RETIRED DUBLIN FOOTBALLER Dean Rock has paid tribute to selector Shane O’Hanlon who passed away suddenly at the weekend. The St Vincent’s clubman was a mentor with the county’s senior team since 2013.
O’Hanlon was part of eight senior All-Ireland victories during his time with Dublin along with six National League titles and two U21 All-Ireland titles.
Rock explained how he worked under O’Hanlon from 2008 until his inter-county retirement ahead of this season, recalling him as a beloved character in Dublin GAA circles.
“He was probably the most loved and most iconic man of that whole group for the last number of years. I’ve never met a person who everyone just relied on so much for everything,” Rick said.
“His loss will be just be seismic, he’s such a great man. It’s just so sad that he’s gone.
“It will have a massive impact in that group. Unfortunately, he just won’t be able to be replaced. Hopefully, the lads will be galvanised and will want to perform for him. He’ll be certainly in their thoughts and in their hearts. Just such a massive, massive loss to Dublin GAA.”
Reflecting more closely on O’Hanlon’s contribution to his own career, Rock says that his mentor brought “calmness and reassurance” to the dressing-room on the big match days. He was also took care of the logistical side of Dublin’s preparations for games, arranging match tickets, hotels and buses to away fixtures when required.
“Shane probably did the role of seven or eight people,” said Rock.
“Underage teams would have leaned on him for different things, for his experience. The Dublin hurlers would have asked him for different things. I’d say he would have gotten 50 or 60 calls a day on Dublin GAA. He was just dedicated to it. You will never get another man like him, unfortunately.”
Rock announced his departure from the Dublin team at the beginning of the year, bringing the curtain down on a decorated football career. The eight-time All-Ireland winner won three All-Stars and also held the record as Dublin’s top all-time points scorer.
As Dublin begin a new season without Rock in the camp, he’s adjusting to his new supporter’s role and travelled to MacHale Park recently with his daughter Sadie to watch his side’s Division 1 clash with Mayo.
“You get time to have a chat with people about your career and stuff like that. It’s been nice to get a bit of time to reflect on it, because you don’t as a player, you just jump from one season to the next. It’s nice to get a bit of closure announcing it, getting some nice messages and having some nice conversations with people you shared the journey with.
“I was down in Mayo, went to see the lads play the last day. It was nice – it was different! I’m very much happy and content with my decision, so I’m very much at peace with it. It’s nice to go to games again with my daughter now . . . it’s different, but good.”
Despite his array of accolades, Rock experienced lows in his time with Dublin. He wasn’t always a first choice for a starting position in the forwards, and was even dropped off the panel in 2012 when Pat Gilroy was in charge.
He earned a recall to the squad when Jim Gavin took over in 2013, going on to enjoy one of the most celebrated careers in modern Gaelic football.
“I think that adversity is important for my story, it helped get the most out of me. I responded quite well to it.
“I became very obsessed with it. I wasn’t going to take no for an answer and I’m really delighted that I persevered with it and showed that resilience. It wasn’t always easy but it was certainly something that I just wanted to do.
“My dad played with Dublin, growing up watching him, that fire was always burning in me to eventually emulate him. Thankfully, it all worked out for me in the end. It took a bit of luck along the way but I think I earned that luck through hard work.”
Former Dublin Gaelic footballer and Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup winner with DCU, Dean Rock as he looks ahead to the conclusion of the Sigerson Cup.
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