THE TERM ‘DUAL club’ almost has a different meaning in the Dublin super clubs in comparison with rural senior teams in Tipperary, for instance.
In the Premier County, the likes of Upperchurch-Dromane, Loughmore-Castleiney and JK Brackens are all strong proponents of the dual mandate.
The three clubs reached the last eight of the Tipperary senior championship in both codes this season while operating off largely the same playing pool. In many cases, the players even play in the same positions for the footballers and hurlers.
Indeed, the JK Brackens defence saw five of their starting six play in the same positions in both codes, which is remarkable.
Twice in their recent history, Loughmore-Castleiney have competed the senior double, a stunning feat.
Derry kingpins Slaughtneil have fully embraced being a dual club in 2016 and 2017 were crowned Ulster football and hurling champions in successive years.
In Dublin on Sunday, Kilmacud Crokes are bidding for back-to-back titles in both codes.
Yet the Crokes senior football squad that edged Na Fianna by a point in last Sunday’s final contains just one player that will return to Parnell Park with the hurlers this weekend to take on the same opponents.
Once again they face Na Fianna for top honours, with Brian Sheehy the only player on the verge of completing the double. He managed to do so last season, meaning victory on Sunday would seal a double-double.
An underage hurler with Dublin in the past, he was an unused sub for last week’s football decider, but has been a regular in defence for the hurlers.
Conor McHugh and Donal Ryan are the two Na Fianna players who feature in football and hurling. McHugh started at full-forward while Ryan was introduced off the bench in the second-half.
Sheehy admits Loughmore-Castleiney and Slaughtneil can serve as inspiration for Kilmacud, even if he’s the only dual player involved.
“Their achievement was fantastic last year. Obviously their double got much more attention than Crokes’ did because of all their dual stars. They obviously don’t have the same numbers. It was a special achievement and great to see.
“You look at Slaughtneil and stuff, they’re really the standard-bearers for how a dual club can be run. So you have to look to them and take inspiration from them.”
Sheehy, at just 21-years-old, says the idea of giving up one sport to focus on the other never crossed his mind.
“Why should I have to quit one when I enjoy playing both?” he asked.
“I know that in practical terms it’s very tough but I have equal love for football and hurling.
”I think they are special games, they’re made to be played by a dual player. Years ago there always was, especially in Dublin. I want to keep it going as long as I can.
“There’s always that worry of being caught in between the two stools. But I’m very passionate about being a dual player and I think that it’s a lovely thing to be able to do in the GAA and have groups of friends in either team.
“I am conscious that I am the only one at Kilmacud Crokes and I want kids looking up and thinking ‘there’s someone there’, even if I’m not playing both. But ‘he’s there so I can do it when I’m older’… I think that’s very important that I can inspire the next generation that it can be done.
“I don’t have any real plan of stopping either, even though I get a few old heads in the club giving me their own opinions about it…”
One more victory would set him aside as the first player to achieve the double-double.
Sheehy has more players can follow suit and operate at a high level in both codes.
“I think it comes back to the club,” he remarks.
“Each individual club has to have a template for how a dual player can work. Each mentor for each underage team has to promote it underage.
”It’s not like people are playing hurling and football till minor then quitting one. People are quitting much younger, there are different sports involved.
”Communication between both sets of management is very important to keep everyone on board.
”It’s tough because you’re only training 50% of the time. If there’s a lad who only plays football training all the time, how do you justify starting ahead of him when he’s at all the sessions and you’re not?
”Every training I go to, football or hurling, I’m only going to one a week. There’s extra pressure to perform at that session compared to the lad that has two chances that week. I only have one chance.
“I’m in a very demanding college course at the moment, science at UCD, which is pretty much full-time. So you’re going to college and training three times a week. Then you’re trying to juggle other things like relationships, family, socialising, which is obviously a big part of college.
“It’s demanding but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it.”
Originally published at 11.42
