The memory that keeps the Dubs in check

Memories of how Dublin supporters took out their frustrations on the team’s bus after his championship debut keep Cian O’Sullivan’s feet firmly on the ground.

The defender has won four All-Ireland titles in six seasons but thoughts of the 2009 All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Kerry keep him in check.

“Where do you go, yeah, it’s a bit humiliating,” he recalls of the 17-point defeat. “It was a harsh reality check in that leaving the stadium we were booed. On the bus out of the stadium, there was people coming up and rocking the bus and banging on the bus and roaring and shouting in at the players and stuff. It wasn’t a nice experience.”

After a “pathetic” performance, O’Sullivan could in a way understand their frustration.

“Well, now, it wasn’t toppling over or anything...when you’re driving out after games there’s still loads of people on the streets and, yeah, there were a few disgruntled fans.

“Wherever you go, like, fans are very passionate. They’re passionate when they win, which is great, and equally when you lose and when you turn up and have a pathetic performance like that, like we did, they’re going to be annoyed so that’s just par for the course.

“Thankfully going forward, in 2010, we had a strong season and an even stronger season in 2011. We obviously didn’t let it impact us or deter us from our goal. We thought going into that game in 2009 that we were flying. By all reports, we were so I guess it was good learning in that you don’t listen to the externals.

“You kind of have to look in the mirror and that’s your reality there.”

Dublin have a chance next year to become the first three-in-a-row team since Kerry in 1986 but O’Sullivan insists the margins between them and the chasing pack are tight.

“There have been fantastic players who played for Dublin over the last 10 or 20 years and some of them don’t have any All-Irelands, Ciaran Whelan unfortunately for him being the most infamous example.

“So for me, personally, I definitely appreciate that fact. I’m very conscious of that fact.

“Yes, success is very short-lived, people have very short memories. We’re put up on this pedestal as being world-beaters at times but we were taken to a replay in the semi-final last year and another replay this year.

“Three of the four All-Ireland finals we’ve won in recent years have only been by a point so there’s not much between us and the other teams despite what might appear to be the case looking from the outside in.”

Apart from beating Mayo in the replay, O’Sullivan’s highlight from the season was a social night the group had in The Blue Light pub in Sandyford between their Division 1 final win over Kerry and Leinster opener against Laois.

“We loaded up a bus and went up the Dublin mountains, had a barbeque up there at a pub. Just stayed there for the night. Had a couple of drinks, bit of a sing-song. That was a stand-out moment for me. We had a great time. Those kind of opportunities are few and far between where it’s just the team and the backroom team.”