2013 was a spectacular year for Dublin GAA. With a haul of 4 trophies between the senior
hurling and football teams, it was a year of unrivalled success. In fact, 1976 was the last time that the
Dublin footballers captured all 3 cups. The season got off to a great start with the
footballers winning the National League.
Meath proved to be a tough obstacle in the Leinster Final, but the Dubs
beat off a tough challenge from the next door neighbours to land the second
trophy of the year. The fruits of more
than a decade of work at hurling development were borne when the Dublin hurlers
captured their first Leinster Hurling Championship in over 50 years, beating
Kilkenny and Galway in the process. An
All-Ireland eluded the Boys in Blue however, as Cork narrowly defeated the Dubs
in a fantastic semi-final.
 |
| The Future Looks Bright for the Dublin Senior Footballers |
The third Sunday in September the footballers hauled in
their the biggest trophy of the year winning the iconic Sam Maguire Cup in fine
style. Who can forget that magical win
over Kerry in a semi-final where Kevin McManamon scored a fantastic last minute
goal to slay the Kingdom dragon. The
game recalled memories of 1977 when Dublin defeated the old rivals in what
still is described as one of the most exciting games of gaelic football
ever. The Dubs captured the All-Ireland title
against a highly fancied Mayo team.
Goalkeeper Steven Cluxton redefined the role of the goalkeeper, slotting
long range frees over the bar and dictating the game with kickouts that consistently found their targets. It brought to mind the precision of an
American Football quarterback hitting his targets. The players dug deep to recover from an early
Mayo onslaught, and late in the game held off a last minute run from the
westerners to emerge one-point victors.
With manager Jim Gavin adding young players of the likes of
Jack McCaffrey and Ciaran Kilkenny to a team that already contains veterans of
the 2011 championship, Bernard Brogan, Paul Flynn, Michael Darragh McCauley,
and James McCarthy, the future looks exciting indeed.
On November 16 the 3 football trophies will be coming to
Boston along with members of the victorious Dublin squad. There will be a reception in McGanns on
Portland St. in Boston. Join in
welcoming the players to Boston, hold the cups, and enjoy what will be a
memorable celebration of this year’s success.
The event begins at 7:00, with a cocktail reception from 8-9:00. Tickets are $100 with the proceeds going to
the players fund. Find our page on
Facebook, Friends of Dublin GAA Boston, for further information. Tickets are limited and are available through
McGann’s, porter Belly’s in Brighton, or contact Sean McCormack at (617)
840-2983.
No comments:
Post a Comment