There will be two major problems for the Dublin county board when they come to choose a successor for Mickey Whelan. Firstly, the decision has been so unexpected that the executive will have had little chance to compile a shortlist of convincing candidates and, secondly, the unpleasant circumstances of Whelan's departure will make potential appointees wary. Possible candidates include:

1) Kevin Heffernan: The most remarkable indicator of Heffernan's influence on Dublin football is that every All-Ireland won by the county between 1942 and 1995 was achieved with his direct involvement as a player, selector or manager. When a new generation eventually managed a winning Dublin team in 1995, the management team was entirely composed of players who had played under him. Although now retired, Heffernan has remained active in the GAA and he is believed to have influenced Whelan's appointment two years ago. As a coach, he has also maintained an involvement and only this weekend, the St Vincent's juniors won a county title under his guidance. A strong contender for a short-term appointment, he could sort out problems and get the team back on track while a long-term successor is sought.

2) 1995 Management: Pat O'Neill managed the team which won the All-Ireland, but together with colleagues, Jim Brogan, Bobby Doyle and Fran Ryder, he was part of one the strongest collective managements seen in the game with everyone having specific functions. Whether all are available to renew this corporate partnership is open to doubt. O'Neill's busy medical practice prompted him to step down in the first place.

3) John O'Leary: Captain of the 1995 team and the only member of that team to have played in the previous 1983 success, O'Leary retired last summer in the wake of the defeat by Meath in the Leinster championship. His relations with both Whelan and county chairman John Bailey had been strained, but now that Whelan is gone and Bailey's term of office is due to expire at the end of the year, he might be tempted back, even as a player-manager. Would be an obvious choice as a selector for any incoming management team.

4) Tommy Lyons: The Offaly manager will be aware of the bittersweet symmetry of laying waste his own county just two years after he was denied appointment as Dublin manager. There is in truth little chance that he will abandon an Offaly team thriving under his guidance to take up what he sees as a poisoned chalice, but earlier this year, he was mentioned as a possible successor as manager, with Erin's Isle's Pat Canning and St Vincent's Dave Billings as selectors. However, in the meantime, Lyon's circumstances in Offaly have changed dramatically.

5) Robbie Kelleher: A member of the 1970s' team, Kelleher was involved as a selector in 1986 as part of Brian Mullins's triumvirate. He has maintained his involvement in the game and currently coaches Kilmacud Crokes, but has been absent from the intercounty scene for a long time.

6) Alan Larkin: A name that used frequently crop up in the last 10 years whenever a vacancy in the senior team arose, Larkin has had a lower profile of late. His achievements with Dublin's minor teams have been well documented and what scant success has occurred at that level has been attributable to him. The usual reservations about bridging the gap between under-age and senior apply.

8) Gerry McCaul: Something of an unsung hero in Dublin management, he was in charge of the team between 1987 and '90. This was when Meath were at their best, but he still managed to keep Dublin in touch. One NFL and one Leinster title was the total haul but his teams were in contention every year.