Gilroy’s Royal fear

The Dublin footballers do not have to look far for someone to explain to them the challenges that face a team attempting to reclaim their All-Ireland crown.

As a player, Pat Gilroy experienced it at first hand in 1996 when Dublin fell short in retaining their title. As a manager, he is now suitably informed ahead of Sunday’s Leinster opener with Louth.

“Meath came out of the blue to beat us and the lesson is anyone can come and do you,” recalls Gilroy. “My memories of it were maybe celebrations drifted on a bit long, we went on holidays after Christmas that year and when we came back in January or February we were in the worst shape we had been in for five years. Maybe some of the more established guys were cutting corners, but there were young lads there like Ciarán Whelan, Ian Robertson, Paddy Christie and they were pushing hard.”