BOOM TIME FOR BLUES

The summer when Dublin changed the GAA forever

- KIERAN CUNNINGHAM

THERE'S a Mick Deegan interview from 27 years ago that makes it clear, with hindsight, how far Dublin have travelled in recent times.

Deegan won an All-Ireland alongside Jim Gavin in 1995 and was a selector under him for the first four years of his tenure as manager.

But, back in 1998, the Finglas man was musing on the perception that Dublin had fallen a long way from the highs of the Heffo era.

"Well, Dublin in the 1980s lost two All-Ireland finals in 1984 and 1985, we won a League in 1987 and lost an All-Ireland semifinal in 1989 we should maybe have won," he said.

"Meath and Cork were coming good then but, really, our record wasn't so bad. There are always big expectations of Dublin, it's like they are the Manchester United of Gaelic or something.

"And Dublin have been very consistent in the 1990s. I mean we went to three All-Ireland finals and won two National League titles."

That's the way it was in the lean years. Forced to talk up losing All-Ireland semi-inal and final appearances.

It is accepted that Ger Brennan has taken over a squad in transition but Dublin went 16 years from 1995 to 2011 without lifting Sam.

They went without an All-Ireland from 1983 to 1995 too. Nobody expects their current dry spell to go anywhere near double figures.

It is 30 years today since Deegan and Gavin won their only All-Ireland as players and that Sunday September 17, 1995 capped a summer that changed everything on the GAA landscape.

It was a heatwave summer with one of the great hurling breakthroughs.