[2] Canavan joined the inter-county competition in 1978, shortly after many of his teammates had contested the 1977 All-Ireland SFC Final.
[3] He played inter-county for 14 years, winning two Ulster Senior Football Championship (SFC) titles.
[3] Canavan played his club football for Redmond O'Hanlon's in Poyntzpass and he won a Junior Championship with them in 1997 when he was 40.
[1] From 1995 to 2001, Canavan helped manage his county team alongside Brian McAlinden.
[1] In 2000, Canavan was appointed as full time Community Games Development Officer in Armagh and Louth after getting an injection of 170,000 Irish Pounds.