Past lives on in Kingdom
He had shown the same clips to his players on becoming manager. He did this to illustrate the county had played high quality football down through the generations and they had a reputation to maintain.
Tradition means a whole pile to Gavin and he is an immensely proud Dubliner.
His knowledge of the sport never mind the game is vast.
However, when it comes to the past experienced by his players he maintains it’s irrelevant in the context of what they are doing now. Before the Leinster semi-final, he said of the counties’ previous meetings: “From the Dublin perspective, any of the games that have been played are firmly in the rear view mirror.”
It’s a sentiment he has repeated a number of times this year. Prior to the provincial final meeting with Meath, he said: “As a manager and as players, we are not looking back at what happened in the past. That is completely outside of our control.”
Gavin’s stance is understandable especially as he has several young players in his ranks, a number of whom only made their first championship starts either this season or last.
But what happens when a recent previous meeting means so much to the opposition? Kerry, unlike Dublin, could field as many as 12 of the team who suffered at the foot of Stephen Cluxton.
Whatever about their hurt, there is also the pain that was inflicted on management, including selector Diarmuid Murphy who was on the line with Jack O’Connor that day.
And then there’s the manager himself. In these pages the morning after the 2011 All-Ireland final, then columnist Eamonn Fitzmaurice wrote with a brutal honesty about Dublin’s last gasp victory.
“When my parents’ generation explained to me about Seamus Darby’s goal in 1982, I never quite got it. I never got the crystal clear recollections of that day, the tears and the sorrow.
“I understood what a disappointment it was but never managed to understand the emotional baggage that went with it. Now I understand.
“Yesterday’s defeat is my generation’s Darby moment. I am heartbroken, but most of all I’m heartbroken for (captain) Colm Cooper.”
There may be an argument that if it was truly the Darby moment of Fitzmaurice’s generation then Kerry will belie their underdog status this Sunday and set up a final date with Mayo. That five-in-a-row denying goal in 1982 inspired several of that glittering group of Kingdom footballers to extend their careers and claim more Celtic Crosses.
Since then, Tom O’Sullivan, Tommy Griffin, Seamus Scanlon and Mike Quirke have retired, but there could be as many as a dozen of the 2011 starting team who could start in five days’ time, a testament to their longevity as much as Fitzmaurice’s persuasive powers. Dublin, on the other hand, might only have nine.
However, they could have seven of the “startled earwigs” who were stunned by Kerry in the 2009 quarter-final. As much as Gavin may like to overlook the impact of previous meetings, the words of warning from those involved in that game may be the best words of advice imparted on their younger team-mates.
Much like now, Dublin enter a game where they are heavily fancied to beat Kerry. In 2009, some of the confidence they exuded in the press in the build-up was picked up on by a few of their opponents.
The same happened in the 1978 All-Ireland final when the reigning champions fell flat on their faces, so it wouldn’t be remiss were Gavin himself to introduce a lesson to this week’s curriculum based on just how poorly Dublin handle the favourites tag when facing their favourite rivals.
History means more to this collection of Kerry players. Because they have made more of it. Because recent events against Dublin have affected them more. Revenge may be one of the basest of motivations, but never dismiss it.
Rob Hennelly couldn’t have dreamed of a better return to the Mayo panel never mind team — but will he be in the Mayo goal for next month’s All-Ireland final?
It’s a question that will be asked quite a lot in the county over the next four weeks, a gap which will provide David Clarke and Kenneth O’Malley more opportunities to stake their claim after missing out on the majority of the summer through injury. After leaving the panel of his own volition last year, Hennelly was working in his uncle’s pub in Claremorris in July when he got a call from James Horan.
We spoke to him back in May for a Championship preview piece about free-taking goalkeepers and on Sunday he punted over one Stephen Cluxton would have been proud of. He himself had tried his hand at finding the posts in 2011 but with mixed results. He said in May: “In hindsight, I was young and it was a great buzz to get up and taking frees and 45s especially when you scored the odd one but I wouldn’t do it again unless I spent a lot more time practicing them.”
His understanding with his Breaffy team-mates, the O’Sheas, in midfield is a massive asset and but for Colm McFadden thunderbolt of a consolation has not been beaten in the nets.
However, will it be enough to convince Horan to keep faith in him or does the manager run the risk of trying to fix something that is not broken?
Hawk-Eye has future beyond Croke Park.
Hawk-Eye has divided opinion in recent days but Saturday’s All-Ireland U21 semi-final between Clare and Galway showed not only does the technology have a future in the GAA, but it must be extended beyond Croke Park.
It didn’t matter in the end because Clare were just too good, but the scoreline should have read a point less for the Banner after one of Diarmuid Kirwan’s umpires incorrectly adjudged Shane O’Donnell’s effort had split the posts.
Saturday turned out to be a day of inaccuracies in Semple Stadium as the form book was embarrassed by Antrim and Clare’s man of the match David McInerney mistakenly believed in a TG4 interview afterwards that Wexford had won the first semi-final.
Motivation for Antrim on September 14?
Perhaps but he apologised immediately afterwards and it should be left at that.
