DAVID O’CALLAGHAN HAS no regrets at being involved in Dublin’s hurling league opener next Saturday night instead of Ballyboden St Enda’s All-Ireland senior club football semi-final.
Next Saturday Dublin face Tipperary in Semple Stadium at 7pm while Ballyboden St-Enda’s meet Clonmel Commercials in O’Moore Park at 4.30pm.
O’Callaghan came on as a substitute when Ballyboden saw off St Vincent’s in last November’s Dublin county senior football final after transferring to the club at the start of last season from his native St Mark’s.
But having already planned to go travelling in North America, O’Callaghan opted out of the squad after that game and did not feature in Ballyboden’s AIB Leinster club championship campaign.
O’Callaghan has no qualms with deciding to head to Thurles this Saturday instead of Portlaoise. Linking up with the panel after their Leinster campaign would not have sat right with him.
“I had a great couple of weeks with them last year and I managed to see a bit of action in the latter stages in the Dublin county (championship),” revealed O’Callaghan.
“But I made a decision to do a bit of travelling. I just informed the management the night of the county final that I would be going away.
“So there was no issue. They’re great lads and there’s a great setup there. I suppose, I wouldn’t have felt right about waltzing back in there in January.
“I decided I’d come back and just focus on Dublin really. I spoke to Andy (McEntee – Ballyboden manager).
“I don’t want to go too much into it. The option was there. But I had just made the decision that I was going to come back in hurling.”
“There was always a good chance they were going to go on and win Leinster. I had made a decision on a personal level. I had a little opportunity to do a bit of travelling, which I thoroughly enjoyed.”
O’Callaghan believes Ballyboden will be in good shape to compete on Saturday despite the long hiatus since their Leinster final win.
“It’s tough. Obviously you’ve the Christmas break there and then you’ve January and you’re trying to gear up for an All-Ireland semi-final in February.
“But Andy McEntee is a top, top manager and has a great team with him so I’m sure he’ll have the team in good shape for Saturday.”
Not really fair when you remember that Sligo were kicked out of the championship last year for the same reasons
@Tom McBride: totally agree.
@Tom McBride: nobody cares about lesser teams. It’s all about the big few.
@Homes: Absolutely, no way would any teams outside of Div 1 or 2 have a game rescheduled for the same. Nonsense.
@Homes: Tyrone hardly in the “big few” these days are they??
Can you imagine the sledging that will go on. The Tyrone backs sneezing on top of the kerry forwards etc
@James Beattie: lol. Didn’t think of that. Hilarious haha
Up Kerry!
Would the Tyrone team not be vaccinated yet?
@Gerard Browne: can still have covid
@John O Reilly: I know that but if everybody is vaccinated there’s no need to quarantine?
@Gerard Browne: still have to isolate even if fully vaccinated!
@Darren Mullins: if positive yes but not if a close contact as you become a casual contact if vaccinated or is it different in the UK?
@Darren Mullins: Makes the point of getting the vaccine pretty pointless so
@Gerard Browne: with the vaccine you only get a milder dose of covid
@Gerard Browne: If you call significantly reducing your chances of death or serious illness then ya, pointless
Tyrone should have been thrown out
Good call. Even though I have to do a week of late shifts to get Sunday off!
Sligo couldn’t field a team and were punished , Tyrone should be out of the all Ireland series . Broke covid rules kick them out
@Greg: they didnt break any covid rules. Cork u20s were given a similar postponent this season for the same reason.
@Kieran Lynch: where did they celebrate after Ulster Final?
Rte just announced it being postponed for a week. Final moves to September 4th.
@Kieran Campbell: Saturday???
@John McCabe: Yeah Sat 4th Sept. Most likely a 6:30-7pm kick off too, so they can accommodate for the Ireland vs Azerbaijan game in Lansdowne which kicks off at 5 bells on Saturday as well.
@Ultan Corcoran: I believe the All Ireland Final will have a ‘throw in’, and the other match at the Aviva will have a’kick off’
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
This bl00dy virus has stopped being a joke when it interferes with GAA all ireland.