PAT GILROY IS a man well accustomed to calling the shots.
Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Away from GAA, Gilroy is a highly respected businessman who has worked as managing director of corporate giants Dalkia Ireland and, currently, Designer Group, while he’s also a former president of the Ireland-France Chamber of Commerce.
Of course, his sporting managerial exploits include leading the Dublin footballers to a breakthrough All-Ireland success in 2011. After a six-year hiatus from inter-county management, he’s now in the hot-seat with the county’s hurling side.
His lack of elite level hurling experience, along with his move to bring Anthony Cunningham in as coach, prompted speculation that the former Galway boss would be the one making the big decisions during games.
Gilroy’s other two selectors are Mickey Whelan and Paddy O’Donoghue, both primarily ‘football men’ who were part of the Sam Maguire-winning backroom team seven years ago.
He didn’t quite go full-Steve Staunton on it after their victory over Antrim last Sunday, but Gilroy left no doubt as to who was calling the shots on the sideline.
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“Yeah,” he replied bluntly when asked if he was the one with the final say on the sideline.
Gary Carr / INPHO
Gary Carr / INPHO / INPHO
“You’re listening to your selectors but that’s our job as a management team. We discuss things and I’ll make a call and Paddy (O’Donoghue) organises it with the linesman and that’s it.
“It’s 15 against 15, it’s very, very similar (to football),” he added.
After routine wins over Meath and Antrim, Dublin are into the Bord na Mona Walsh Cup semi-finals where they’ll face Wexford on Sunday.
Davy Fitzgerald is into his second year in charge of the Model County, and he used much of his first campaign to shore his team up defensively. Fitzgerald identified Shaun Murphy as the team’s sweeper and he performed well in that role in 2017 as Wexford achieved promotion from Division 1B and made it to the Leinster final.
Gilroy is similarly looking to build from the back as he prepares for the Division 1B league opener on 27 January.
The St Vincent’s man employed Barry Cahill and Bryan Cullen as deep lying half-forwards to help out the defence during the 2011 All-Ireland success, and he’s been experimenting with various defensive strategies with the hurlers in the early days of his reign.
Dublin selector Mickey Whelan Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Gilroy went with with seven defenders during the Dubs Stars game before Christmas, while he employed a four-man half-forward line against Antrim last weekend.
“We’re setting out to do certain things and we’re focusing on that a lot,” he said. “We’re not paying too much attention to the opposition at the minute, we want to do things ourselves so if we’re not seeing it happen we make the change.
Paddy Smyth, Bill O’Carroll and Cian Hendricken have formed the full-back line for Dublin’s three most recent games against Meath, Tipperary and the Saffrons, and Gilroy has been satisfied with their contribution to date.
“I think our full-back line was immense, they were winning the ball the whole time and they put their bodies on the line a few times in the first half to make sure we didn’t concede a goal.
“We didn’t concede a goal in the two competitive games and we only conceded one (against Tipperary).
“So in terms of stopping goals, that has been very good. It’s a game where goals can be crucial. But our concession of frees in scorable areas has been too much. So it’s something we have to work on.
“But certainly, we’re putting our bodies on the line to make sure we don’t concede goals, which is progression. So I couldn’t fault them. There’s lots of lads who are doing great and it’s positive for us.
“Look, we’ll just look forward to another game before the league starts.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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'We discuss things and I'll make a call': Gilroy insists he has final say on Dublin hurling sideline
PAT GILROY IS a man well accustomed to calling the shots.
Away from GAA, Gilroy is a highly respected businessman who has worked as managing director of corporate giants Dalkia Ireland and, currently, Designer Group, while he’s also a former president of the Ireland-France Chamber of Commerce.
Of course, his sporting managerial exploits include leading the Dublin footballers to a breakthrough All-Ireland success in 2011. After a six-year hiatus from inter-county management, he’s now in the hot-seat with the county’s hurling side.
His lack of elite level hurling experience, along with his move to bring Anthony Cunningham in as coach, prompted speculation that the former Galway boss would be the one making the big decisions during games.
Gilroy’s other two selectors are Mickey Whelan and Paddy O’Donoghue, both primarily ‘football men’ who were part of the Sam Maguire-winning backroom team seven years ago.
He didn’t quite go full-Steve Staunton on it after their victory over Antrim last Sunday, but Gilroy left no doubt as to who was calling the shots on the sideline.
“Yeah,” he replied bluntly when asked if he was the one with the final say on the sideline.
“You’re listening to your selectors but that’s our job as a management team. We discuss things and I’ll make a call and Paddy (O’Donoghue) organises it with the linesman and that’s it.
After routine wins over Meath and Antrim, Dublin are into the Bord na Mona Walsh Cup semi-finals where they’ll face Wexford on Sunday.
Davy Fitzgerald is into his second year in charge of the Model County, and he used much of his first campaign to shore his team up defensively. Fitzgerald identified Shaun Murphy as the team’s sweeper and he performed well in that role in 2017 as Wexford achieved promotion from Division 1B and made it to the Leinster final.
Gilroy is similarly looking to build from the back as he prepares for the Division 1B league opener on 27 January.
The St Vincent’s man employed Barry Cahill and Bryan Cullen as deep lying half-forwards to help out the defence during the 2011 All-Ireland success, and he’s been experimenting with various defensive strategies with the hurlers in the early days of his reign.
Gilroy went with with seven defenders during the Dubs Stars game before Christmas, while he employed a four-man half-forward line against Antrim last weekend.
Paddy Smyth, Bill O’Carroll and Cian Hendricken have formed the full-back line for Dublin’s three most recent games against Meath, Tipperary and the Saffrons, and Gilroy has been satisfied with their contribution to date.
“I think our full-back line was immense, they were winning the ball the whole time and they put their bodies on the line a few times in the first half to make sure we didn’t concede a goal.
“We didn’t concede a goal in the two competitive games and we only conceded one (against Tipperary).
“But certainly, we’re putting our bodies on the line to make sure we don’t concede goals, which is progression. So I couldn’t fault them. There’s lots of lads who are doing great and it’s positive for us.
“Look, we’ll just look forward to another game before the league starts.”
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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