In 1961 Cahill won an Irish Senior Cup winners medal with Belfast YMCA.
His brother, Cecil Cahill, was an association football goalkeeper who played for both Shelbourne and Bohemians during the 1950s and 1960s.
He was selected to represent Ireland at the 1952 Summer Olympics but did not travel due to a lack of funds.
[1][2] Cahill was educated at Mountjoy School, Dublin where in 1947 he completed his Leaving Cert.
He quickly found himself promoted to the first team and in November 1951 he was selected to play in goal for Leinster.
Both his sister, Irene Cahill Johnston, and his future wife, Ina, also played for Wanderers as well as the Ireland women's national field hockey team.
Hill allegedly offered Cahill professional terms as an association footballer.
He continued playing in veterans competitions into his late 50s and also served as Worthing club captain between 1986 and 1990.
While playing in England, Cahill also represented Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Buckinghamshire at inter-county level.
He helped Ireland win the 1968 Home Nations Championship, the 1972 Santander Trophy and toured South Africa in 1973.