Philadelphia freedom for PwC All Stars’ Con O’Callaghan

It is, by Con O’Callaghan’s own admission, the first real break he’s had in four years, and while he would prefer that not to be the case, his club Cuala’s relinquishing of their All-Ireland, Leinster and Dublin titles has meant that he can enjoy the visit to Philadelphia with the PwC All Stars.

For anyone making the comparison, 2018 wasn't the annus mirabilis that last year had been – three All-Irelands (senior and under-21 football and senior club hurling) an All Star and Young Footballer of the Year – but it didn't exactly send him crashing to earth either, and he held on to the club hurling and senior football medals.

The focus on Dublin footballers and their record-equalling four-in-a-row All-Ireland titles revealed a less prolific season for O’Callaghan, but his work rate was exemplary, especially against Tyrone in Omagh during the round-robin quarter-finals in what was the champions’ most intense match of the year. That appeared to impact on his scoring, which in his first full season in 2017 ran at an impressive average of 0-3 from play per championship match.

“I wouldn’t say difficult, really,” he says, responding to a question about whether he found 2018 “more difficult”.

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“It was a hugely enjoyable year, both personally and as part of the team. In 2017 I’d a really good year. I took a lot of chances. Some things [in 2018] came off and they don’t always come off, but I really enjoyed the year. I was happy with it overall.”

He agrees that his form was on an upward curve by the end of the season, scoring a goal in the semi-final against Galway and providing the key assist for Niall Scully’s goal that effectively broke the back of Tyrone’s challenge in this year’s final.

“Yeah, possibly. I got a nice little break for the Roscommon match because we were already through and top of the group, and it didn’t make a difference. That’s what you want – to peak at the end of the season, but I still really enjoyed the Leinster campaign. I think the Super 8s was really enjoyable as well. I know some people are giving out, but just to get more matches and be able to build up your form personally and as a team was better, and you get tested more.”

Replacement

The appointment of Cuala's All-Ireland-winning coach Mattie Kenny and his coach Greg Kennedy to take charge of the Dublin hurlers meant that the club had to secure a replacement, and the successful former Tipperary under-age coach Willie Maher was unveiled as the successor last week.

O'Callaghan's scoring exploits (7-15 in eight matches in the 2017 campaign, for instance) for Cuala brought him into the conversation for the Dublin hurlers but nothing ever came of it, as his preference has always been the big ball – just as his brother Cian has always opted the other way.

“Yeah, I always was. My Da (Maurice, who played for Dublin in the 1980s) played football and was a big influence on me. He wouldn’t have told me what to do, and Cian obviously went with the hurling, but I always preferred football and was a better footballer under-age.

“Obviously the success of the Dublin footballers was something that inspired you and something you wanted to be part of as well.”

He hasn’t been moved to reconsider in the wake of Kenny’s move to take over the county reins and says that no pressure has been brought to bear.

“Eh, no. I don’t think so this year anyway. We actually had a holiday with Cuala over in Portugal, with the hurlers, and Mattie and Greg came over with us. So we just had a really good time.

“We’ve been talking about going away for so long, for nearly three or four years, so it was nice to actually go away – but I had no conversation, just chats. I think Mattie is letting me off, I don’t think he’s going to approach me for the year.”

Might that be revisited?

‘Success’

“I haven’t considered it . . . It’s not that I’d no desire to play with the hurlers but I’d had some success in hurling. In the next couple of years I can’t say that I won’t, but I see myself playing football – hurling with the club but football for Dublin.”

There’s no doubting that football’s going to be centre-stage and in the spotlight in 2019, as Dublin footballers become only the sixth team in GAA history to set out in pursuit of an unprecedented fifth All-Ireland.

Everyone will be trying to stop you – that's the reality of it

O’Callaghan is unperturbed at the prospect given the routines the team has established and how they managed to handle the pressures of this year’s four-in-a-row.

“Our focus is league, which we always take seriously, and then championship. It’s not going to be about how many titles we’ve won.”

Is it possible to maintain that bubble with all of the hype raging outside?

“That’s what you’re trying to do. Everyone will be trying to stop you – that’s the reality of it. We try to keep it within ourselves and stay off social media. We try to stay together as a group, particularly when the games are getting big and there’s lots of people talking from outside.

“Everyone knows that we focus on the process and if you start thinking about these glory titles – five-in-a-row – you’re probably not in the right headspace to be playing matches.”