McCarthy grateful Dubs party nearly over

DUBLIN may be the capital city but it’s a small one by European standards and the county’s footballers have begun to realise that in the wake of their first All-Ireland senior football title in 16 years.

Demands have been endless. Those squad members who turned up at the Ballinteer St John’s clubhouse last week were struck by an atmosphere that matched the fervour and excitement of the days following the final victory over Kerry.

Wing-back James McCarthy reckons he has visited 20 schools around Ballymun, Finglas and Glasnevin in the space of two or three days while book and DVD launches have added to the hectic social schedule. No one is complaining but there is the sense that you can have too much of a good thing, and maybe one of relief as well, as management and players looked forward to yesterday’s flight to the Cayman Islands and the USA for a two-week team holiday.

“I was a bit shocked at how big [the celebrations] were,” McCarthy admitted. “It took me by surprise how big it was for a couple of weeks afterwards. You were getting calls to do this and do that, go to this school and that one.

“The week after, especially, you were on cloud nine but a couple of weeks after it was like, ‘I just want to play football’. I was actually delighted to go back and play club for a while.”

McCarthy may be eager to play but he is less eager to train. His father, John, who won three All-Irelands with Dublin, has been asking him regularly when the leg work starts for 2012 but no one is looking forward to more 6am sessions at Albert College. That isn’t to say that hunger will be an issue. Every last one of Pat Gilroy’s squad has talked up their appetite levels and none more so than McCarthy.

A graduate of the All-Ireland-winning U21 side, the Ballymun Kickhams defender only made his championship debut against Laois in the Leinster quarter-final and has been bitten by that winning bug.

“You get a taste for it. I want more. From talking to other fellas, they want to go again too. They always say that good teams win one and great teams win a couple so that’s what we’re aiming for.”

His eagerness to keep playing with club and college was admirable but ultimately ill-advised as it led to a hamstring injury and an enforcedabsence that will limit his preparations before training resumes in the new year.

Gilroy is in an enviable position as January approaches. Dublin are not short of experience, with players such as the Brogans, Barry Cahill and Stephen Cluxton, but none of the squad are near their sell-by-date.

Competition for places has already been increased by the manager’s industrious style of play and heavy reliance on the bench and those with Celtic Crosses in their pockets will be looking over their shoulders this year at Dublin’s new crop of underage stars

“You do need to inject a bit of freshness into it,” said McCarthy. “I’d say there’ll be a couple of the minors there from this year. Three or four of them. A couple of lads that played 21, I’d say they’d be ready for it as well. I’d say Dean Rock. He’s been very unlucky with injury the last year-and-a-half but he’s a fine player. Johnny Cooper as well. He’s a good footballer. Nickey Devereaux, Sean Murray as well. Dublin is full of good footballers. There’s lots to pick from.”