Cooney: Decision to keep Dublin united vindicated

STRANGE is the hand that fate can deal.

Two days ago, Christy Cooney presented Bryan Cullen with the Sam Maguire Cup but in 2002 he was chairman of a sub-committee that recommended that Dublin be split in two for football purposes, divided by the River Liffey.

Back then, Dublin hadn’t won a Leinster senior title since 1995 and everyone was in agreement that the potential of a city with a population of 1.4 million was far from being fulfilled.

Something drastic was required but the committee’s panacea was considered too drastic. Opposition soon crystallised among the natives and the emotive proposal was eventually dropped quietly but Cooney claimed yesterday that it had served its purpose in galvanising the county and rousing what was a sleeping giant.

“That plan came about at the time when, as a committee, we felt that it was the right thing to do. What it did was it created a massive stimulus for Dublin, even if it got people’s backs up and got us into a situation of ‘we’re going to show them, we’re better as a united Dublin’.

“If it has achieved that it is great because the work that has gone on at club level in Dublin over the last 10 years has been truly phenomenal. Dublin football got its just rewards (on Sunday). They have worked very hard, strived to achieve what they have in bringing Sam back to Dublin, so the outcome for everyone has been brilliant.”

The panel of 26 that represented Dublin on the field and on the bench two days ago was made up of 17 northsiders – the county’s tradition bastion of power – but also nine from south of the river with four from Kilmacud Crokes.

How far Dublin can go from here is anyone’s guess.

The county is about to start seeing the fruits of a comprehensive development squad structure that has claimed two of the last three provincial titles at the minor and U21 grades (as well as an U21 All-Ireland) while the seniors have claimed six of seven Leinster and now Sam Maguire. It’s a long way from 2002.

“What this gives them now is the momentum to continue to strengthen the game and, with hurling on the upswing as well, Dublin are going to take some beating in the next couple of years,” said Cooney.

Managers, players and fans around the country may groan at the thought of a blue behemoth lording it over the playing fields for the foreseeable future but the potential benefits of such a scenario for the GAA are impossible to overstate.

As the Leinster Council has found from gate receipts at Croke Park, it is in everyone’s interests that the Dubs do well.

“The spin-offs could be remarkable,” said Cooney. “We have a population of one and a half million people and I believe the atmosphere around Dublin (on Sunday night) was incredible. That is great to see. The amazing thing about it was to see so many grown men and women cry after they won.”