The Dominance of Dublin GAA *Mod warning post#1*

What has happened Dublin senior hurling since 2011 and 2013?

Have the improvements being 'well documented' in Dublin hurling? That seems like very generalised vague statement.As it is clear Dublin have only achieved one League title in 2011 against a weakened KK team minus the James Stephen's lads Henry et al. I remember I was at it.

Also one Leinster title in 2013 against a Galway team that did not look interested. I remember because I was at it. That is pushing a decade ago now. Also Dublin were comfortably beaten in the end (after Dwyer was sent off) by Cork in the AI Hurling SF that year and have not looked like of having a notion of reaching that stage since.

Dublin lost to Antrim (Under Dalo) in the following years I seem to remember and very recently were beaten by Laois.

Numbers wise and funding argument wise Dublin should have kicked on since then, it is clear they have not. All these 'professional' coaches must not be very good in the last guts of a decade. When the foreign 'imports' went and Dalo left Dublin hurling have never recovered since.

Since then Dublin Senior hurling has clearly regressed it is beyond doubt. To say otherwise is delusional. Added to the the fact that the sport of hurling is not all that competitive there very few high standard competitive teams in hurling. Puts the sole funding argument on even shakier ground. It is mainly Munster based plus KK and Galway. Which is way less of competitive level than football would be in comparison.

The funding argument has a clear flaw imo when it comes to Dublin senior hurling it should be far easier to dominate a smaller competitive intercounty scene like hurling if the funding/resources argument holds true. It is a major, major flaw in the funding as the sole reason for Dublin's success argument. Dublin even got relegated in the NHL div 1 recently! Shouldn't the effects of funding a have kicked in the intervening decade?

Where are Dublin's wristy hurlers?

You will note that many on the hurling threads from other counties question why Dublin do not produce 'wristy hurlers'. At the moment Dublin do not have a real natural forward and for hurling have to resort to playing Chris Crummy A hardworking, fast, honest wingback as forward. Wouldn't all these 'professional coaches' make 'wristy hurlers' with all that money and the whole competitive dynamic of hurling as we know it would be changed?

You seem to revel in broad generalisations rather than looking at the facts on the ground. Which leads me to believe you have an agenda within an intrangenient narrative.

Your generalised distant 'funding hypothesis' excludes all other issues, and variables - because it does not suit your narrative.

In my view you only seem focused on one issue to the neglect of all others. No mention of how poor other counties such as Kildare and Meath football have become for a decade - super 8's record and the backdoor record. Also those former strong traditional counties (kildare/Meath) losing to to Wicklow Westmeath and struggling v Longford etc. No focus on how they went from a position of strength to one of neglect.

No mention of the problems with the championship structures in football etc which is another contributory factor. I feel Dublin are being made an an easy scapegoat to hide from those real issues. And historical and self inflicted problems that have nothing to do with Dublin GAA.

And you make generalisation about Dublin hurling without looking at actual senior hurling results. Which clearly make a lie of your narrative. Simply because it is an anathema to your Dublin football argument. I am starting to wonder whether you regularly attend GAA matches and actually have a clear view what is going on the ground. Your viewpoint seems 'distant', and written in an almost abstract tone. Almost as if you are writing about the GAA as something you are viewing from afar.

I for one am thankful of this Dublin football era because it has brought football on leaps and bounds. Away from what could have been a turgid future with defensive style football. Now teams have moved beyond that. And we have seen how keepers like Beggan and Morgan have moved on the keeper position from even what Cluxton did.

Without Dublin men like Jim Gavin, Stephen Cluxton et all Football would be in the dark ages. Dublin football has even brought on Mayo GAA and Kerry GAA. You can see it tactically they copy what Dublin have done.

If there was no Dublin Gaelic Football as it was teams would still be playing with 14 men behind the ball - copying Mr McGuinness. Who in fairness in his own way forced Dublin and Jim Gavin to move on tactically. In a way Dublin would not have won the 6 in row only for Jim Guinness in 2014. It is less to do with funding but more to do with players and managers who are willing to adapt and think outside of the box.

You can see it here in AI Final 2019 when Dublin were a man down:

You can't buy tactical genius management like that and intelligent football brains. Plus bravery in doing so.

Cluxton played as the 14th man outfield when Dublin were a man down, and Rock picked up the Kerry keeper. Cool heads, sharp minds.

"astonishing improvements."

as I said, they were beaten by laois in 2019. :)

if other counties have suitable stadia as regards capacity to facilitate both home supporters and a suitable number of traveling Dublin supporters then Dublin play more away games....

Pairc Tailteann in Meath.. 11,000 capacity. Are you seriously suggesting that this venue should host say a Leinster Semi Final ?

A stadium is a venue to facilitate the watching of sports... if there is and are massive disparities in available and suitable capacity’s that simply isn’t Dublin fault... it’s also not the fault of the GAA fan...

I have already listed how Meath and Kildare have dramatically fallen from grace both in league standing and how they fared against lesser lights in Leinster. That is not a red herring it is fact and it undoubtedly has been a contributory factor to Dublin’s dominance in football. It contrasts with how Dublin have taken the game onto a new level. Compare this to hurling in Leinster KK have maintained a high standard and Wexford have had a revival. I feel Meath and Kildare people feel a bit ashamed how despite large advantages many other county’s do not have such as proximity to Dublin resources and population they have been mismanged. And have failed over 50% of the time in about the last decade against Leinster teams they should beat Westmeath Longford Wicklow etc. They have largely failed to makes themselves decent division 1 teams. They largely failed and the super 8s. Failed and failed utterly. They need not only the proper structures but the right people to lead those structures. They need a great man, a GAA man to the core. An astute intelligent man removed from the county politics. I suggest Meath/Kildare recruit Dublin people who know what they are doing. Someone like Jim Gavin would transform either county IMO. As Kildare and Meath need guidance. It is important that those with know how aid the less enlightened.

it was brought up in response to the suggestion that the Dublin senior footballers have only played 2 away games in the championship since 2016. that's incorrect.

It is not ‘healthy competition’ that is your biased spin on it. It is beyond doubt when you analyse Meath and Kildare in the last decade in Leinster - League - Championship and super 8’s their level has fallen dramatically. It is blinkered to term it as healthy competition. How long were Meath out of div1 over a decade. How have Kildare fared in div1 how long have they stayed there? The ‘healthy competition’ tells me you need to step back take off the blinkers and look at the facts the results of the last decade. They speak for themselves and when juxtaposed beside Dublin’s greatness, innovation and evolvement of the game it is stark. Meath and Kildare people know this in their heart of hearts their counties have been mismanaged since their former heydays. The focus for Meath and Kildare should not be Dublin. First they should try and solve why they now are prone to struggle or lose against far weaker teams on paper that is stage one. Carlow, Westmeath and Wicklow etc should not be beating a team like Meath or Kildare as often. They need to take a long hard look at themselves at what went wrong. That is stage one after they get back to a reasonable div1 consistent level next stage is Dublin’s level. It is up to Meath and Kildare to make the East Leinster project work. Among the most prosperous county’s in the country- population etc. They have little excuse as to how far they have fallen. That is just the cold hard facts.

Kerry, Tyrone, Mayo and Dublin for what, the fourth or fifth time in the last decade? The problems with lack of competition go far beyond Dublin. Counties have to be given the opportunity to win an All-Ireland. That would mean splitting Kerry as well as Dublin and merging many others.

It is not healthy competition that is a delusional spin on it. Basically Kildare and Meath got so poor they became an afterthought it showed against weak teams in Leinster and other comps league and super 8s and back door. With the resources and proximity to Dublin and population. Meath and Kildare should at least be within the top 5/6 in the country but they became a shambles. Sh!te management and shite tactics. If people want to send in Dub GAA know how fair enough. But those two counties Kildare /Meath and fans should openly admit that their county boards took their eye off the ball. All that has nothing to with dublin.

Anthony Daly on rte radio 1 a few minutes ago admitting Galway were undercooked when they met Dublin in the Leinster final in 2013, very honest of him. that's as "dominant" as it has got for the Dublin senior hurlers post funding.

the limerick senior hurlers started at a very low ebb, beaten by 24 points by tipp in 2009, they've kicked on a bit since then. ;)

1 Leinster senior hurling title is a flash in the pan.

get him in to work with the Dublin senior hurlers as soon as he returns from Tokyo, they might win an all Ireland before the end of the decade but I doubt it because if funding was the answer it would be Dublin regularly getting to all Ireland finals now and winning them, not limerick.

Dublin beat limerick in 2015.

Funding is the answer with Limerick. JP McManus has pumped millions into Limerick GAA. We're now seeing the results of a strong hurling tradition plus funding. Very similar to the Dublin footballers. Nothing wrong with it, it just shows money works.

So you equate Dunne talking about another sport as somehow pertaining to Dublin GAA, hahaha... nothing if not entertaining, the sound of grasping at straws is hilarious.

Well that's quite the contradiction to what you usually post.

And home fans want the majority of those tickets, you stick to tennis, good lad :)