SENIOR GLORY ARRIVED for Dessie Farrell nine years after minor misery on his first All-Ireland final day as a manager.
Farrell got his hands on the Sam Maguire tonight in Croke Park, a quarter of a century after he achieved that as a player, and this feat in steering Dublin to a senior title propels him into a special managerial group.
He joins Kerry’s Jack O’Connor and Tyrone’s Mickey Harte as managers who have won All-Ireland minor, U21 and senior football crowns as inter-county bosses. Kerry’s Seamus Mac Gearailt was also involved in sideline roles for a trio of such wins for the Kingdom.
Farrell has accomplished that in the same linear fashion that Harte did in working his way from minor up while O’Connor had began with U21 and senior before moving to minor.
In 2011 Farrell presided over a Dublin team studded with future senior stars when they lost out in dramatic fashion to Tipperary.
But since then he has been at the helm for four All-Ireland wins as Dublin boss – one minor, two U21 and this senior outcome.
The winning run for Farrell began in 2012 when Dublin saw off Meath at minor level. David Byrne, Niall Scully and Cormac Costello from that team all saw some action tonight while Eric Lowndes was an unused substitute.
Two years on he oversaw Dublin’s U21 team as they demolished Roscommon, atoning for that minor reversal in 2011 with the same age group. Byrne, Robert McDaid, John Small, Brian Fenton, Eric Lowndes, Niall Scully, Paul Mannion and Costello all played that day while Ciaran Kilkenny was out injured with a torn cruciate for that season. Jack McCaffrey captained that U21 outfit when they won in the final in Tullamore.
After U21 semi-final losses in 2015 and 2016 to Tipperary and Mayo respectively, Farrell regrouped to deliver another All-Ireland U21 title in 2017 as Dublin saw off Galway. From that side Evan Comerford, Eoin Murchan, Brian Howard, Aaron Byrne, Colm Basquel, Con O’Callaghan and Paddy Small all were involved in today’s senior success.
The 2-14 to 0-15 victory lands another All-Ireland crown as manager for Farrell, this the biggest of them all will be cherished by the Na Fianna man.
