It was last August when news emerged Micheál Donoghue would be taking charge of the Dublin hurlers. It felt like a statement appointment. There had been enough talk of potential, time to drive it on.
However, on the eve of the championship, so many unknowns continue to hang over this group of Dublin players. On the face of it they put down a bang average league campaign, winning two matches (Antrim and Laois), losing two (Tipperary and Kilkenny), and drawing one (Waterford).
Still, Donoghue has seen enough winter and spring hurling to know his first season in charge will be judged predominately on what happens over the weeks ahead. Emerging from the Leinster championship group is an obvious target for the Dubs, who begin their campaign with an away trip to Corrigan Park in Belfast on Saturday.
“Our first game is up there and obviously Darren Gleeson has done a great job with Antrim over the last few years,” says Dublin forward Cian Boland.
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“We’d definitely expect a tight game, we have played them twice this year and both have been very tight games.
“Antrim hurling is probably on a bit of a high at the moment with the impact Dunloy would have had this year with reaching the club final. We fully know what to expect when it comes to Antrim, it’s a challenge that we are really looking forward to.”
For all the talk of Corrigan Park being something of a fortress for Antrim, recent results indicate otherwise. Kilkenny and Tipp beat Antrim there during the league, though the Saffrons did pick up a Corrigan Park win over Laois. But Dublin won there during the 2022 league and if Donoghue’s side are to advance to the All-Ireland series then they will almost certainly have to win their opening two Leinster SHC matches – away to Antrim and at home to Westmeath.
That Westmeath encounter will take place at Parnell Park, but Dublin’s other two home games – against Wexford and Galway – will be played at Croke Park. Boland says the players did have an input as to where Dublin would play those home fixtures.
“We always felt from a collective perspective that Croke Park would suit us from a style of play point of view and the personnel that we have, that the bigger pitch would suit us,” he says.
“The decision was to go with what we felt was best for the collective, and that’s what the final decision was. We would have liked to have all of our home games at Croke Park but that decision was out of our hands. We have Wexford and Galway at Croke Park and the Westmeath game is at Parnell Park.
“The fans bring a great atmosphere to Parnell Park but we have to make the decision that we feel the opportunity that the Croke Park pitch gives four our style of play and the players we have, and we just had to go with that at the end of the day.”
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Boland has more reasons than most to be excited for the start of the 2023 championship, as he missed all of last season after rupturing his Achilles during a club game in October 2021. He was an ever-present during this year’s league for Dublin and hopes his days on the treatment table are now behind him.
“I played every minute of the league, if anyone told me that at the start of the league I would have bitten your hand off,” he adds. “From a personal point of view, it’s great to be back in the blue jersey, to play so many minutes and get so much game-time is exactly what I was looking for.
“We have really enjoyed working with the new management team, I am just hoping that this year is going to be a successful year and that all their expertise brings us in the right direction.”
