As the process to appoint a new Dublin senior hurling manager unfolds, the importance of finding the right person cannot be overstated.
The quality of managers taking charge of the Dubs over the past decade has been striking – Ger Cunningham, Mattie Kenny, Pat Gilroy and Micheál Donoghue were all appointments that showed the county’s ambition.
But the next supremo could be even more important.
Dublin GAA is obviously very well resourced. In the past 17 years, it has received in the region of 30% of Croke Park’s development budget, around €23m of €75m spent since the funding template was unveiled in 2007.
Despite criticism of the amount going to the capital, the argument is there that the number of GAA clubs, players and level of activity justifies that figure.
But while there has been a massive return from the county’s senior football team, the hurlers have not yet realised their potential.
With high-calibre managers like those named earlier coming on board, and with significant county board backing for hurling teams, questions remain over why the senior hurlers have contested just two Leinster finals in the past 10 years.
Dublin last won the league in 2011 and haven’t managed a Leinster SHC since Anthony Daly led them to their first in 52 years in 2013. In the past six years they have won a Leinster U20 title (2020) and one provincial minor crown (2018).
Going back further there has been no senior All-Ireland title since 1938, no minor All-Ireland since ’65 and no U-20/U-21 title (they lost a fifth final in 2020).
In an interview with RTÉ Sport late last year, former manager Humphrey Kelleher paid tribute to the passionate coaches working diligently within the capital, but suggested a change in approach was needed, to especially target children aged nine and upwards as they head towards secondary school.
“There is no quick fix here so we must ensure that our intensity, our ruthlessness, our decision-making matches the likes of St Kieran’s in Kilkenny, Coláiste Chríost Rí in Cork or Tulla in Clare,” he said.
“We are not near those people yet and unless we get there we will continue to suffer at senior level.”
Micheál Donoghue may have steered them closer to more favourable ground, but that point is moot now after he has returned to Galway.
“The appointment of Donoghue’s successor is so crucial if the Dubs are to build on his work”
It should be noted that when he took charge two years ago, Dublin were a team in transition, with about 50% of the panel unavailable for a variety of reasons.
Donoghue quickly set to work and, out of the 36 players in the squad against Kilkenny in this year’s Leinster final, 16 were brought in by him after taking charge.
While stalwarts like Danny Sutcliffe, Dónal Burke, Sean Brennan, Eoghan O’Donnell, Paddy Smyth and Chris Crummey are as important as ever, the next generation are equally crucial to Dublin’s development.
Paddy Doyle is well established, Brian Hayes impresses every time he plays, Dara Purcell and Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing look extremely promising too.
Mark Grogan, Liam Murphy, Sean Currie, Conor Donohoe and Darragh Power have all broken through, and the panel has real depth.
That’s why the appointment of Donoghue’s successor is so crucial if the Dubs are to build on his work of leading them to successive All-Ireland quarter-finals and this year’s Leinster decider.
Donoghue also refined the team’s style, fully embracing the modern game and working the ball through the lines with precise passing.
It may have come unstuck in the Leinster final defeat to Kilkenny, but it shows the faith he had in his players to deploy such intricate plays with so many inexperienced players on board.
Whoever comes in next will have a good panel who have had time to adjust to this brand. And the challenge is to try to drive on to the next level and then stay there.
Inevitably, a number of people will be linked to the position. Former U-20 manager Joe Fortune knows the Dublin scene inside out and is fresh from his spell as Westmeath senior manager.
Shane O’Brien also had time in charge of Westmeath, leading them to the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2021, and is developing players nicely for Dublin at U-20 level.
He linked up with Derek McGrath, and their team only lost the Leinster final to the eventual All-Ireland champions Offaly.
Due to his knowledge, and his development of his native Waterford – he led them to a Division 1 Allianz Hurling League title and the 2017 All-Ireland final – and holistic management of players, McGrath has frequently been linked with the Dublin hot seat and will be again this time around – also possibly as coach.
Football All-Ireland winning manager Pat Gilroy’s name is another that will be mentioned. He was in charge of the hurlers for the 2018 season before stepping away due to work commitments but remains fully in tune with the game and is currently at the helm of the St Vincent’s hurlers.
Kilkenny great Eddie Brennan is another who could come into contention.
Earlier this year, Dublin played the Cats in an U-19 Development final. In their squad, 18 different clubs were represented, some traditional hurling havens and others not so much.
In that context, the game has spread within the county, the board is generous with its backing, reputable managers have been brought in, and while the dual player dilemma will always exist in Dublin, there is much to be positive about.
That’s what makes the next move so crucial.
