Passionate about the cause on a different campaign trail

Ian O'Riordan talks to Dublin City Councillor Nicky Kehoe, recently appointed as a Dublin hurling selector, who believes the current management team represents the backbone of Dublin hurling

Unlike many GAA personalities who have used their ready-made celebrity for political purposes, for Nicky Kehoe, the Dublin Sinn Féin Councillor and recently appointed Dublin hurling selector, the link with both sport and politics has always been separate.

Kehoe's political role with Sinn Féin has grown parallel to his interest in Dublin hurling, rather than because of it. He has long-established links with the Naomh Fionnbarra club in Cabra, managing the club's senior hurling and football sides for the past seven years, and it was for that reason alone that Marty Morris wanted Kehoe as part of his new management team.

Likewise, his rise through the ranks of Sinn Féin has been solely for political reasons. Having won Sinn Féin's second seat on Dublin Corporation in 1999, he went into the general election last May with an outside chance of a Dáil seat from Dublin Central - Bertie Ahern's own constituency - but, in fact, he came desperately close to taking it.

Only some late transfers wrested the seat from Kehoe in favour of Bertie's running mate Dermot Fitzpatrick, with the Sinn Féin man falling short by just 74 votes despite leading on the sixth count. As reported on the RTÉ news broadcast that night one could have been confused over who had actually won, with Kehoe cheered and shouldered high, and his party confident they would take the seat next time around.

"Basically I try to keep the politics away from sport," says Kehoe. "I've been involved with the GAA since I was very young, and my role there is to promote the games in Dublin. And especially in my own area in Cabra, which is big into soccer. In fact there have been 11 internationals from the area I live in. But hurling is the top game around here at the moment.

"The politics, though, are separate. That was a job I was elected into, and, like John Bailey with Fine Gael, everyone will have their own different political persuasion. But it doesn't come into any of my work with football and hurling."

Current TDs Tony Dempsey (Fianna Fáil) and Jim Deenihan (Fine Gael) came into politics well after their success on the playing field. Kehoe's new position as Dublin hurling selector, his first role in intercounty management, has come in reverse - and without any political baggage.

"I had actually applied for the Dublin hurling job," he explains, "and had gone for the interview and all that. I was told I wasn't successful, but in the meantime I got a phone call from Marty asking me to come on board as a selector. I did think about it for a week or two, and decided I would take him up on the offer."

Kehoe comes from a strong hurling background. Six of his family played senior club hurling, and two of his brothers played senior for Dublin. He himself played senior club hurling with Fionnbarra.

He also has strong ideas about the future of Dublin hurling.

"I think over the last few years we have seen a lot of progression," he says. "Both the minors and under-21s have had some very good runs. The talent is definitely there, but we just need to develop a bit more self belief.

"If we can create the sort of motivation required, then I think we can light up something. Dublin had a great win in the league over Waterford last year, but suddenly it was bang - back to square one. And that has often been the case.

"But I think this management team represents the backbone of Dublin hurling and its clubs, and if we get everyone around us involved then I think we can do the job. We have to be realistic as well, in that it is our first year. We will be giving it 100 per cent, and hopefully within the next couple of years we can get something into the bag."

Already Kehoe has had two training sessions with the senior panel in the past week, and already he is confident Morris has the leadership qualities necessary to deliver the long-awaited hurling success in Dublin.

"Marty is definitely going on the right track. His heart is definitely in the right place, and he has a good technical team as well."

"Another selector, Tommy Ryan (Craobh Chiarain), has probably been the best hurling manager in Dublin for the last three or four years with the results he's had at club level.

"Mick O'Riordan also has a great knowledge of the team, so I think the right organisation is in place. It's up to the county board now as well to deliver.

"If Dublin hurlers can win one senior trophy then what you see with the footballers will pale in comparison. There is a real hunger in Dublin hurling, even with the footballing public, and if Dublin can be successful then it will transform the game in the county. There is no doubt about that."

Fionnbarra's have two players on the Dublin panel - Niall Paget and Ian McDonald - but Kehoe's knows they will have to earn their places like everyone else.

"Of course I would be delighted if we could get someone from the locality on the team," he adds, "but they know they're going to have to work as hard as the rest."

As for the next election, Kehoe is diplomatic: "Well you never know in politics. And it's true what they say about being up one week and down the next. Hopefully Sinn Féin can keep making the gains in political circles as they are doing. But the sport thing will always get me away from my day-to-day stress and pressures."