‘Culchies’ playing big part in Dublin resurgence

IT’S almost unfortunate Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh isn’t commentating on Sunday’s Allianz HL Division 1 final. He would have been in his element reciting the native counties of the Dublin players’ parents.

He’d have had fun with a few of them. Tomás Brady and Dáire Plunkett, their fathers from Cavan... Shane Durkan, with family hailing from Mayo and Longford... none of them a hurling stronghold.

How the same expression might have applied to Dublin only a few years ago, but not any more.

The impression left on Anthony Daly’s team by non-Dublin counties is an indelible one.

Apart from the domiciled Dubs in Niall Corcoran (Galway), Ryan O’Dwyer (Tipperary) and Maurice O’Brien (Limerick), the country lineage in the Dublin team runs strong.

A little bit of research would reveal goalkeeper Gary Maguire (Westmeath), Oisín Gough (Waterford), Conal Keaney (Galway) and David O’Callaghan (Cork) all have “culchie” blood in their veins.

Tipperary has had by far the biggest influence on the team with no less than five members having either a first or second generation connection with the Premier County.

While Ryan O’Dwyer is a Cashel man, his namesake’s father Declan is Clonoulty-born while the Ryans, Shane and Paul, also have Tipperary-born fathers. Then there’s Joey Boland, whose mother comes from Lorrha.

And that’s without mentioning selector, Richie Stakelum, he of the famous “the famine is over” refrain from Killarney in 1987.

Before taking up his position with Pfizer, the former Tipperary captain taught in the capital for 12 years spreading the gospel in Tallaght where a hurley was as alien to people as a TV to an Amazonian tribe.

“There has always been a lot of country influence in GAA in Dublin and that’s no surprise considering the GAA has long been more of a rural phenomenon than an urban one,” said Stakelum.

“But with more jobs available in Dublin more country people have settled in the capital.

“It goes back to the 1940s. I remember my own uncle Pat telling me of the Wednesday and Thursday afternoons in the Phoenix Park when there were games of such quality and with so many of the best hurlers based in Dublin they might as well have been inter-county fixtures.

“Country teachers have brought the game to Dublin more and more and it’s even stronger now with the likes of Richie Hogan and Cha Fitzpatrick teaching here.”

As Ballyboden St Enda’s coaching officer Brian O’Regan recalled: “Years ago, the fathers would be playing hurling in Dublin, just not for Dublin. But now they see how good things are, they know their sons will be given every chance to develop into top hurlers.”

Stakelum can only agree: “A young fella coming through now has a choice to make.

“Following a career in hurling is a lot more attractive than in the past and you’ve seen with Conal Keaney and Shane Ryan that the ball is beginning to roll the other way in terms of from football to hurling.

The proof in the pudding is Sunday. Country made but definitely Dublin nurtured.