DUBLIN WERE UNDER-FIRE.
The previous weekend, they crashed and burned under the unforgiving bright lights of Croke Park.
It was an historic night, an 81,678 sell-out; the Dubs’ 2007 Division 1A league opener against Tyrone the first Gaelic football match held at HQ under floodlights.
Aside from the fact it was Diarmuid Connolly’s league debut, it’s one remembered in the capital for all the wrong reasons.
An understrength Red Hand side came from five points down to win on a scoreline of 0-11 to 0-10. Manager Paul ‘Pillar’ Caffrey came in for huge criticism afterwards, with no shortage of question marks hanging over the team.
“The temperature gauge attached to the Sky Blue hotseat has certainly risen a few degrees after Dublin’s latest mini-collapse under an unforgiving Croke Park spotlight,” read an article in The Evening Herald in the days which followed.
“Here was further evidence that Dublin can be worryingly fragile against top-tier opposition, even when protected by a healthy lead.”
Post-match, Caffrey spoke about “picking up the pieces” the following weekend, a rare trip to Limerick the perfect opportunity to do so.
This was just Dublin’s second-ever visit to Limerick for a competitive senior football game. Previously, there was a league clash in Askeaton in March 1993, the Sky Blues emerging 0-15 to 0-9 winners, and Croke Park hosted another novel meeting in 1973.
Excitement was building on Shannonside, with Limerick opening their campaign a week later than expected. Their opening round fixture against Fermanagh was postponed due to fog in Clones.
This game had even been brought forward 24 hours to avoid a clash with Ireland’s Six Nations showdown against France in Croke Park.
“Everyone is looking forward to it,” Treaty selector Joe Redington told the Limerick Leader.
“We want to compete against the best to see if we can play at the top level.”
Mickey Ned O’Sullivan’s men fell just short in the finish on Saturday, 10 February 2007.
It was an uninspiring return to the cold light of day for the visitors, the crowd at the Gaelic Grounds — differing figures of of 1,227 and ‘approximately 2500, at least 50% travelled from Dublin’ were reported — a stark contrast to the previous weekend’s setting.
There were no shortage of similarities on the field of play, though.
This time Pillar’s side finished up on the right side of a one-point score difference, 0-14 to 1-10, but it took a late Mossy Quinn ’45 to clinch a much-needed win.
A quick look at the headlines paints the picture.
- Quinn point saves Dublin blushes – The Sunday Independent
- Quinn holds nerve to rescue Dublin – The Irish Independent (Monday edition)
- The Dubs snatch victory at the death – Limerick Leader
“Paul Caffrey’s men looked way off-colour and sensing their hesitancy, a spirited young Limerick side pushed the Boys in Blue all the way to the final whistle and only failed by the narrowest of margins to cause the shock of the year so far,” wrote The Sunday Independent.
“It took a Quinn ’45′ to clinch this win for the Dubs; Quinn sent the winning score over on 70 minutes and although Cork referee Michael Collins allowed six minutes of injury-time, Limerick could not gain the draw they really deserved.”
Quinn was sprung from the bench in the 36th minute, replacing 19-year-old rising star and St Vincent’s team-mate Connolly who departed with a shoulder injury. The super substitute top-scored with 0-4 (2f, 1 ’45), while Connolly was among the others on target for the Dubs alongside David O’Callaghan, Conal Keaney, Darren Magee and Alan Brogan.
The visitors were odds-on favourites and started brightest on their Ennis Road Escape, but this youthful, new-look, battling Limerick side soon kicked into gear. Full-forward Darren Horgan scrambled home a goal, Dublin began to fade, and the hosts were within one point at the break, 0-9 to 1-5.
Mike Crowley, Michael Reidy, Pat Ahern, Jason O’Brien, Gareth Noonan and the electric Pa Ranahan were among their other scorers, the latter denied a goal in the closing stages after a “magnificent world-class save” from the now-legendary Stephen Cluxton.
The Treaty left a couple of other chances behind in the first half, but overall, this was an impressive, spirited showing and brought an air of optimism around the county.
“Justification that Limerick are moving in the right direction,” read Jerome O’Connell’s intro in the Limerick Leader. “Yes, defeat was the end result, but this was a performance to warm the hearts of Limerick GAA.”
For Dublin, it was another largely disappointing outing. They were off the mark with points on the board, but serious questions remained.
Both sides went on to be relegated from Division 1A. Dublin dropped to Division 2 for 2008 alongside Cork, while Limerick joined Fermanagh — who they beat the following week — in Division 3. (There was Division 1A and 1B system in 2007, and the format changed to four divisions, 1-4, in 2008.)
16 years later, the pair meet in the Allianz Football League for the first time.
Dublin were relegated from Division 1 for first time since ’07 last year, and Limerick were promoted from Division 3 meaning another rare meeting, this time in the second-tier.
Dessie Farrell’s Dubs, six in-a-row All-Ireland champions from 2015 to 2020, began life in the lower league with an unconvincing one-point win over Kildare in Croke Park last Saturday, but are much-fancied for a swift return to the upper echelon.
It’s looking a lot more challenging for Limerick, with staying up the big ask for new manager Ray Dempsey. Following in the footsteps of Billy Lee after his successful tenure, Dempsey saw his charges fall to a 0-16 to 0-4 defeat away to high-flying Derry on opening weekend.
Just like in 2007, the pendulum swings heavily towards Dublin on Sunday afternoon as a novel fixture awaits.
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