Ballyboden bid to retain Dublin club dominance in Leinster

There is increasing evidence that Dublin’s dominance of Leinster football is spreading to both club and county.

With eight of the last 12 provincial titles won by Dublin clubs, Ballyboden St Enda’s are the latest to stake their claim, having booked their place in the 2015 final.

It’s a first Leinster final for the south Dublin club, and standing in their way on Sunday week are seven-time champions Portlaoise. That final could go either way, although Dublin clubs now boast a provincial record almost as impressive as the county team.

St Vincent’s (2007, ’13, ’14), Kilmacud Crokes (2005, ’08, ’10), St Brigid’s (2003) and Ballymun Kickhams (2012) have between them won eight of those 12 titles, while the Dublin footballers this summer won their 10th provincial in the last 11 years. It may or may not be a worrying trend, but it doesn’t offer the so-called weaker counties much hope.

Dual status

What makes Ballyboden’s progression to this year’s football final even more notable is their strong dual status: several members of the team that eased past St Loman’s on Sunday’s are equally deft hurlers, including former Dublin hurling captain Stephen Hiney, along with the likes of Conal Keaney and Shane Durkin. Indeed Ballyboden contested a Leinster club hurling final back in 2007, where they lost out to Offaly champions Birr.

For Hiney, a victory on Sunday week would make amends for previous defeats in both football and hurling. Last Sunday’s showdown against St Loman’s came with the reminder of a semi-final defeat against Garrycastle of Westmeath in 2009, the last time Ballyboden were Dublin champions.

“There were a good few of us playing that day too,” says Hiney, “and definitely a few of us were thinking about that, saying we can’t leave another semi-final defeat behind us.

“There’s huge ambition in the team, but when we were playing in the Dublin championship, we were just focused on each match. We certainly weren’t thinking about Leinster titles or All-Irelands when we went in playing Vincent’s in the county final. We’re just taking each game as it comes.”

Hiney credits their progress this season to a maturing team and also a warm understanding between the football and hurling commitments down at the Firhouse Road clubhouse.

“We’ve a good mix of guys who’ve been playing for six or seven years now, even previous to that, and lads who are just in out of minor as well. I think having the likes of young Sam Molony coming in on Sunday, at corner forward, really leading by example, shows that as well.

“There is quite a big crossover between football and hurling, and there’s one or two more who would be involved if they weren’t carrying a few niggles . . but at the moment there’s a good relationship between hurling and football in the club . . .

“Hopefully we can keep it going against Portlaoise.”

One key member of the Ballyboden panel is Paul Durcan, Donegal’s two-time All Star goalkeeper, who has recently relocated to Qatar for work purposes. Durcan made a flying visit home for Sunday’s semi-final, and manager Andy McEntee is confident he will be do likewise for the final on Sunday week.

“He bloody well better be back for the final,” says McEntee. “I know he’s under pressure to head back there but we hope to have him back for the final. He’s huge to us.”