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Diary of a Dub A time to write
your legacy. I believe my best days are ahead, I can see the lights in front of me. 2020. A year that none of us will ever forget. A year that gave us so many unexpected things. Wanted or Unwanted depends on your perspective. Lockdown and
social distancing, Essential worker or Working from home, dry or wet pubs, Covid
and NPHET, Biden and Trump, the Zoom quiz and / or the endless teams meeting,
the ‘you’re on mute’ quote. This and much more. It may have taken much from
our way of life and adjust we may have had to, but our GAA remains and it is
an All-Ireland weekend. It may well be different but how we got here I have
no idea, and most certainly here we are. I remember
the excitement earlier this year when the GAA announced there would be a
championship and that the final would be the weekend before Christmas. Said excitement
was on the basis we’d have 82,500 souls packed into Croker for said final. How
misplaced was my glee? It is what it is as they say.  Still we are
here. The eve of another final. A strange build up mixed with Christmas
tidings and social distancings. All Ireland final week has been a superstitious
ritual this decade, same old checklist of routines from the moment you enter
final week. Washing the jersey 37 times, the agonizing wait for your confirmed
match ticket. Your Friday night pre match eve drinks to settle the nerves,
your Saturday night match drinks to cure the Friday night over-indulgence as
well as cure the nerves again. Up for the Match. Oasis and Champange Supernova,
The Dubliners and the Rocky Road to Dublin, The Monday off and maybe the Tuesday
if you can or you’re able. The usual whatsapp family group checks and balances,
what time at Gills, are we getting the Dart or a Taxi, don’t be fucking late,
don’t forget your ticket ya dose, the head on ya. The banter, the videos, the
music, the pre match build up, getting wound up by pundits and anti-Dub talk,
Radio Silence and more. You see, its
more than just a normal week. Its an experience. It’s an endurance test, it is
agony and it is ecstasy. It’s full on
immersion in your love of your county and your colour. Blue is the colour and
no other way would I have it, and whilst 2020 does its best to wreak havoc on
our way of life, we have adapted, and we have overcome, and tomorrow will be
no different. This is not another game. This is history being made no matter
who emerges victorious tomorrow evening. For Dublin, a 6 in a row, and the
record-breaking unbeaten championship continues. If it’s Mayo, a 69-year wait
is over, and losing record of 9 straight finals is banished, dare I even mention
the legend that is that priests curse from 1951. What will I miss most
tomorrow? So much that an All-Ireland final day brings that I fear my words may
not do it justice. The feels,
the butterflies, the nerves frayed from the moment you get up that day. The lack
of sleep from the nerve curing beers from the night before. The breakfast aka
the soakage. The Jersey hanging with all its pride is finally on. The playlist,
Oasis et al. The goosebumps. The car dropped in Killiney, the chat with the
parents, the customary warnings and lift offerings. The what time will you be
home as if you even know lol. The Dart that seems to take forever to get into
town. The walk to O’Connell street, the buzz and the noise increasing the closer
you get. Am I there yet? The first glance of the Oval, almost there. The queue
to catch the bar person’s eye, what score is it in the minors? The Howya to
everyone, strangers one and all. The family arrive, late as fuck as usual,
blaming Thomas as he blames the dart driver, the taxi driver, his Ma, the weather,
his hangover etc. The first pint gone in 5 minutes, jaysus I’m thirsty. Whose
round is it? Will we have one more and jump in a taxi up, sure there’s loads
of time especially when there isn’t. The banter with the taxi driver, where
are ya from, have you any good sounds? Drop us here and the absolute buzz, there's some amount of them here from Mayo/Kerry today. The walk past Gills, have we
time for one more? Where is everyone? We better move or we will miss the anthem.
The walk down Jones Road, the obligatory donation to the buskers for good
luck. And we’re in, wisecracks on the stairs or in the lift, and I’m here. The
parade, the national anthem, the feels and the roar of the hill. Any changes
to the starting 15? Throw in and let the emotional rollercoaster begin. The halftime
pint and a smoke, meeting someone you haven’t seen in years and the 2 minute
chats, better get back and all that. The coming down the stretch final 10
minutes, the hill in full flight, a cardio workout and where the fuck did the
referee get 7 minutes of added time? The nail biting, the cant look moments, will
you blow it up ref. The final whistle and Dublin in the Rare auld times
blasting in the stadium. The tears, the relief, the joy, the hugs, the high
fives. The Pride. More feels. The ringing your Da tell him we won. More
pints, jaysus me nerves are shot. The post-match analysis. Make sure I have a
programme. Gills for catch-ups and let the celebrations begin. More hugs. The
joy, the smiles on people’s faces. The commiserations for the loser. You’ll
be back, a great team. The Grand Central and it is heaving. Wonderwall, Champage
Supernova, come on ye boys in blue. More catch up’s and hugs and the greatest sing
song ever. A night that never ends in a city that wont sleep for one night. We will have
those days back. And of tomorrow, you make of it what you will, create your 2020
All Ireland final ritual and make the most of it. 2020 may have isolated us
but its also connected us. Keeping each other safe is more important than
anything. Those days will be back. And whilst we may be apart tomorrow, we will
never be more together in spirit. It had to be
Mayo, didn’t it? In the decade of the Dubs, no team has ever us pushed us
closer. Replays and 1 point games galore. 3 finals and 2 semi finals. GPS
throwing, own goals, black cards, Lee and Dermo. Battles everywhere. A team
able to match Dublin for intensity and physicality and drag them to within an
inch of defeat on multiple occasions. It may now be a different Mayo team than
that of 2016/17, but plenty of survivors and experience from then remains
with tomorrow’s team. Motivation required – zero. Everyone in Ireland who is
not a Dub stands behind the underdog and wishes for an end to the run. Some
new talent has been found such as Conor Loftus and whilst this may be their
first foray into an all Ireland final, sometimes youthful exuberance can overcome
and triumph. James Horan is an astute coach and will have left no stone unturned
in their preparations. He will have no lack of content to prepare his team
for and if anything, it’s a punt to nothing. They are expected to lose therefore
the weight of expectation cannot be the same as it was in 16/17. It is 2020, the
year of the upset. Ask Cavan, Tipperary and Cork as they upset the odds and
the mighty and dared to dream, let alone never gave up. Does 2020 have one
more twist? I would rule nothing out at this stage and urge caution against tempting
fate (we have spoken about this before) And of the
new old Dubs, Dessie’s Army so to speak. More of the same this year, with some
subtle differences. To the naked eye it would appear that very little change
has occurred, but that would be incorrect. Tactically, this team are playing
the game and the opponents as they see them, and have introduced some counter
tactics against the high press amongst other things. They are however, the
closest thing to a professional outfit in an amateur game, their hunger has
not waned one bit. The hallmark of true champions is their ability and their
will to win, and very few teams have done what this Dublin team have done.
Kerry and Kilkenny are in that league, the best teams of their generations
and I won’t mention the population statistics for fear we bring up that old
chesnut on the eve of an All Ireland final. The mindset of this team (and those
teams) is what is most striking. Don’t stop winning. One game and then the
next, and the next one after that and so on. Winning is an infectious habit
and it’s a culture. It is at the core of this Dublin team. We and no I, Together
as one. Some faces will stay the same, some will come and some will go, but
the core culture remains the same, and some new talent is emerging such as
Bugler and McDaid. No talk of not having McCaffrey or Dermo this year despite
their notable absences. Their humility
is another level and again a part of their core culture. Bloody Sunday 100 years
on, lest we ever forget but this team marked this with the respect it
deserved as have others who have followed since.  Today is not
the day to deal with the criticism of Dublin and its success. Success breeds contempt.
All champions face that the more successful they are and it wont go until
Dublin lose. Accept it and move on. It doesn’t affect this team, a credit to
their culture, attitude and inner beliefs, as well as their management team. I’ve said
this before but I will say it again. This week always makes me reflect on
what it means to me to be a Dub. Dublin to me is a truly special place, but
it more than just a place. It is full of Character, spirit, attitude. People
of substance, meaning and purpose. Its people is where you will find the
embodiment of all things great and wonderful. Social classes exist not when
this Dublin team goes. Binding and bringing us all together, it is a family.
It is a movement, a revolution, it’s a faith. And born into you may be, and
if so, yours is truly a blessing for as long as your life may be. Dublin may
be a changing, but its people don’t. Its specialness shall never be lost
whilst she has her people. Buildings and landscapes don’t make a place, its
people and its experiences do. Dublin, to me, gives you this and more. As we age, those who are dear to us do too. Last year I
wanted Dublin to win so bad for my dad given everything he had been through.
It’s Mum’s turn this year, fighting her own battle with Covid and Co. Life throws
us all curve balls and shows us how cruel and hard life it can be. She’s been with
us every step of the way in all of our lives following Dublin. She’s been
there with us at times, other times she’s been home, but she has been an ever
present on this Dublin journey of ours. I watched the ’83 final at home with
her as I was too young to go, I’ll never forget it. She always wanted a
Dublin win for her boys and MK. Tomorrow will be no different. Her battle is
our battle and tomorrow is for her. A will to win and a determination to
overcome, whatever the odds, and we will never give up no matter how hard it
may seem. And as is
customary as we face into another All-Ireland Sunday, here is your cupla
focal for both the Dubs and my Ma. Níl sé cibé an bhfaigheann tú buille síos, is
cuma má éiríonn tú (it’s not whether you
get knocked down, its whether you get up, Vince Lombardi) And so whether its in life or in sport, tomorrow may just
be another day but for these Dubs, it is A time to
write your legacy…. |
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COYBIB.
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