O’donnell vows to give it all
PADDY ANDREWS says Dublin would like another three-in-a-row next summer - hitting the road for the third consecutive year.
The All-ireland champions will begin their Leinster campaign with a tie against Offaly or Wicklow which will almost certainly be at a provincial venue.
It will be the third year running that the Blues will have opened the summer away from
Croke Park having played all their games there between 2007 and 2015.
Last time they began their All-ireland assault against Carlow at O’moore Park (inset) in Portlaoise. Andrews (above) said: “We’ve gone on the road for the last couple of years and we’ve always said it, as players we don’t mind it. It’s a EOGHAN O’DONNELL has assured new Dublin hurling manager Pat Gilroy that he’ll give everything he has to be successful.
Gilroy trained the Dublin footballers hard when managing them and is said to have presided over almost 50 sessions in his first January, back in 2009.
Ex-dublin hurler Niall Corcoran believes some players might not fancy that and may opt out.
But full-back O’donnell said he is ready for the slog and looking forward to testing himself.
He added: “I’m looking forward to it. Whatever it takes to win is what I’ll do. I think there were rumours of 6am sessions with the footballers and if that’s what it takes I’m all for it.
“There is no such thing as too much work for this. You are already putting your life into it so why wouldn’t you go one more step to see if it works.
“And if it doesn’t then we’ll try a different approach but you have to go in with an open mind and be willing to try everything.”
Former boss Ger Cunningham lost players too, though it appeared they simply did not see eye to eye with him.
O’donnell admitted it was difficult to see them walking away instead of staying on to fight.
He added: “It does hurt when lads leave. I’m not going to beat around the bush on that. You do feel a bit let down that they’re not pulling for the same goal.
“But if lads are saying now, ‘This is my No1 commitment’ then I’d be 100% happy with that. There would be no grudges held or no tensions or bad feelings. Clean slate.”