Dublin aiming to build on momentum

FOR a brief spell over the off-season, it looked like the balance of power between football and hurling in the capital might tilt in the latter code’s favour.

For donkey’s years, the flow of personnel between the two inter-county squads had been one-way traffic but there were tentative suggestions of a more equal cross-pollination over the winter months.

Shane Ryan spread the first seed by handing in his P45 to Pat Gilroy and crossing the threshold to join the hurlers and the word on the street was that Conal Keaney, the Prodigal Son, was about to follow suit.