A Decade of the Dubs

Diary of a Dub A Decade of the Dubs... I’ve struggled to write this and over the course of the last few weeks contemplated not. Life is cruel and sometimes words are difficult to find. T’was our time, of that there is no doubt. Seems like only yesterday we were losing in an All-Ireland Semi final to Cork back in 2010. The rest of decade has been like a proverbial Ronan Keating song, yes, you got it, a bleedin Rollercoaster.    When I was younger, the 70’s were oft referred to as the Decade of the Dubs. That was a magical time to be a Dub, a team worthy of such plaudits, who gave their all in a titanic decade long battle with Kerry, competing in 6 straight All-Ireland finals in succession, winning 3 of them, but also losing 3 of their 4 finals with Kerry. Heralded for all that time, until now, as the greatest Dublin team ever, with the greatest manager of them all, Heffo. Few would argue, prior to this decade, and sure its only now that we can set the record straight. This Decade bows out as the greatest in Dublin football history, of that there is no doubt and no question. The record will read. 10 years. 7 Finals, 7 titles, and 10 semi-finals. 5 in a row. History makers and record breakers. Unbeaten in championship football since August 2014. More than half of this decade unbeaten in championship football. The record shall read 35 championship games now unbeaten since that defeat in 2014. The last team to beat Dublin in Championship football was Donegal in 2014, and in this decade, that feat has only been matched by Mayo in 2012, Cork and Meath in 2010. Over this decade, Dublin will have played 64 games of championship football, losing only 4 times and winning 60 times. A statistic that speaks for itself. In addition, during this decade Dublin set a new record of playing 36 league and championship games without defeat, which ended in 2017 with a league loss to Monaghan. That said, this team is currently 35 championship games unbeaten and who is to say it wont be at least 40 as we head into 2020? For Jim, his record is astonishing. Only 1 championship defeat since he took on the Dublin team in October 2012. That loss in 2014 to Donegal his only championship blemish, and look how he reacted to defeat…..a 5 in a row!   I doubt we will ever see the likes of a Jim ever again in football. An 83% win-record and only 1 championship defeat in 7 years, a man at the top of his game. The record books will be kind to Jim, as will every Dublin fan, and he has earned the respect the length and breadth of this country. Even the great Micko pails into insignificance against his record, and of course, Jim has that which none can speak of, the 5 in row. That hallowed ground, that holy grail of football and hurling that until this year had never been breeched, until now. There can surely be little argument that this is the real Decade of the Dubs. A golden generation of players and management. Management spawned from the 1995 playing squad and players developed in 2000’s at underage level, a Blueprint for Dublin football was put into play and in this decade we witnessed the fruits of such labours. Underage success is not the goal amongst this developmental blueprint, it is about talent identification at playing level at an early age, nurturing the talent through development squads, and onto minor, under 20 and ultimately smooth succession into the Senior football panel, biding your time and taking your chance when it comes along, and as we have seen in this decade, those chances do come. This is the model now under development in other counties and I expect a firecracker of a decade in the 20’s as others bear fruit of the work they have done at this decade, and we have seen a glimpse of what Kerry are starting to bring in this very year.   There have been so many highlights in this decade of dubs, and every fan has their own favourites. I’ve picked out my best, feel free to argue these with me next time you see me in Croker. 1.     That Cluxton point, 2011. The Day Croker shook. 2.     Kevin McManamon’s goal against Kerry, 2011 3.     Kevin Nolan’s point after Mcer’s goal in 2011 4.     Kevin McManamon’s running against the Donegal blanket defense in the 2011 Semi-Final, changed the game and the course of history. 5.     Dean Rock’s winning point in 2017 in Injury time to give us 3 in a row, nerves of steel. 6.     Davy Byrnes goal in the 2019 final, a magical move that turned the tide in the game 7.     The last 10 minutes of the drawn game in the 2019 final, there was where the 5 in a row was truly won, a herculean team effort, down a player but standing tall. 8.     Both Final games in 2016 against Mayo. The toughest test this team ever faced. 9.     The 2013 Semi-final against Kerry, 3-11 to 3-18, an absolute cardio. 10.That Con O’Callaghan goal against Mayo in the 2017 final, absolute class. So many memories, so many good times. So much joy and elation. This decade has helped to wash away 17 years of hurt, of wilderness, of winning nothing. From 1984 to 2010, Dublin won only 1 All Ireland, that of 1995. 26 years delivering 1, turns to 10 delivering 7. That’s a turnaround, and that is exceptional, but this success is only recent, given the barrenness of the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s. In this joy and elation, it is only worthwhile if you have a Family around you, a Dublin Family. I am fortunate to have both. Sharing those memories and more, etched permanently into the memory bank, every drive by of Croker, or sound of a Dubliners song, triggers one, maybe more memories of this decade. For each and every one, you have your JFK moment ‘I Know where I was the Day Clucko put that point over’ and so on. And through the decade, you can recount, who you were with, what pub you went to, and on what level the craic was after the game. It is pointless having something in your life that can bring such Joy and Elation, if you have nobody to share it with. I thank all of you for being there with me. You all know who you are. I cannot let this Diary pass without mention to 2019. In all of the joy and elation, comes grief and sorrow. Life delivers sucker punches when you least expect it. And 2019 was a year for heartache and heartbreak. The loss of loved one, and the onslaught of grief and hurt is unbearable. For any child to go is unthinkable, yet it happens. To be taken so young and so quickly is beyond my words. A beautiful soul of a child, full of happiness, never knowing o his own struggles, living his best life only to have it so cruelly taken away from him. He has left an imprint on all of our lives and he may be gone but we will never be forgotten. Daragh.       I’ll save the last mention of this Decade fo the Dubs for the man who started it all back in the 70’s and made us the Dubs we are today. We nearly lost you this year and my most lasting memory of this decade of the Dubs was the phone call to you after this years’ final to celebrate the 5 in a row. You did it, you made it to see the 5 in a row, and so too did that fucker Micko (your words not mine!). He got to see the Dubs do the 5 in a row Da.   This has been the Decade of the Dubs….

COYBIB.