Former Limerick hurler Shane Dowling believes that Dublin may have squandered its chance of being a dominant hurling team in the country.
Hurling is a sport that is dominant in places like Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, and other parts of the country, and in some of those areas, the intercounty football teams suffer as a result.
Dublin is the opposite, where they do well in football but lack any sort of presence in hurling.
This week, new GAA president Jarlath Burns talked about ambitious plans to improve hurling in counties like Louth and Kerry.
Dowling, formerly of Limerick, believes that there should also be consideration put into the likes of Dublin, who have the resources but have underachieved for years. Their last Liam McCarthy win came in 1938.
"Dublin has by far the biggest population, the most money, and the best facilities. And, while I’m not going to write off their year when we’re barely into March, a county that is that well-resourced should not be taking an 18-point beating in Croke Park," he said in his Irish Mirror column
"Anthony Daly got a tune out of Dublin over a decade ago; they won League and Leinster titles and were very unlucky not to reach an All-Ireland final. But over the last 10 years, they’ve been a lot more miss than hit and haven’t kicked on at all."
"They have a big performance in them every year, but is that really where the Dubs should be?"
Cian Boland of Dublin in action against Paddy Burke of Antrim during the Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Quarter-Final match between Dublin and Antrim at Páirc Tailteann in Navan, Meath. (Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)Dowling also believes that Dublin should be fighting it out with the likes of Kilkenny and Galway, and that one Leinster final in the last 10 years isn't good enough.
"I know that the county footballers command the limelight in the capital, but it had evened out a bit with the success that the hurlers enjoyed. That’s waning fast.
"They have so many resources at their disposal that other counties are crying out for, yet they can’t really compete for a provincial title—they've only been in one Leinster final in the last 10 years—when surely they should be on the same level as Kilkenny and Galway at least."
Dowling also writes that Dublin's huge population size and wealth aren't a guarantee of success, even though some might think so. He is of the thought that Dublin's boom period might have come and gone
"Dublin may not be a traditional hurling county per se, but nobody can say that they’re not drastically underachieving," he added.
"Maybe Donoghue has some aces to play later on in the year, but getting beatings like that at any stage of the season cannot be a good sign.
"You may remember Wexford being fleeced at home to Clare last year, and things never came right for them afterward as they only avoided relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup.
"So while growing the game is vital, consolidation is important too. Money, numbers, and facilities help, but they don’t guarantee success or a stream of top-class hurlers on their own, as evidenced by Dublin.
"They were really close to something big at one stage, but now it looks as though they may have squandered the boom."
