Cod Almighty | Diary

The Proud One: Gavan Holohan – Ice in His Veins, Pride in His Name

28 May 2025

There's calm, and then there's Gavan Holohan calm. A man who strolls up to the penalty spot like he's collecting a parcel from the post office, casually rolls in two at St Mary's, and then tears off in a knee slide in front of 4,000 Mariners going absolutely berserk in the away end.

In our latest episode of View from the Findus, we sat down with the coolest man in Grimsby (and possibly Ireland) to talk play-off madness, FA Cup magic, and what it means to wear the black and white. If you don't normally do podcasts, make an exception. This one's different. This one's Gavan.

But before you lend us your ears, allow us to indulge in a moment of well-earned Holohan celebration…

Gavan Holohan arrived at Blundell Park in spring 2022, quietly, without fuss – like a fisherman joining late on the tide and somehow reeling in the day's best catch.
He was thrown straight into the thick of it: Notts County. Wrexham. Solihull. Olympic Stadium. Every game a cup final. Every match a marathon. And there was Gav, chasing shadows, winning second balls, and passing through midfield like a man determined to beat last orders.

By the time the final whistle blew in the National League Promotion Final, the Mariners were back in the Football League, and Holohan had run roughly the length of Ireland.

Then came the 2022–23 FA Cup run. If the Wembley wins were the fairy tale, this was the epic. Five higher-division sides defeated – more than anyone had ever managed before. Gavan wasn't just in the squad, he was the one grabbing the script and rewriting it.

At Southampton, he didn't blink. Two penalties. Two goals. A Premier League keeper beaten twice. One man on a mission, Irish eyes most definitely smiling.

And here's the kicker: Holohan is of Irish Gaelic origin. It means 'proud'.

If you've seen him in a Town shirt, that checks out. If you've seen him take a pen, it's practically a surname prophecy.

Gavan's not flashy. He doesn't need to be. He plays like a footballer who grew up watching Champions League midfields and thought, "Aye, I'll have some of that." He covers ground, keeps it simple, times a tackle like he's reading from a script, and always seems to find himself in the right place at the right time – usually with his socks rolled down, and with the kind of grin that could charm the ice off a fish dock.

And when he does speak – as he does in our View from the Findus episode – it's with honesty, humour and a healthy bit of modesty. He talks about the journey, the squad, the fans, and how it feels to be part of something proper at Blundell Park. There's insight. There's a bit of craic, and even a bit of chat about going out for a night with Jimmy Bullard (of course there is).

In an era when footballers are media-trained into oblivion, Gavan remains refreshingly…Gavan. Thoughtful. Humble. And quietly full of fire.

He may not always steal the headlines, but he'll always win you the midfield. And sometimes, just sometimes, he'll pop up and knock out a Premier League team for good measure.

Proud? You bet we are.

So give it a listen. You'll feel even prouder.