It’s hard to be sure exactly why, but there’s something intoxicating about the idea of Pat Gilroy as Dublin hurling manager.
An enticing curiosity. You know, this is a man who so successfully changed Dublin football culture to the point that a punch-line county became serial knockout champions. Certainly, he started what Jim Gavin has since taken on.
Gilroy, who had had just stepped out of club football as a player, had no management background when he was installed in late 2008, but from nowhere turned out to be the answer. Why can’t he do so again?
There’s every chance he will. So celebrated is he for his ability to put in structures and change culture, he might indeed be the man to right the ship after three years of underachievement. He is a man with experience, and he knows what it takes. If that sounds vague, it’s because it is; we don’t quite know how this was translate to a different sport.
So here are the issues. He took over as Dublin football manager having known every club player in the county through playing in the local championship. This time, having been in and out of the country due to work in recent years, he is coming into the other code without that same benefit. Gilroy maybe have kept a close eye on the county hurlers under Ger Cunningham and Anthony Daly before him, but does he know every player in the county? Does he understand the traits of a sticksman? Maybe so; but more likely not.
The issue being that Gilroy may need time to get to know what he has, how they work, what else is out there, and what’s coming through. Not to mention evaluating all of this through the eyes of a hurling manager. Of course he will have good people around him who know the lay of the land, but these are challenges in terms of hitting the ground running. At inter-county level, you don’t get time to bed in.
Back to the idea that Gilroy improves the culture. Perhaps he will, but certainly there is very little evidence that this group of hurlers are anything less than wholehearted. They have been operating without a growing number of star names in the past year or more, who he must reintegrate smoothly, yet the performances of those who remained were committed.
Case in point was March 26 this past season: a 14-man Dub side gave a courageous performance in a seven-point league loss to Kilkenny. They lacked in quality but that day they died with their boots on. Player after player went down with cramp, such was the effort. Crucially, Gilroy is not trying to pull together a discordant rabble, or a bunch of spice boys.
The raw materials are there too. I got into a row last week when I suggested that Dublin arguably have the best six backs in the country, and that they just need to bring back — or develop — a couple of forwards and midfield options. So what of those defenders? Cian O’Callaghan, Eoghan O’Donnell, Shane Barrett, Sean Moran, Liam Rushe, Chris Crummey — an impressive selection in anyone’s book.
Midfield was an issue last year, and injuries didn’t help, while the forward line was very light in terms of physical stature and depth. Little surprise the ball didn’t stick upfront. It’s Gilroy’s challenge to tempt back the likes of Danny Sutcliffe, Mark Schutte, Paul Ryan and co for 2018. If he can, 2017’s also-ran could become a threat once more.
Bottom line: Gilroy doesn’t have the hurling CV that was offered by Mattie Kenny. As much as this appointment of a true blue is a seductive one, there is a leap of faith involved.
Anthony Cunningham was spotted in Parnell Park on Sunday for the quarter-final double-header featuring Na Fianna v Kilmacud Crokes and St Vincent’s v Craobh, and he is thought to be part of the new ticket. After spending four years over Galway plotting the Dubs’ downfall, it will be interesting to see what reception he gets. Indeed, if he is confirmed as a coach, what style he will look to develop? The hope is that his track record of winning Leinster and leading Galway to two All-Ireland finals bodes well.
Hurling has lost the battle with football in the county, without a doubt. There have been a few victories in terms of dual stars but Ciaran Kilkenny, Cormac Costello, Eric Lowndes, and Con O’Callaghan are unquantifiable losses. Even Gilroy’s clubmate Diarmuid Connolly, so impressive for Vin’s in the Dublin SHC, would add to the hurlers. Can Gilroy make any inroads?
Because no doubt he is an ambitious man who will want every quality player possible in his arsenal. Jim Gavin sits in the king’s chair in Dublin, but the old king has returned. Will Gilroy also want the St Clare’s training base that he first developed for the footballers? It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and if there are any power struggles in terms of resources.
So what does the near future hold? Galway had a steely focus throughout 2017 and, other than Tipperary and Waterford to some degree, they looked unbeatable. It remains to be seen how comfortably success sits with them, and how well they come back next season.
Just as we know Tipp struggle to bring the same fire for consecutive seasons, might the Tribe be the same? If that’s the case, and a reassembled Dublin improve as they should, then Leinster is a realistic target. After all, it’s only four years since the Dubs eviscerated Galway to lift the Bob O’Keeffe Cup.
The new provincial format means that Gilroy will have plenty of championship games to learn from, and he will have a forgiving league schedule in Division 1B. Confidence should be brimming by the time the sod hardens and the likes of Kilkenny come to town.
The key point is this: Gilroy needs to maximise resources. He has been brought in largely because he supposedly will get everything into place. The best players, the best backroom team, the best of everything. The notion of Gilroy as hurling manager is tantalising, but now he needs to show us why.
If he doesn’t hit the ground running, the question will be asked of the county board: why was a football man appointed? An intriguing appointment.
This article was brought to you in association with Bord Gáis Energy, putting you at the core of the action of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior and U-21 Championships – keep up to date and follow #HurlingToTheCore
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