Gilroy gamble pays off

ONE of the three men central to Pat Gilroy’s appointment as Dublin boss admitted yesterday that the decision to go with the managerial rookie was a huge gamble — but one that has since paid off in spades.

Gilroy was given the nod in October of 2008 after Kevin Heffernan, who instigated the Dublin revival in the 1970s, Robbie Kelleher and 1995 All-Ireland winning manager Pat O’Neill conducted a sweep of possible contenders to replace Paul Caffrey.

Kelleher, who was a mainstay of Heffernan’s storied team, joked that he was in hospital having a hip operation when the final decision was made but agreed that Gilroy’s candidacy was somewhat unexpected.

“He came out of the blue, to be frank. Heffernan knew him well... he made the suggestion, we met him and we were just very impressed.”

Gilroy has continued to earn high marks since, not just by taking Dublin to an All-Ireland final for the first time in 16 years, but in the manner in which he has dispensed with some of the overt public gestures that had become customary under Caffrey.

“I have to say that I am very impressed with the discipline and focus he has brought to his players. He has taken away a lot of the nonsense, this nonsense of paying tribute to the Hill and kissing the badge, that carry on.

“They just look to be very focused. The won the last day and they won against Tyrone and yet they just walked straight off the pitch. There was none of this walking down to the Hill.”

Brian Mullins was the clear front runner three years ago but Gilroy’s name wasn’t even being quoted by the bookmakers as a rank outsider even after the UCD Director of Sport removed himself from the race.

Gilroy’s playing career had only ended six months earlier when he won an All-Ireland Club title with St Vincent’s and, though he was a playing sub when Dublin claimed Sam Maguire in 1995, he wasn’t high profile by any means.

“It was a gamble. He is a successful businessman, not that that necessarily makes a good football manager. But you could clearly see his skills in management in what he said and proposed and we thought he was worth a shot.

“He had his difficulties in his first year and at the start of last year when it looked like he was going to go out in the first round against Wexford but I just think that he has done a great job and brought great focus.”

Meanwhile, Jack O’Shea believes Paul Galvin must start for Kerry in this year’s All-Ireland final and the Kerry legend is convinced Jack O’Connor will start with the Finuge man.

Galvin started the quarter-final win against Limerick but played no part in the Munster final against Cork and has featured off the bench in Kerry’s three other championship fixtures during an injury-ravaged summer.

“I would start Paul Galvin,” said O’Shea in Dublin yesterday. “He showed when he came in against Mayo he has the ability and, talent-wise, he should be on the team. Unfortunately, the player who might lose out is Donnacha Walsh again. He was left out of two teams in the All-Ireland final before. It could happen again.”