05-07-2025
2013 and all that - Dublin desire Rebel redemption in All-Ireland hurling semi-final
Sweet and sour.
In 2013, Dublin's hurlers beat Wexford, Kilkenny and Galway to end a 52-year wait for a Leinster title.
A first All-Ireland crown since 1938 was firmly in their sights but Anthony Daly's men fell at the semi-final hurdle, losing a cracker to Cork by five points after playing the final 20 minutes a man down.
The one that got away, as Johnny McCaffrey, the man who lifted the Bob O'Keeffe Cup that July, is regularly reminded.
"It's the one that most people remember, to be honest," the former Dublin midfielder tells RTÉ Sport. "The way we won it, then got knocked out in a great game. How close we were.
"When people mention winning Leinster, then, nearly the next sentence is 'Geez, the Cork game got away from you'.
"It certainly doesn't take away from the Leinster at all, it's still a fantastic achievement to have that, but it would obviously have been nice to go on and compete in an All-Ireland final. Who knows what would happen in a final?"
Back when semi-finals were August Sundays, Dublin's Danny Sutcliffe had opened the scoring after just 10 seconds and the teams traded scores freely thereafter at Croke Park. Cork led by the minimum at the break - 0-15 to 1-11 - after David Treacy's kicked goal had edged the Dubs back in front.
The Dubs' adopted Tipp man Ryan O'Dwyer had received his first yellow card in the second minute for a shoulder that also hit the chest of Luke O'Farrell just after he released the ball and in the 49th minute, he was shown a second yellow, for a similar offence.
Cork inched back ahead but Dublin were level as late as the hour mark – 1-18 to 0-21 – before only scoring once in the final 10 minutes. An opportunist goal from Patrick Horgan in the 66th minute – flicking the ball off goalkeeper Gary Maguire's hurl and to the net – finally gave Cork breathing space and Dublin couldn't find the goal they needed. 1-24 to 1-19 at the final whistle.
"We played really well," reflects McCaffrey. "It was a great game for the neutral, obviously not great for us, not winning it, but a really good game of hurling.
"We went toe to toe with them and, when we look back at it, maybe we were too open. They got a score, we got a score. Maybe we could have sat off a little bit and defended a bit more. It's easy to say afterwards, but when you're going well and there's not much in it, you just want to keep at it and try to get that extra point more than the opposition.
"We had played the seventh defender in other games, and went more 15 on 15 [that day]. We were capable of that, no problem, it was just Cork who got that extra couple of scores in the end that mattered.
"We were down to 14 for the last 20 minutes of the game, which probably did have an impact, but Ryan was performing really well on the day itself, so it was him not being there as a presence that was just as hard to take as being down to 14.
"These things happen and Cork just came out the right side in the end."
Lorcán McLoughlin was the player who took O'Dwyer's second frontal charge that day. Coincidentally, he had also been the player fouled by Henry Shefflin for the first of his two yellows in the three-in-a-row chasing Cats' quarter-final exit to Cork.
"The one thing I remember about that year was all those sendings-off," the midfielder, who retired in 2018, tells RTÉ Sport.
"The Munster final [Limerick 0-24, Cork 0-15], Patrick Horgan had been sent off. The quarter-final, Henry Shefflin had been sent off. And then the semi-final, Ryan O'Dwyer was sent off.
"Henry Shefflin's first one in the quarter-final was a chop on my hurley. It was no yellow card and that was actually rescinded.
"In the semi-final, he [O'Dwyer] picked up one early, a chest-high tackle I think. The second one then was a frontal tackle on me as well. I actually had to go off as a blood sub.
"He did catch me but it was actually my mistake, I went to pick the ball and it came up a bit high. I was reaching for it and he just came across. I suppose that one was more of a yellow card than the first one. I thought the first yellow card was harsh enough for him.
"Dublin were excellent that year. Sutcliffe, O'Dwyer, [Liam] Rushe. They had a lot of good players. It was actually a cracking game of hurling and it's just a pity with the sendings-off when games are so close."
Cork went on to lose the All-Ireland final replay to a Shane O'Donnell-inspired Clare and have been beaten in two more deciders since. Dublin lost a tight qualifier with 14 men to the Rebels in 2016 and failed to get back to the last four until this year. Today, they will again face the county that killed the dream 12 years ago.
The Boys in Blue got here by pulling off hurling's biggest shock in decades, a 2-24 to 0-28 quarter-final win over a Limerick side fancied to win their sixth Liam MacCarthy Cup in eight years.
"The best thing about it was the performance and that it was fully deserved," says McCaffrey. "The work-rate, the want to keep going, and the togetherness of the group. It was great that it wasn't a lucky goal or something like that. It was a proper performance for the full 70 minutes.
"When they went down to 14 men, the performance got better. They didn't down tools, they kept at it, and the spirit was fantastic.
"Limerick went a point ahead and maybe thought they were going to kick on, but the Dublin lads stuck with it. They didn't put their heads down, they said 'We're here to win this'. Seán Brennan's save was a massive moment and lads getting blocks at the end, throwing bodies on the line. That just shows the will of the group to really put in a performance like that on a big stage.
"It's great to have that buzz back again, people talking in a positive light about Dublin hurling. We haven't had a really big win like that in a long time."
The most jaw-dropping aspect of the quarter-final triumph was that that red card came just 15 minutes in, Dublin losing captain Chris Crummey, a Lucan Sarsfields clubmate of McCaffrey, for a high tackle on Gearóid Hegarty.
"You can see some sort of reasoning with it, but it looked like there was very little force," suggests McCaffrey. "It's very unfortunate for Chris. He was on the panel in '13, but wasn't playing. So to miss out on the big semi-final after being there so long is cruel for him really."
McLoughlin sympathises with both Crummey and referee Liam Gordon, who issued the red card, while also being impressed with Dublin's ability to go on and win, having played with 14 men for so long.
"I suppose anything head-high you're in dangerous territory," he observes. "You just don't want to see anyone being sent off in any game, unless it's reckless.
"But referees have to protect players as well. And if it is head-high and it is an elbow you can have very little complaints.
"Dublin, the last day, they bucked that trend of the team a man down losing. Huge credit to them for their work-rate. It was very impressive. Good variety in their play. They went long and direct, they ran the ball and they had shooters from all over the field.
"They matched Limerick physically, got great scores and played from start to finish. Fully deserved their win in fairness.
"It just goes to show in sport, you have to take your chances and if a team gets any bit of momentum…"
McLoughlin hopes that the nature of their opponents' progress "will focus Cork".
"The fact that Dublin turned over Limerick, they can't be taken for granted. I don't think Cork will fall into that trap of being complacent.
"Cork have just been through the mill too much. Losing the All-Ireland final last year, there was a lot of hype around it. I think Limerick took the edge off Cork as well with the 16-point beating [in the Munster round-robin]. There's been an awful lot of learning in the last two years and awful lot to take from those games.
"They're in a great position. This seems like the strongest Cork panel that's been there since the All-Ireland in 2005. Huge credit to Pat Ryan because it seems to be coming together now at the right stage as well. Semi-finals are for winning. It doesn't have to be perfect. Go and get the job done and then there will be stuff to work on.
"I'm nearly afraid to say it, but I think they can [win the All-Ireland]. The one thing I would say is that each of the four teams that are left will all fancy their chances. Cork haven't won in 20 years. Kilkenny in 10 years. Tipperary haven't been in the semi-final since 2019 and Dublin are after beating Limerick. So every team will have plenty of hunger and motivation and, probably the big team, Limerick are gone out of it now, very similar to 2013 with ourselves, Dublin, Clare and Limerick. Everyone saw that Kilkenny were gone then, so it was anyone's opportunity. I think that's the case again this year."
McLoughlin, still only 35 and a dual player for Kanturk, trained with St Vincent's a few years ago while working in Dublin and was taken by Conor Burke, Riain McBride and big John Hetherton.
"I'm impressed with their full-back line as well," he says. "They're strong. Conor McHugh, since he has come back into the side as well, has been very impressive.
"All over the field, they have a lot of good players. The only thing I'd say the loss of Crummey is huge. That's a real setback for them. I know they got over the line against Limerick, but he's pivotal to their defence.
"I think the middle third is going to be huge. Conor Burke and [Dublin's] Brian Hayes are brilliant, but Darragh Fitz is back in his natural position of midfield. Tim O'Mahony's form is good. I think the game will be probably won and lost there."
"There's going to be nobody outside of Dublin giving them a chance"
The Dubs' victory over Limerick demands respect but they are still long odds to make it through to the final.
"There's going to be nobody outside of Dublin giving them a chance," says McCaffrey. "Everyone's expecting Cork to win the game, similar to the last day against Limerick.
"I'm sure the Dublin lads will just be looking for a performance like they gave against Limerick, in Croke Park on a big day. They'll know they have that in the locker, so it's a matter of just hopefully getting that out of themselves again, and who knows what could happen then if they do.
"Dublin will be looking to start well, bring it up to half-time and then reset and go from there again. Maybe get a goal or two, and keep out the Cork goal opportunities. Goals were probably a thing that we haven't been getting over the last so to have that threat is massive. Cork are going to be looking to get goals, they have an inside-forward line that thrive on getting goal opportunities. But our lads inside have got them as well and been able to take them. We're going to need to get a couple of them again.
"The hallmark of Dublin's good performances this year has been that the bench has added a great impact. They need that to get them over the line and hopefully they'll get that again."
Although former Clare captain Daly is an honorary Dub at this stage - "We'd count him as one of ours" - McCaffrey, a selector with the county Under 20s this year, has been encouraged that it is first-year boss Niall Ó Ceallacháin's home-grown management team that have bridged the semi-final gap.
"That's been really pleasing, from my point of view. Dave Curtin, Donal McGovern, all the backroom team, all Dubs.
"It's fantastic to see. It shows that the talent is within Dublin, to go and manage and coach at the highest level. You might have said three or four years ago that that wasn't the case, but it's slowly getting there now. You can have Dublin people involved at the highest level and compete.
"That has shone through in the lads, the performances have been from the heart and lads playing for jersey and that's obviously coming from the management team as well. It's fantastic to see and long may it continue."
"Whatever Dublin crowd is there have followed them for a long time now and will get right behind them"
Against Limerick, Dublin were buoyed by fans arriving during the second half ahead of their footballers clash with Cork. Today, the red jerseys are expected to significantly outnumber the blue in a full house, or close to, at Headquarters.
"It's a frenzy for tickets," says McLoughlin. "They're exciting, they're going for goals, and that's why they're getting so much support."
McCaffrey thinks Dublin will thrive on the bigger stage, regardless.
"There probably will be more Cork, but that won't bother the Dublin lads, they'll just be just revelling in it. Whatever Dublin crowd is there have followed them for a long time now and will get right behind them.
"In 2013, the atmosphere was something that we hadn't experienced before and that was sixty-odd thousand. It was great to be able to respond to that and put in the performance that we did on the day.
"There are going be more there on Saturday. To be at a Dublin hurling game that's close to capacity in Croke Park is fantastic. The atmosphere will be electric."
Watch the All-Ireland Hurling Championship semi-finals with RTÉ Sport. Cork v Dublin on Saturday from 4.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player and Kilkenny v Tipperary on Sunday from 3.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
