Cian O’Sullivan eyes Dublin return in All-Ireland final

“I’ve heard that before,” says Cian O’Sullivan, when gently reminded he’s one of only three Dublin players to feature in all seven of their All-Ireland final wins from 2011 on – along with James McCarthy and Stephen Cluxton.

“It’s a nice reference point, and to be mentioned in the company of those two lads at any time is really nice, but it’s not something that really motivates me or drives me.

“That bubble we have within the team, trying to be the absolute best that we can be, to sustain that and be consistent is what really drives me and motivates me to be part of that. To get involved and to be on the 26, or to play some part, it’s a massive motivator.”

No more or less it seems for Saturday’s latest final showdown against Mayo: O’Sullivan hasn’t yet featured in any of Dublin’s four championship matches this winter, and didn’t make the matchday 26 for the semi-final win over Cavan.

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“I just had a couple of niggling injuries that have held back me being available for selection, the body is feeling good now though, trained fully this week and yeah, I’m good to go.

Driven

“So in a strange way I’m used to it, which is possibly a good thing, I know what I need to do. I know what’s worked for me in the past, what’s not worked for me but I’m feeling really good now and we’ve got a couple of training sessions between now and the final and I’m just hoping to partake fully in them and to put myself in a position to be involved.

“The way I’m feeling now about Saturday, I’m extremely motivated and driven for this final and I guess that’s the secret sauce of the team, we have that environment that brings out that motivation in everyone.”

At age 32, he’s not yet considering retirement either (Cluxton will turn 40 next year), but whether or not he features on Saturday, he’s in line to collect his eighth All-Ireland medal, suddenly up there with some of the Kerry greats such as Páidí Ó Sé and Pat Spillane, the county where his father was born.

Could be ever have imagined that? “No, no, I honestly, and I’m not just saying it because it’s what you should, but I honestly don’t [think about it], even All-Irelands and other accolades that I’ve won in the past, they don’t really register, because it’s not what the team is trying to do. We’re so involved in the team right now that your mind doesn’t even go there.”

Daughter’s birth

The birth of his daughter Bonnie, who turned eight months last week, puts O’Sullivan in another rare position, as one of only two fathers on the Dublin panel; everything about the year and what Covid-19 brought with it has added some further appreciation of that fatherhood.

“Rory O’Carroll has a young baby, and I think that’s it. Rory and I would talk about how teething and talking and all that sort of stuff is going on. But we’re in a minority there. Yeah, it’s just me and Rory.

“The one blessing of Covid is that I’ve been working at home a lot more than I normally would have been. So I have had that time at home to be a dad and to be there. I honestly would see how difficult it is had it been a normal year, being gone to work early in the morning, like I’d generally be gone out the door at half 7 so I wouldn’t see her in the morning and then if you’re training that evening you’re not getting home until 9 or half 9, so the whole day is gone.

“If you’re doing that three or four times a week it’s pretty limited time that you’re getting with your new child. I could see that being quite difficult in any other circumstances. A plus side of Covid for me has been that that hasn’t been the case.”