Pat Gilroy exclusive on Stephen Cluxton returning to Dublin Senior Football squad
Paddy Morgan sits down with current Dublin backroom coach Pat Gilroy
Stephen Cluxton is currently 41 years old and has won eight All-Ireland titles with Dublin senior football team. Cluxton’s eight All-Ireland wins included kicking the winning free in the 2011 All-Ireland final against Kerry. “it was the ideal place for a left foot kicker and if you were to pick any name on earth at the time that was going to nail that free it was going to be Stephen”. Cluxton made a shock decision to return to the Dublin senior panel for the first time in three years for their Allianz Football League Division two game against Louth in March 2023. “he has a great mentality and is one of those people that could rely on for anything whether it’s football or sport”. Cluxton was on the bench for Allianz Football League Division 2 Final against Louth and his experience around the squad will be massive throughout 2023.
Gilroy won the All-Ireland as Dublin manager in 2011 and current manager Dessie Farrell announced in 2022 that Gilroy would be a backroom coach for 2023 season. “Dessie asked me if I could give a hand but unfortunately I couldn’t take on a team which was my first year out of management in 20 years”. Gilroy plans to be more involved as coach to Dessie Farrell throughout 2023 season. “I’m trying to help them as much as I can with the time I have”. Dublin returned to Division 1 of the Allianz National Football League after winning the Division 2 final against Louth. “they are working very hard as a group and Dublin will be a hard team to beat this year”.
As good as it is to win the Allianz National Division 2 League Dublin will be judged in how they perform in the 2023 All-Ireland Football Championship. “the big performances are required in the Summer months that’s the reality of it”. The format of 2023 All-Ireland Football Championship has changed with it been a round robin system. “it’s going to be funny to see how each team goes as the game has changed drastically since the time I was managing”. “it’s so crucial to have a big squad due to try to deal with the amount of games that will coming your way”.
Dublin’s spine of their squad is still strong as Michael Fitzsimons, James McCarthy, Brian Fenton, Con O’ Callaghan, Ciaran Kilkenny and Dean Rock all started the Allianz National Football Division 2 League Final against Louth. “I think Dublin have used close to 40 players in the League and that’s hard to get consistency in performances when you keep changing the team”. The emergence of Killian O’ Gara in the League could be important in his development for big games later on in the season.
“my personal goals would to be there more often than I have been so far”. said Gilroy. Sometimes you read too much into the League as Dublin were relegated from Division 1 in 2022 but were in a kick of a ball of winning the All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry. “all I would ever say if you get the best out of the team on the very last day whenever that is that’s all you can ask for because if they give us their best whether they win or lose it doesn’t really matter if that’s there best then you have to be happy”. It’s crucial to keep your best players fit throughout the All-Ireland Football Championship as Gilroy also revealed “there is an element of luck involved to win an All-Ireland as that would always be my thing with a team”.
Gilroy also said that he found a love for management from an early age. “I took my first team when I was 19 and started getting involved in coaching at a very young age”. Gilroy took over Dublin Senior Football team in 2009 and suffered a couple of bad days against Kerry & Cork before winning the All-Ireland in 2011. “I just finished playing it was attractive from the point of view that Micky Whelan certainly was at the peak of his powers”. Whelan played with Gilroy at St Vincent’s and was a selector to Gilroy during a very successful season in 2011. “I felt we would be very complementary as we knew each other inside out and we worked together for so long”.
Gilroy also managed the Dublin Senior Hurling team in 2018. “the hurling is a lot more 50 50 challenges it’s a lot less structured in hurling as the ball can travel so far with fellas scoring from 100 yards”. Gilroy explains the difference in condition when he managed Dublin hurlers. “there was a big difference in the level of condition that the Dublin hurlers had in comparison to the footballers even from the time we took them over it was a task in itself they found it hard to deal with the training we could only do so much that year because it was a funny year that there was Club Championship on the whole month of April”. Dublin Senior Hurling team lost by a scoreline of 3-16 to 1-24 against Kilkenny in 2018 Leinster Hurling Championship. “we had about three weeks to prepare for Kilkenny and we lost all those games in the last 10 minutes due to fitness”. Dublin exited the 2018 All-Ireland series after a draw against Wexford which meant that they didn’t advance to the latter stages of the competition. “we hurled really well that year in the Championship but we missed Conal Keaney Liam Rush and Ryan Dwyer all to injury”. Gilroy only managed the Dublin Senior Hurling team for one season. “they were a great bunch to work with and I was disappointed when I couldn’t keep going with them”. Dublin’s best achievement was winning the Leinster Hurling Championship in 2013. “there is a lot of hurling going on these days for Dublin Clubs and it would be a great thing for the GAA if Dublin could make a breakthrough in winning an All-Ireland”.
Gilroy won a All-Ireland Club title in his final season as a player in 2008. “I suppose as a player my best memory is winning the All-Ireland Club with St Vincent’s”. Gilroy won an All-Ireland with Dublin as both a player and as an manager. “1995 would be up there with it as well”. “Gilroy won his first Dublin Senior Football Championship in 2007. “I remember that very fondly it was a great occasion as Vincent’s had not won one in so long”.
It was a pleasure to catch up with Gilroy and I wish Dublin all the best for a successful Summer in 2023.