CHARITY CHALLENGE DUBLIN v KILMACUD CROKES:THE MAJOR debate in Dublin football circles now inevitably turns to the future of Pat Gilroy as manager. The 42-year-old father of four and managing director of Dalkia saw his three-year term end after last Sunday's victory over Kerry at Croke Park.
“The next couple of weeks we just have to sit down and there is a lot of things have to be thought through,” said Gilroy after last night’s charity challenge between Dublin and county champions Kilmacud Crokes in Parnell Park.
“When I have done that I’ll decide what I have to do, but obviously I’ll have to talk to the county board as well. My time is done now. They have to want me to stay on as well. Ah, we’ll talk about that in a couple of weeks.”
Turns out the Dublin county board have already given their answer. “We feel, and certainly I do, backed up by the county secretary John Costello, that it is time to give Pat some time,” said county board secretary Andy Kettle.
“He has a young family, quite a busy professional life and he has spent three years of his life, at the moment, doing it.
“On the other side of that, Pat has brought this group of young men to the start, as I see it, of an adventure, not to the finish, and I would expect him to want to be a part of a continuation of this adventure.”
Family life and work commitments are the issues Gilroy will have to factor into his final decision. “I have four small kids and they are getting big quick,” he continued. “You miss out on a lot – they are starting to play a lot of sport. Also, work have been extremely good to me. I need to talk to them too because this is the agreement they agreed to (three years).”
Mickey Whelan is another well placed to speak on this issue, having been in a management partnership with Gilroy that has now yielded All-Ireland titles at both club, with St Vincent’s in 2008, and intercounty level.
“If he can afford the time it would be great for the game in Dublin,” said Whelan. “He’s not just a young manager, but he’s a young manager who has acquired a great deal of experience and he’s very knowledgeable of the game.
“He has all the prerequisites for it, but he has put in place such a structure that even were he to go it would be easier for someone else to come in, but really he should stay on if he can find the time.”
Gilroy picked himself, near the square’s edge, for last night’s match in aid of Crosscare and Temple Street Children’s Hospital. The 1995 All-Ireland winner kicked a point before taking himself off. By that stage Eamon Fennell had completely lost the run of himself, planting five goals, celebrating one with a cartwheel in this barely competitive, yet entertaining, run out.
The diehard traditionalists are contemplating a blanket ban for every player involved last night after a thinly disguised soccer exhibition broke out in the second-half. As you would imagine, Bernard Brogan is a fairly tidy operator in that code as well.
The arrival of John Costello, fully decked out in Dublin garb, on to the field prompted Rory O’Carroll to flick the ball up and punch it over the bar. However, Sunday’s Dublin full back was playing full forward for Kilmacud.
For the record, it finished 8-3 for Dublin and 6-4 for Crokes.
