JOE BROLLY: The Dubs are back

THEY opened the Knockmore social club for me for the Dublin Galway game. By quarter to five I was settled in front of GAA+ on the huge television with a pint of Guinness and a feeling that life does not get any better. If I ever win the Euromillions I’ll buy the club and hire Fiona and Adam on preferential terms.

The Trinity Old Boys group had suggested a Dublin amalgamation with Kilkenny after their Leinster semi-final defeat – Dubkenny. On Wednesday, one of our Louth alumni argued that the Dubs needed a stronger partner and suggested Meath – Death. As it turns out, they probably don’t need a partner after all.

Before the throw in, Paddy Andrews, looking like the front cover of the Brown Thomas Summer Collection, was coy on Dublin’s prospects.

Presenter: Paddy, who will win?

Paddy: Football will be the winner

Presenter: But in a word, Dublin or Galway?

Paddy: Football.

He will make an excellent TD some day.

Salthill may have been sunny, but it is still the Windy city and the Windy city is a graveyard for opposing teams. The excellent Mike Finnerty said that Shane Walsh had only played five league games for Galway this year but had scored 15 two pointers. Here, he scored one, but apart from that he was absolutely useless. Davy Byrne man marked him and like Mary’s little lamb wherever Shane went, Davy was sure to go. In the children’s song, the little lamb followed Mary to school. Here, Davy took Shane to school.

Shane puts me in mind of a humanoid made in China. Whether he scores 2-7 and plays brilliantly or 0-0 and plays terribly his reactions are exactly the same. Like the buddha, he is unmoved by human success or failure.

He was eventually taken off and when he was, it would have been impossible for even a very great body language expert to say whether he was happy or sad. An unusual character whose claim to fame will forever be an astonishing performance in the first 50 minutes of the 2022 All-Ireland final.

Dublin were dominant in the first half against the gale. They are the best tackling team in the country. David Gough, the game’s best referee, was in charge, so the four step rule was enforced. Recently, at half time in a Mayo club game, I approached the referee and the following conversation ensued:

Me: Can I ask you a question?

Ref: Of course Joe

Me: We are coaching our boys to tackle the ball, to wait until the opponent has taken his four steps. We are spending a lot of time on complying with the rule. What is the point when you are letting them take 7,8,9,10 steps?

Ref: I don’t give a **** about that.

In Salthill, Galway were in trouble, a combination of Dublin winning their long kick outs and brilliant tackling. In the 19th minute, Basquel expertly robbed the Galway defender and suddenly Cormac Costello was through one on one versus the keeper which means only one thing. The final two minutes of the first half embodied the expertise of Dublin’s veteran players. They held possession waiting for the hooter. When it went, they suddenly swung into action, like paratroopers being told it was time for the jump and when Ciarán Kilkenny kicked the point to leave Galway four behind at half time, the game looked over. By which time the word had gone round the Knckmore parish and the club, which normally opens at 7pm on a Saturday, was packed.

The second half started with the sort of blaze of excitement that we had almost forgotten before Jim Gavin rescued the game. Galway kicked in a high ball, their only one of the game, Matthew Thompson caught it over his head, drove it to the net and the game was afoot. Typical of the conservatism of Galway, it was the last long ball they tried. Con O’Callaghan, who had introduced Johnny McGrath to the realities of life in the first half, got injured and was taken off. Suddenly, a game that looked impossible for Dublin to lose was loseable. With the gale, they stumbled.

In the end, they won it with a point after the hooter from Tom Lahiffe, who reminds me of my father’s immortal line about Willie Joe Padden, “his problems start when he lands.”

In a time when there are no great teams, Dublin are suddenly back in it. Death will have to wait.