NIALL Ó CEALLACHÁIN’S quest to take the Dublin hurlers to ‘another level’ will be a job for both young and old, according to the new gaffer.
Ó Ceallacháin, who guided Na Fianna to the first Dublin SHC title in their history last year, has taken the county reins for a three-year term.
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He succeeds Micheál Donoghue, who has since been appointed for a second stint in charge of Galway after he vacated the post in the capital lost month.
With the exception of Pat Gilroy’s brief 2018 reign, Glasnevin man Ó Ceallacháin is the first Dub to manage the Sky Blues since Tommy Naughton departed back in 2008.
As well as contesting back-to-back All-Ireland quarter-finals under Donoghue, Dublin were runners-up to Kilkenny in this year’s Leinster final.
Ó Ceallacháin is relishing the challenge of building on that foundation, which is set to begin in earnest with a National League Division 1B campaign that will see his side face Waterford, Antrim, Offaly, Carlow, Laois and Westmeath.
His management team will include David Curtin of Ballyboden St Enda’s, Donal McGovern from Kilmacud Crokes and Na Fianna’s Nigel O’Hara.
Speaking to Dubs TV at Parnell Park, Ó Ceallacháin said: “I think we can build on what we have at the minute.
“Certainly hurling means a lot to me. It means a lot to those in the management team and it means a lot to the players.
“But it also means so much to many, many more people in Dublin and I’m looking forward to that engagement.
“I’m looking forward to, I suppose, that link to our clubs being further strengthened.
“And I’m looking forward to having big days and nights here with full actual support, be that for league games in 1B from the end of January and then leading into the round robin of the Leinster Championship as well.”
Ó Ceallacháin plans to avail of a conveyor belt of talent which looks to be in good working order based on the FIFTEEN debuts that were handed out by Donoghue during his two-year tenure.
But the new man in the hotseat also wants experienced campaigners such as Chris Crummey, 30, and Danny Sutcliffe, 32, to continue playing a part.
Crummey had an outstanding season this year at wing-back, while 2013 All-Star Sutcliffe — whose late goal against Wexford helped the Dubs to open their encouraging Leinster campaign with a draw — also remains central to the cause.
And Ó Ceallacháin explained: “There’s a huge amount of work in underage hurling in Dublin up to Under-20 and senior level that’s been done in the last few years. I would say there are a lot of opportunities there.
“There’s a playing group there and a good support structure around it that I think can drive things on to another level.
“We have a certain way of doing things and we’ll be going at those things.
“From a playing point of view, I think the ability is there. We’re going to need everybody.
“That means boys who are at the other end of it, as in late 20s, early 30s, who have been around for a good while, the likes of Chris and the likes of Danny.
“There’s then a core group in their mid-to-late 20s as well and we’re going to need all those.
“And we are looking forward certainly to bringing through a lot of the good, strong young players who have come through the minor and Under-20 set-ups over the last few years.”
