O'Callaghan bros can lead the line for Dubs, says Cuala boss O'Malley

King Con may have a pretender for the throne as 'the other O'Callaghan' shines for Cuala with 1-5 haul against Naas

Sat, 09 Nov, 2024 - 22:15

Paul Keane

Could Con O'Callaghan be joined by his younger brother Niall in a Dublin forward line in 2025?

Cuala manager Austin O'Malley believes it is a possibility after watching King Con's sibling fire the Dublin champions through to the last four of the AIB Leinster club SFC.

Full-forward Niall's 1-5 haul in Newbridge helped the Dalkey side to see off hosts Naas and he was named Man of the Match afterwards.

Farrell knows all about the 'other' O'Callaghan forward as Niall scored two goals in Farrell's very first game as Dublin senior manager, an O'Byrne Cup win over Longford at the start of 2020.

Asked if Niall could get a call from Farrell again for 2025 given his strong club form, former Mayo and Wicklow attacker O'Malley nodded.

"Well yeah, look, I wouldn't be surprised if that ever happened him," said O'Malley. "He obviously has the pedigree and the quality is there so it's probably a decision that if he ever did get a call that he'd have to make but I'm happy enough to have him here with me anyway."

Con weighed in with three important points too on a landmark evening for Cuala who will take on Tinahely of Wicklow or Offaly's Tullamore in a provincial semi-final. But Niall was most impressive under the new floodlights at Kildare's redeveloped Cedral St Conleth's Park in Newbridge.

"His worth ethic and his dropping, he was covering a lot of ground so it was a brilliant, brilliant evening," said O'Malley. "But I thought all the guys, to a man, they all stood up in different ways and that's what's needed. On different evenings and on different nights, guys will hit the scores but other guys might be foraging away around the bases and providing the ammo and dropping back and doing the unselfish things and that's what it's all about."