Christy O'Connor Talking Points: Niall Ó Ceallacháin driven by detail on mission to lift Dublin hurling

Dublin boss Niall Ó Ceallacháin has built his managerial career on that approach of establishing the framework and culture and then getting the best people around him to maximise potential.

LOOKING FORWARD: Niall Ó Ceallacháin during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B match between Dublin and Down. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile.

When Niall Ó Ceallacháin was first appointed Dublin manager in the autumn of 2024, his life had never been more hectic. Along with steering Na Fianna to maiden Leinster and All-Ireland club titles, Ó Ceallachain moved house, while he and his wife Sarah had their first child, Alfie.

All the while, especially with the country in the midst of a housing crisis, Ó Ceallacháin was stretched in his job as CEO with Clúid, one of Ireland’s largest providers of social and affordable homes. He managed a stock of over 12,000 in 2024. Chief Financial Officer with GOAL Global for nine years before he joined Cliúid in 2022, Ó Ceallacháin had become more than adept at keeping all the books balanced.