THE GALWAY HAMMERING cast a long shadow over Dublin’s summer.
With the Tribesmen gearing up for another shot at Kilkenny and a long-awaited All-Ireland hurling title on Sunday week, Ryan O’Dwyer finds it’s best not to think about what might have been.
“It was just f***ing awful,” O’Dwyer says as he looks back on the drubbing in Tullamore with his usual candour.
The Dubs had Galway on the ropes in the Leinster quarter-final before letting them duck out to snatch a draw.
When the sides met again six days later Anthony Cunningham’s side were a totally different animal, rattling in 3-5 in the first 11 minutes, and 5-19 in total, to win by 13 points.
“It got to a stage after their fourth goal I just looked around and said, ‘I don’t want to be here, take me off now,’” O’Dwyer remembers.
It was just psychologically, mentally, emotionally very tough.
The hefty beating left ‘scar tissue,’ he says, even though Dublin rebuilt their campaign and made it to the last six where they eventually fell short against Waterford.
Every defeat is tough to take, and some are tougher than others. Losing to Waterford was devastating but it’s unlikely to linger for as long as the memory of the Harty Cup semi-final 12 years ago which still plagues O’Dwyer.
“I think it was Niall Gilligan that said to (Anthony Daly) that when you are playing inter-county senior you have great moments, you have phenomenal moments with winning. With all the bad moments you have, all the losing, does it plaster over it? I don’t know.
The defeat and the hurt that you experience playing inter-county, it stays with you and it’s very hard to shake off.
“I suppose I’ll only know if I ever win an All-Ireland. It’s tough, it’s tough, and hopefully we will get some success in the future.”
As Galway gear up for their big day, Dublin have to take their summer pain and build on it.
“The second game definitely stood to Galway as they progressed in the championship,” O’Dwyer agrees.
You’d like to think that if we’d got over Galway the first day we would have kicked on, but you really don’t want to ask yourself them questions.
“It goes back to the ifs and buts and the hurt then, and you’re thinking we could have been playing there next Sunday week, but we’re not. Galway are. So just get over it.”
He adds: “I can only speak for myself but anyone I’ve talked to, there’s a certain amount of, I wouldn’t say excitement, but there’s a certain amount of focus there already for next year.
“I’ve got caught in the past of blowing ourselves up and talking about the future too much.
“But I certainly think there is going to be an energy there next year and I certainly think when Ger gives us a call to regroup, I don’t think anyone will be thinking that it’s a chore to go back. I think that we’ll be looking forward to go back.”
