Born and raised in Turners Cross, Kavanagh first played Gaelic football as a schoolboy with Coláiste Chríost Rí.
He was just 16-years-old when he won a Corn Uí Mhuirí medal after a one-point final defeat of St Brendan's College in 1989.
By that stage Kavanagh had already joined the club's senior team, having made his debut in a quarter-final replay defeat of Imokilly in 1990.
[7][8] Kavanagh was a key member of the Nemo Rangers team that won three successive Cork SFC medals from 2000 to 2002.
[15] After later winning a fifth provincial medal, he made his final senior appearance in the 2006 All-Ireland club semi-final defeat by St Gall's.
A period of Kerry dominance followed, however, Kavanagh claimed his first national silverware with Cork after a defeat of Dublin in the 1999 league final.
[27] A fourth Munster SFC followed later that season, however, he was again at centre-forward when Cork suffered a 1-11 to 1-08 defeat by Meath in the 1999 All-Ireland final.