DUBLIN MANAGER NIALL Ó Ceallacháin says he’s keeping an open mind about how best to use veteran star Liam Rushe after plucking him from retirement.
Two-time All-Star Rushe has emerged as a surprise contender to feature for Dublin against Clare in Sunday’s NHL Division 1B final, as well as in the Championship.
O Ceallacháin managed Rushe at club level when Na Fianna won Dublin, Leinster and All-Ireland titles across late 2024 and early 2025.
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At county level, Rushe has only featured once, for 15 minutes as a substitute against Westmeath in 2022, since lining out in all of Dublin’s Championship games in 2021.
The 35-year-old made his name as Dublin’s centre-back during the Anthony Daly era but has also featured in attack and won one of his All-Stars at midfield.
O Ceallacháin also confirmed the return of speedy attacker Cian Boland who hasn’t played for Dublin since starting all of their League and Championship games in 2023.
But Sunday’s final in Limerick will come too soon for Sean Currie and David Purcell due to injuries.
Asked where he might deploy Rushe this season, with Dublin captain Chris Crummey the established centre-back, Ó Ceallacháin said he hasn’t yet decided.
“I don’t know yet, we’ll have to see,” said the Dublin manager. “Liam’s been training with us for a few weeks there. I’d obviously have a relationship with him from the club but he keeps himself in great shape. The thing for him now is to step back in at a very competitive level, at inter-county level, which is obviously a step up from club level. We’ll start there and see where that goes.”
Ó Ceallacháin rewarded dual player and former Dublin footballer Conor McHugh with a county call up last year, after working with him at Na Fianna. The expectation was that if Rushe was going to return to Dublin, it would have been at that time too.
“It’s not an easy thing to do, to actually commit to that week-on-week,” said Ó Ceallacháin, who guided Dublin last year’s All-Ireland semi-finals.
“If you look at last year, the club was going until the end of January, as regards the All-Ireland club. Generally, it’s very hard these days for an inter-county player to be going the whole time, it’s basically 11 or 12 months of the year. When you have a lot of things going on, as Liam has, that’s probably harder again. But listen, it’s great to have him back.”
Boland will give Dublin further options in attack. When he last featured in 2023, after undergoing Achilles surgery and missing all of 2022, he chipped in with 1-7 in the Championship.
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“Cian has probably 10 years under his belt,” noted Ó Ceallacháin. “For various reasons, on a personal level, travel level, club hurling level, neither himself nor Liam were involved up to now but they’re both with us for the last few weeks.”
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'He keeps himself in great shape' - Ó Ceallacháin on Liam Rushe return from retirement
DUBLIN MANAGER NIALL Ó Ceallacháin says he’s keeping an open mind about how best to use veteran star Liam Rushe after plucking him from retirement.
Two-time All-Star Rushe has emerged as a surprise contender to feature for Dublin against Clare in Sunday’s NHL Division 1B final, as well as in the Championship.
O Ceallacháin managed Rushe at club level when Na Fianna won Dublin, Leinster and All-Ireland titles across late 2024 and early 2025.
At county level, Rushe has only featured once, for 15 minutes as a substitute against Westmeath in 2022, since lining out in all of Dublin’s Championship games in 2021.
The 35-year-old made his name as Dublin’s centre-back during the Anthony Daly era but has also featured in attack and won one of his All-Stars at midfield.
O Ceallacháin also confirmed the return of speedy attacker Cian Boland who hasn’t played for Dublin since starting all of their League and Championship games in 2023.
But Sunday’s final in Limerick will come too soon for Sean Currie and David Purcell due to injuries.
Asked where he might deploy Rushe this season, with Dublin captain Chris Crummey the established centre-back, Ó Ceallacháin said he hasn’t yet decided.
“I don’t know yet, we’ll have to see,” said the Dublin manager. “Liam’s been training with us for a few weeks there. I’d obviously have a relationship with him from the club but he keeps himself in great shape. The thing for him now is to step back in at a very competitive level, at inter-county level, which is obviously a step up from club level. We’ll start there and see where that goes.”
Ó Ceallacháin rewarded dual player and former Dublin footballer Conor McHugh with a county call up last year, after working with him at Na Fianna. The expectation was that if Rushe was going to return to Dublin, it would have been at that time too.
“It’s not an easy thing to do, to actually commit to that week-on-week,” said Ó Ceallacháin, who guided Dublin last year’s All-Ireland semi-finals.
“If you look at last year, the club was going until the end of January, as regards the All-Ireland club. Generally, it’s very hard these days for an inter-county player to be going the whole time, it’s basically 11 or 12 months of the year. When you have a lot of things going on, as Liam has, that’s probably harder again. But listen, it’s great to have him back.”
Boland will give Dublin further options in attack. When he last featured in 2023, after undergoing Achilles surgery and missing all of 2022, he chipped in with 1-7 in the Championship.
“Cian has probably 10 years under his belt,” noted Ó Ceallacháin. “For various reasons, on a personal level, travel level, club hurling level, neither himself nor Liam were involved up to now but they’re both with us for the last few weeks.”
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