a mixed bag this year.

The men in blue didn’t get off to the best of starts, losing out to neighbours Monaghan, then Meath in their opening Division Two fixtures.

However, a win over Louth kick-started a four-win streak which left them in with contention to making the top flight in the last game.

However, a last-day loss to Cork left them hovering outside the top two. They put in a decent fist of things against Tyrone, but they couldn’t quite get to the pitch of the tie and exited the race for Ulster glory at the first hurdle.

Who are Cavan’s dangermen?

When glancing over their form list for this season, one name sticks out like a sore thumb.

Gearóid McKiernan’s number of birthdays may be creeping up, but he’s still proven as effective as ever, evidenced by his 1-31 tally in 2025. He may have been shackled by the O’Neill County last time out, but he’ll need watching.

In the absence of McKernan on the scoreboard, Dara McVeety can prove a handful, and he notched eight of Cavan’s 0-18 in the Tyrone tussle.

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Are there any Mayo faces involved in Cavan?

James Burke is a familiar face in the Mayo circuit, having served as part of the Mayo following being added to the roster by James Horan in 2019.

Three years on, the former Green and Red player has swapped Mayo for Cavan, and will be returning to familiar surroundings on Sunday.

What happened the last time Mayo and Cavan played?

The last time these two teams locked horns was at the same juncture, as Cavan travelled to tackle the Green and Red quandary in May 2024.

On that day, Mayo simply had too much quality in their ranks and ran out 0-20 to 1-8 winners to get their All-Ireland run off to a strong start.

What is the record between the sides?

Mayo have the upper hand on their Ulster counterparts over the course of history, winning 23 of their clashes, representing a 60.5 per cent majority. Cavan have won 12, or 31.5 per cent of the clashes, while three games have finished honours even.

When was the last time Cavan beat Mayo?

If we’re talking Championship fare, a trip back to Croke Park and September 26, 1948, where the Breffni edged out Mayo on a score line which definitely wouldn’t fly in media circles today.

In a blustery day at Jones’ Road, Cavan led 3-2 to 0-0 at the changeover, but Mayo, spearheaded by Tom Acton’s two goals, came back into the tie.

Unfortunately, the Green and Red were unable to stop Cavan from going back-to-back as they won 4-5 to 4-4 in a final which still holds the record for the most goals in an All-Ireland final.

Somewhat more recently, Cavan recorded a shock 2017 win in the National League to give them a whisker of a chance of staying in the top flight.

Back then, McVeery and McKiernan were still dangermen as their combined 1-8 was crucial in downing Stephen Rochford’s side.

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What is Mayo’s recent record against Cavan?

W Mayo 0-20 Cavan 1-8, All-Ireland SFC, May 18 2024

W Mayo 1-13 Cavan 0-11, NFL R3, February 9 2019

L Mayo 0-15 Cavan 1-14, NFL R5, March 19 2017

W Mayo 1-19 Cavan 3-7, All-Ireland Qualifiers, July 7 2007

W Mayo 0-11 Cavan 0-8, All-Ireland Qualifiers, July 30 2005