IT WAS NOT Brian Fenton’s first experience of those ecstatic moments in Croke Park on All-Ireland final day, savouring the feeling of having emerged victors.
It was not even his first time seeing off Kerry in an instalment of Gaelic football’s famed rivalry, achieving that in his breakthrough in 2015 and the completion of the historic five-in-a-row in 2019.
But in Fenton’s mind there was no disputing where Sunday’s success ranked.
At the top, clear of the rest.
“Anyone I’ve spoken to, I’ve just kind of summarised it as the sweetest of them all, for a number of reasons. The way we’ve performed over the last few years was disappointing all round. Got relegated from the league, disappointing results at the end of championships in ’21 and ’22, a lot of people writing us off,
“Today genuinely feels…I’m lucky enough to say I’ve seven All-Irelands now and it is the best, the sweetest of them all, without doubt.”
The trajectory of Fenton’s career was travelling firmly in an upward curve after his debut in 2015. An unbroken run of success that stretched to the surreal 2020 final in December.
But the past two seasons have been different, semi-final losses to Mayo and Kerry that were stewed on.
Beating both those teams this season embellished this title win.
“It’s rare in life or sport that you kind of get a second chance. Beating Mayo was a sweet one.
“We reviewed that Kerry game last year, when we just let them get soft kickouts and they came up the field, and we gave away soft frees.
“Jesus, it would haunt you. The simple mistakes that we make. Like, letting them come down the field and obviously Seán O’Shea (hit the winner). Mayo the same. The extra-time two years ago, Rob Hennelly’s free, I genuinely get flashbacks of Diarmuid O’Connor winning that ball out in the endline.
“I don’t know if you remember it, but I was kind of ushering it out and Diarmuid kept it in. Genuinely, images like that haunt you. So, to get back and get up to the top of the hill this year, is extra sweet.
“It never sits well; when you’re used to winning and used to performing to a certain standard, and when you don’t hit that standard.
“Even personally, my own performances over the last few years, it grinds at you a little bit. Just gets in on you, and you’re kind of questioning yourself.
“As much as we try and keep it out, it filters into the squad. And genuinely for me, I know players get motivated in different ways, but for me personally I like to kind of prove people wrong a little bit as well.”
Fenton enjoyed being reacquainted with his long-term colleagues Jack McCaffrey and Paul Mannion, their relationship stretching back to underage days.
“Genuinely, I think I found out on Twitter,” he recalls of the news that the pair were rejoining their squad.
“Jack tells a great yarn that he kind of convinced Paul to come back, which I’m sure you’ve heard but which is definitely made up. Don’t allow him to spread that story!
“I know Jack had his experience in Africa last year, and he came back with kind of a new love and vigour and desire to play again – and we were very lucky to have him. He won a couple of frees, a couple of line breaks; he was unbelievable in that second half.
“He spreads fear amongst the opposition.. Maybe David Clifford is the only other person that spreads as much fear. So we were very lucky to have him, and Mannion coming back, just a class act. We got the band back together for one more hurrah. It was the sweetest of days.”
Dublin’s manager was also singled out for special praise by Fenton.
“He was like the front face of all our troubles, all our woes. Like the Covid breach, the training breach, the bad performances, the relegation, people pushing for him to step aside. Look, you’re always going to get that bit of ‘poisoned chalice’, when he came in after Jim.
“But I’m so happy for Dessie. And I would probably know Dessie as personally as anyone, at this stage, from U21s. And genuinely, I’m looking at him in the dressing-room and you say you do it for a couple of things – you do it for yourself and your family, etc, but the likes of James McCarthy and Dessie now are huge motivators for me.
“When you can get back to that stage, I think it’s such a genuinely, deeply rewarding feeling. Something that I’ll remember for a long time.
“Like I said, the lads to get to nine All-Irelands and to sit above those Kerry lads of the ‘70s and ‘80s …Jesus, I’ll go to bed happy at night thinking that we helped to get them there.
“I definitely won’t get nine, don’t worry! Look, as we talk, the celebrations in the dressing-room sound unbelievable. Seven is unbelievable, honestly. I’m 30 this year so I’m certainly not the right side of the age limit, but honestly I’m so relieved, so thrilled, just to happy for Dessie, for Maccer, for Clucko … like, we didn’t even talk about Clucko! It’s unbelievable. I’ll go to bed with a smile on my face tonight thinking that Maccer went up those steps.
