This summer Dublin won a ninth Leinster title in 10 years and by a considerable margin. Even in Kevin Heffernan’s day the haul was just seven out of 10. The provincial championship isn’t considered particularly competitive any more.
Tomorrow afternoon sees the AIB Leinster club football final in Navan. Dublin champions St Vincent's are defending the All-Ireland title. For Offaly opponents Rhode, it will be a fourth final in nine years and so far without success.
Dublin clubs are however beginning to dominate Leinster – if not to the same degree as the county team. Six of the last nine and five of the last seven provincial championships have been won by clubs from the capital and in those seven years the county has won three club All-Irelands and reached the final of another.
To what extent is the club championship following the same course as the intercounty one?
Paul Curran has a wide knowledge of the club championships. The former Texaco footballer of the year and Dublin All-Ireland winner also played in a club final with Thomas David and two seasons ago managed Ballymun Kickhams to the same level where they lost narrowly to Roscommon champions St Brigids.
He believes that Vincent’s are an exceptional case.
“They’ve done something unique in the county – well, UCD did it but among the ordinary clubs. Not only did they win Dublin, Leinster and the All-Ireland but they’ve gone on to win Dublin again and get back to the provincial final. They’re unbeaten since 2012. We were the last team to beat them – by a point and they were unlucky.
“The standard in Dublin has a bit to do with it as well and the structures. Division One is very, very competitive. You have 16 teams and they mightn’t all be able to win the county title but if you’re not right on the day they’ll beat you so you have to be focused every time you go out.
Were relegated
“A couple of years ago Kilmacud won the All-Ireland and were relegated the next year; Brigids too. It’s incredibly difficult to compete and I think it’s a lot harder to win several titles than in some other counties, for instance Portlaoise in Laois, ST Brigid’s in Roscommon and Crossmaglen.
“That sets the bar high so a team like Ballymun can come out after 27 years and nearly go all the way.”
Vincent’s are treading an uncertain path in one respect. Only Crossmaglen Rangers (twice) and UCD (40 years ago) have managed to put All-Ireland titles back to back.
The perception that Rhode’s potential may have seen better days is disputed by the man who saw them close up in last month’s semi-finals.
Luke Dempsey has managed three county teams, Westmeath, Carlow and Longford, and had charge of Kildare's Moorefield side, who were favourites to win even after a number of injuries to key players.
“Rhode were very good against us,” says Dempsey, “and also against St Pat’s and O’Mahonys in the previous matches. They’ve brought in newer players like the McPadden brothers and Glenn O’Connell but they have experience with Alan McNamee, who was outstanding against us at midfield, and Niall McNamee and Anton O’Sullivan up front, who are incredibly dangerous.
“They also play a clever style of football and try to get the ball up to them as quickly as possible. They’re a parish team and they epitomise everything that’s great about the club championship. There’ll be a great atmosphere.”
He also feels concerns about the domination of the city clubs are premature.
“If Vincent’s do win by a big margin it does beg the question about Dublin domination at inter-county level in Leinster extending to the club championship. There are a lot of players from other counties working and living in Dublin and playing for clubs there.
“But it’s a bit early to get panicky about that. Over the past 12 months Garrycastle and Portlaoise have both been competitive against Vincent’s.
Trump card
The Dublin champions’ own attack is their trump card according to Curran, who thinks that Vincent’s’ collective success in this area has been overshadowed by the presence of footballer of the year candidate Diarmuid Connolly.
“They’re a very good team and probably aren’t getting the credit, bounding along winning matches. Coming out of Parnell Park you can hear people saying, ‘ah, Diarmuid Connolly and Mossy Quinn didn’t play that well’. But that means that they’ve been getting by without their biggest players playing to their maximum.
“One of their big strengths is that the other four forwards are doing it even if the opposition are watching Connolly and Quinn all the time. That’s difficult to beat. They create space for each other.
“Scoring forwards is the big thing they’ve going for them. Even on the bench they’ve scoring power. They’ve also a brilliant centre back in Ger Brennan, who knows how to dictate the pace of a game – when to slow it down and when to pick it up. Behind all of that they have tradition. They’ve won the All-Ireland three times.
“They believe.”
