A MONTH FROM today, the Dublin football camp will finally hit the road for a championship assignment as they venture outside Croke Park for the first time in a decade.
The issue has been a thorny one in recent years.
Dublin’s utter provincial dominance has coincided with the perceived advantage of pitching up at headquarters for all their summer games.
The decision was finally made last November by the Leinster Council to send the All-Ireland champions on a road trip to Kilkenny.
Dublin players and supporters have always stressed that they have no objection to operating away from home.
For Leinster opponents, there is a sense of pleasure that Jim Gavin’s squad face away days.
Donie Kingston is part of the Laois team that face Wicklow on Saturday 14 May, with the prize for the winners being that clash with Dublin on 4 June.
“It’s a big thing to get them out of Croke Park,” states Kingston.
“I think it should have been done before this year as well. It shouldn’t have been happening for the last ten years or however long it is.
“I think it makes a massive difference. Croke Park is different to any other pitch in the country with the stadium and the size of it. It is like second nature to them.”
Laois are concentrating on the challenge of Wicklow, although the fact that home advantage against Dublin is not the prize for the winners, does not sit well.
“We are taking it one step at a time, if we beat Wicklow it goes to Kilkenny alright,” outlines Kingston.
“It would be a disappointment as a group of players and for the fans. Taking it to Kilkenny, which wouldn’t have a back ground in football is probably even more disappointing.
“But there has been no talk of that in the squad so we can’t focus on that.”
There has been excited chat in the Laois squad about the arrival of Anthony Cunningham to their coaching ranks.
Cunningham managed the Galway hurlers in two of the last four All-Ireland finals but before that he cut his coaching teeth in club football circles, achieving great success with Roscommon’s St Brigid’s and Westmeath’s Garrycastle.
“I think he’s going to help us big time,” says Kingston.
“He has a lot of experience with inter county setups, with hurling and football, which will only help us in our preparations. I think it’s a real coup for Laois.
“We did know they were looking for a coach but to be honest the positivity around the appointment and the fact that we’ve got someone of real calibre has helped the squad big time.
“He’s only been with us a week now. We’ll have him the whole way up to the Wicklow game anyway, we’ll have to see from there.
“Talking to the man himself, he seems to be on top of things. He’s very approachable as well.”
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