Flynn won’t let odds spoil dream of a Sunday in September

THE field of dreams, that’s Croke Park, to Dublin senior hurling captain Kevin Flynn.

Played there last year in an All-Ireland qualifier against Offaly, lost; played there again last Sunday, in the Leinster quarter-final against Westmeath, won.

That victory qualified Dublin for another Croker trip, this weekend: as complete underdogs against Offaly in the Leinster semi-final.

Rare outings to GAA headquarters for a local lad weaned on tales of the place, and all the more welcome for that, but still, a long way from what he really wants. September, second Sunday, All-Ireland final. "Unfortunately, I can only dream of playing there in front of 80,000 people, that would be fun. But, you never know."

More outlandish things have happened in sport than the prospect of Dublin hurlers reaching an All-Ireland senior hurling final: Buster Douglas knocking out the invincible Mike Tyson in his animal prime and Denmark winning the European Championship after being invited in as last-minute replacements.

More locally, there was the recent shock Leinster quarter-final senior football wins of Westmeath over Dublin, Wexford over Kildare; the even greater shock of Wexford's Leinster hurling semi-final last-second toppling of champions Kilkenny. All of this gives hope to the Dublin captain.

"Yeah, a lot of upsets going around. A week ago, the prospect for this game was, beat Offaly, and we have to beat Kilkenny in the Leinster final. Now the incentive is beat Offaly and we don't have to beat Kilkenny. Offaly will be going in as hot favourites and they probably should be, they have a lot more experience than us at this level of the championship, down the years. We'll see what happens."

For too many people Dublin hurling is a contradiction in terms, but the reality is Dublin have very little chance of beating Offaly who will have been galvanised by Wexford's success.

In the closing minutes of last Sunday's win over Westmeath, Dublin lost their most inspiration player, Conal Keaney, to a straight red card for a silly reflexive indiscretion, a huge blow. Offaly, meanwhile, have announced a full-strength team. Still, slim as it may be, this does represent an opportunity for Dublin hurling to assert itself and they have stayed in the Leinster championship for longer than their far more high-profile football brethren.

"Yeah, a chance to promote the game, if we can get a win on Sunday, the profile of Dublin hurling will go through the roof. We won't have major support there this weekend, though hopefully we'll get most of the neutrals coming in for the Laois/Meath football game. Dublin hurling support has never been huge, in honesty, and probably won't be unless we win an All-Ireland, like Clare and Wexford.

"But if we can win this, then there's the Leinster final, against Wexford, that's a prospect to savour. And we've already played them this year and won, in the Walsh Cup, beat Offaly as well, in the League."