Conor Burke: Dublin hurlers progressing but missed opportunity to beat Cork

Donoghue stood down despite initially indicating that he would remain as manager of the Leinster finalists for 2025 and has been naturally linked with the vacancy in his native Galway.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Conor Burke (St. Vincent’s) says Dublin missed an opportunity to beat Cork. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Dublin midfielder Conor Burke reckons they made clear progress during Micheal Donoghue's two-year spell, pointing to their All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Cork as an 'opportunity missed'.

Donoghue subsequently stood down despite initially indicating that he would remain as manager of the Leinster finalists for 2025 and has been naturally linked with the vacancy in his native Galway.

Burke said that Donoghue, the All-Ireland Galway winning manager of 2017, was essentially 'rebuilding from scratch' with the Sky Blues due to a 'huge turnover of players' during his two years as manager.

But midfielder Burke is satisfied that progress was made with a landmark win over Henry Shefflin's Galway in this year's Leinster SHC helping to secure a final clash with Kilkenny.

The Cats beat Dublin comfortably though eventual All-Ireland runners-up Cork had just five points to spare on the Dubs at the quarter-final stage in June, with wides and missed chances costing Donoghue's men who finished strongly in that encounter.

"Every time you lose a game you think it's an opportunity missed because you only get a finite number of opportunities," said Burke of the loss to Cork.

"I think we lost by five or six and if you tot up the number of wides we had from scorable chances in play and frees, of course you'd be disappointed but that's part of sport.

"You're always going to have times where you have a certain number of wides or a certain number of should haves or could haves, you just need to find a way to allow for them and to still find a way to win."

Brian Howard (Raheny), Claire Gannon (St. Jude’s), Conor Burke (St. Vincent’s) and Kate Sullivan (St. Sylvester’s) are pictured with Go-Ahead Ireland Managing Director Dervla McKay, Marketing Manager Adam Harvey and Bus Driver Ronnie Lynam at the Go-Ahead Dublin GAA Club Championships 2024 media event. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Burke was a key figure in Donoghue's teams, starting 23 of the 24 league and Championship games that the Clarinbridge man presided over in 2023 and 2024.

It remains to be seen now who replaces Donoghue with Burke's clubmate, Pat Gilroy, who previously managed the Dublin hurlers in 2018 a preferred candidate among many supporters.

Gilroy, who guided Dublin to All-Ireland football success in 2011 and who played a significant backroom team role in the 2023 win, is currently managing the St Vincent's senior hurling team.

"It's really hard to know," said Burke of Gilroy's situation.

"Pat has so many things going on in his own life, work related, and that was the reason he stepped away in 2018 so I'm not 100 percent sure of where he's at and what his commitments look like outside of sport.

"The club scene is probably not as time consuming as the inter-county scene. We'll see, I suppose time will tell."

Without Gilroy this year, the Dublin footballers fell at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage. So football manager Dessie Farrell could potentially be enquiring about his services for the new season too.

There aren't too many of those sorts of figures in the game, who could slip seamlessly into key positions in high functioning management teams in both codes.

"I think he was probably known after his All-Ireland win in 2011 for being football primarily but Pat follows hurling very closely and has a great knowledge himself," said Burke.

"Some elements of his managerial style are transferable between both codes but he also has that knowledge of both as well."

Burke himself didn't lose any face in defeat to Cork back in June, scoring four points from play, and it's been said to him a few times since that he had his strongest season yet after moving out of defence to midfield.

"I don't necessarily think so," said the 26-year-old who scored in all seven of Dublin's Championship games this year, tallying 1-18.

"I probably scored more this year so maybe got more attention that way but I feel personally that I was contributing to games as much as I was when I was centre-back."

Burke will be back for another season. Thirtysomethings Danny Sutcliffe and Chris Crummey may consider their positions but, on the whole, it's a relatively young group.

"It's important that we have everyone back and then hopefully some more lads to keep everyone honest and pushing on as well," said Burke.

* Dublin hurler Conor Burke was speaking at a Go-Ahead Dublin club championships media event. Go-Ahead will remain a partner of Dublin GAA until 2026.