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Last week I wrote about Darren Daly and, indeed, the role that all understudies play. They represent the victory of the common man.
This week it was Diarmuid Connolly’s turn to get off the merry-go-round and out of the playground. It was a horse of a completely different color. Connolly was one of the best players of his generation and for a couple of years, around 2014-15, he was the best player in the country.
His performance in the 2014 Irish club final for St Vincent in their win over Castlebar Mitchels was the best I have seen in a club match. With power, pace and the ability to score from left to right, he was a creative and unstoppable force, scoring 2-5 in that game. He was then at the height of his influence.
Like many geniuses, he had flaws and his temper was sometimes suspect. His displays of temperament in his early years meant that he was going to be goaded on by his opponents.
Just to see if he took the bait. He often did so and found himself at the mercy of disciplinary bodies. In 2011 he was sent off in the Irish semi-final against Donegal.
I thought it was really hard at the time when a Donegal player went down with a gentle push like he had been hit by 20 bullets from a Gatling gun. The DRA let him go, and with good reason.
In 2015, he walked the board again after an altercation with Lee Keegan de Mayo, who made it part of his job to break up with Connolly. He got off this time again, but that one was very suspicious.
In 2017, he was back on the center stage. He pushed linesman Ciarán Brannigan in a Leinster championship game and this time there was no pardon. He was out for most of the summer before making a strong contribution to Ireland’s final as a second-half substitute against Mayo.
Jim Gavin defended him to the end after that incident with the linesman. He was right to defend his man, but he knew Connolly was wrong.
In many ways his career ended, as he rarely started after that in the league or the championship. He spent the summer of 2018 in Boston and last year he was added to the panel at the end of the season.
At that moment, Gavin reached out to someone who needed the comfort of those he could most trust.
This gesture of generosity was probably not met with universal approval in the Dublin field.
When players are fighting for a spot on the team or on the bench, the last thing they want to see is another class player joining the group. The no-brainer is soon forgotten – Bernard Brogan would agree with that – but Gavin welcomed Connolly to the panel and then to the field as a substitute.
However, it was not the force of yesteryear and had little impact against Kerry last year. So this is not some grudging praise of sorts, these are just the checks and balances of a successful career when you are a Dublin gamer and especially if you are as talented as Diarmuid Connolly.
Not everything is wine and roses and Enoch Powell’s famous comment on all political careers that end in failure could apply to many athletes.
The perfectionist in Connolly would probably feel like being a second-half substitute against Kerry last year and making only a minor contribution wasn’t what he wanted. And things were hardly going to get better this year.
A midfielder line from Niall Scully, Ciarán Kilkenny and Brian Howard isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. And there’s not much room in a full attack line from Paul Mannion, Con O’Callaghan and Dean Rock either.
Tea leaves are only suggested in one way. A few years ago, a Dublin attack line without Connolly, Brogan, and Paul Flynn would be a lesser force. However, if anything, the attack improved.
And there are a number of Dublin Under-20s who will soon make a successful transition to the big club.
So for those counties that might feel Dublin without Connolly vulnerable, they should stop whistling past the graveyard.
Dublin will be defeated at some point, maybe this year, but they won’t go away. The Dubs have some of the most talented players in the history of the game right now.
The same quality may not be being broadcast, but with the numbers at stake and the level of organization now evident, they will always be a force. Even dividing the county wouldn’t change that. The pool is deep.
One thing that I have regularly commented on is the practice of players making lengthy statements about their retirement.
In Connolly’s case, it came through the Dublin County Board, while most seem to rely on the GPA to thank their mother and father, the local priest, their pet poodle, and all the other dogs that barked for help them in their careers.
Not long ago you went to a game and asked about a missing player, to be told that he had hung up his boots. Without songs and dances and if he wanted to return, there was nothing to say either. You didn’t need a public relations company in that simple world.
I don’t think Diarmuid Connolly wrote a long retirement statement, it doesn’t seem like his style. He didn’t seek publicity, instead letting his football and pitches do the talking. In his good years he was the best.
He was a fantastic kicker of the ball with either foot and there were many signature points from the outside of his right boot. He would have been a star at any time.
Incidentally, it was great to see that the will to kick the ball and attack opponents is still alive and well, judging by Cavan’s final between Crosserlough and Kingscourt.
At the time of this writing, I don’t know the result of the replay, but it was great entertainment. Someone told me about the style of play and how enjoyable it was.
My answer was that soccer used to be like this all the time, with enjoyment at the center. The kick passing standard was very good most of the time, but the willingness to try and attack was great competition.
It’s that kind of attitude that made Diarmuid a standout player of his generation. Passing the ball backwards or to the side was the last resort, I wanted to go forward and make a shot or leave it to someone who could.
He was very talented and worked hard to get the most out of it, like all athletes who master his craft. Connolly leaves with a bag of gold medals. They all won.
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