In the 1980s, I vividly recall a Dublin fan expressing his frustration about Kerry’s frequent habit of dedicating each year to a different cause. “They’re always winning it for someone or the other,” he grumbled, recalling sayings such as “Win it for Rosie,” “Win it for Páidí,” or “Win it for Tommy”.
Recent events involving Dublin’s football scene seem to evoke these past sentiments. Memories of last July’s All-Ireland victory over Kerry are still fresh, as is the melancholic acceptance that some of Dublin’s ageing players would likely say their farewell to the sport on a high.
But as an erstwhile leading figure in this circle, I am compelled to concede that these early retirement plans may have been assumed prematurely, considering how competitive last summer was.
Despite losing the 2022 semi-final to Kerry with only a slender one-point margin due to Seán O’Shea’s extraordinary penalty, Dublin managed to bounce back in the ensuing 12 months. Key developments have included welcoming Con O’Callaghan back from injury, and seeing surprising comebacks from retirees Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion, and Stephen Cluxton.
There was also a shared aspiration to honour one of Dublin’s most celebrated and impactful players, James McCarthy, by watching him lift the Sam Maguire Cup as captain. Even with the additional ammunition, the All-Ireland final was balanced and tense till the 72nd minute.
Dublin’s prowess in pulling through nail-bitingly tense finals manifested itself once again to take them to victory.
Having had an average start to this year’s league, the team has turned a corner in the past three weeks, registering notable triumphs over Roscommon, Derry, and famously, Kerry.
As Dessie Farrell’s troops might encounter the last two teams again in the league final, it’s unwise to conclude the ongoing rivalries for this competition. However, to be fair, Dublin’s performances have, in recent weeks, eclipsed their performances in any Division One season since 2018.
A testament to this was seen last Saturday in Celtic Park, where spectators had to grapple with the revelation that Derry’s Mickey Harte had made numerous changes to his side, ultimately requiring the distribution of an updated team list as a supplementary to the match programme.
There was undeniably a feeling of confusion among those present. After all, Harte has always been a vocal supporter of taking full advantage of a year’s worth of games, much like a ‘no-holds-barred’ buffet. However, one had to agree that a few players from Derry needed time to recuperate, particularly those from Glen, the All-Ireland club champions, who had been playing relentlessly since 2023.
But why this particular match? Perhaps Harte was motivated by how lofty Derry’s spirits were following their victory against Dublin at Celtic Park the previous year, only to suffer a crushing defeat in the Division Two final a month later. It seemed sensible to slow down now and aim for the final, should his team reach that stage – a prospect that seemed more probable than not.
As for Farrell, his priorities were more difficult to discern. He sparked some surprise following the close defeat against Mayo when he casually dismissed the result.
“We strive for competitiveness in the league, but our gaze is always set on what the summer tournaments will yield. We have played in Division Two and it has proved favourable for us. We don’t plan on holding ourselves to ransom over the crucial importance of achieving Division One status.”
On Saturday, they were once more “prepping for the summer”. That being said, the team’s performance is non-disputable. They are led by the senior players. Ciarán Kilkenny was recognised as the standout player of the match on Saturday evening. His contribution to the team has consistently improved, particularly since their crucial victory against Roscommon.
He scored twice in that game, thrice against Kerry and four times at the weekend. In a previous dialogue with us, he shared light on the various responsibilities he had fulfilled.
“I enjoy taking on different roles but my most significant performances have been as an attacking player, aggressively confronting the opposition and aiming for the goal – primarily as a centre forward or full forward – closer to the goal.”
This strategy has certainly proved effective. In 2018, he was the top scorer of the championship playing from the field. The following year, he endured a slight dip in form and was briefly dropped from the team. This setback, however, seems to have motivated him to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
In the 25th minute, Eoin Murchan catalysed a crucial move by knocking the ball from Shane McGuigan’s reach near Dublin’s goal. The ball then found its way to Seán McMahon, was passed to Brian Fenton and finally to Kilkenny, who expertly put it over the bar. Fenton, remarkable throughout the match, had 33 notable interactions with the ball, three of which were relatively negative. He generated 0-3 from three launches and provided an assist.
The team’s recent series of victories closely followed the unfortunate demise of selector Shane O’Hanlon in February, a fact that Kilkenny highlighted during his Saturday accolade acceptance speech. O’Hanlon had been a precious source of motivation and faith, and the team dedicates each game of this year to him. His memory continues to inspire them both on and off the pitch.
Every one of the triumphant trio of victories, which include a powerful 10-point battering of All-Ireland finalists Kerry just over a fortnight ago (Dublin’s first league triumph against this adversary in half a dozen years), has been accompanied by a mention of the late O’Hanlon.
Ciarán Whelan, the previous All Star from Dublin and currently an RTÉ analyst, stated on Saturday that Farrell’s main hurdle could be constraining the team given their impressive performance. A problem quite different than the ones anticipated the previous July.