McAvoy keen to keep Dublin on learning curve

AS Dublin hurling has sought to climb up the national ladder, they have looked to outside experts for guidance.

Anthony Daly’s All-Ireland winning credentials with Clare have made him a natural figurehead while Richard Stakelum and Vincent Teehan have brought Tipperary and Offaly influences to the party. At U21 level, that trend has continued. John McAvoy may not be a headline act but the Laois man has quietly worked away in guiding the county to tomorrow’s Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling final against Galway.

“I’ve been teaching in Dublin for the last ten years and I got involved with the Dublin colleges hurling teams. Vinnie (Teehan) and myself were involved with the 2006 team that won the All-Ireland. With the success of the colleges in 2006 I got involved with the U21 team after that. Ciarán Barr was in charge and then later on there was Richie (Stakelum).

“So I was a coach and a selector there for two years. It has been agradual graph rather than a spectacular graph I can tell you! One of the things that has happened with the squads from minor right through to U21 has been continuity. There is continuity there between the U21’s and the seniors again. That is something that we have tried to encourage.”

McAvoy works as a teacher in the Marianne College in Ballsbridge.

Despite being domiciled in Dublin, he has maintained links with his roots in Laois. Having played U21 for the county, McAvoy was on the Laoispanel during Paudie Butler’s time in charge in 2003 yet his career highlight came at club level when he was part of the Clough-Ballacolla squad that bridged an 81-year gap when claiming the Laois senior title in 2009. Now he has more silverware on his mind with the Dublin U21’s who enter this game on the back of thumping Antrim in the semi-final whereas Galway endured a rigorous test againstLimerick.

“It would be a small concern”, admits McAvoy. “Certainly against Antrim we felt they would have been a greater challenge. It didn’t happen on the day and certainly in the second-half we pulled away from them. But it is always great to be in a final. You don’t take it for granted because it is so hard to get there.”