CLOUD NINE

Dublin hero dreaming of surpassing legends of Kingdom

IT’S a distinguished club whose membership more than doubled at the back end of last year.

For 34 years, Kerry quintet Paidi O Se, Pat Spillane, Ger Power, Denis ‘Ogie’ Moran and Mikey Sheehy were the only men to hold eight All-ireland senior football medals though seven Dubs – Stephen Cluxton, James Mccarthy, Michael Fitzsimons, Cian O’sullivan, Kevin Mcmanamon and the now retired Michael Darragh Macauley – joined them in December.

It becomes even more exclusive when it’s whittled down to players that have started eight winning Allireland finals.

Power, Spillane and Sheehy didn’t start the finals of 1979, ‘81 and ‘84 respectively due to injury, leaving O Se and Moran as the only two everpresents.

Similarly with Dublin, only Cluxton and Mccarthy have been part of every team that have won their eight All-irelands since 2011.

“I’m absolutely happy that I’ve done that, and proud of it and all, but I don’t put too much stock on it,” said Mccarthy.

“Yeah, it was great to play all the games – don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted with that – but it’s more when you’re finished up that you look back and go, ‘Yeah, I put a lot of minutes in’.

“It’s testament to good fortune as well over the years. Like I’ve picked up injuries in the middle of summer a couple of times and you think, ‘Jesus, the year is gone here’.

“But I’ve been very lucky that I didn’t do something like an ACL or something like that that could just put you out for a year. There’s been a lot of good fortune to it as well, Lady luck landing on my side at times during some summers. Definitely when I look back on it, it is something me and my family will be proud of.”

A new mark could be set this year by the six remaining Dublin players and Mccarthy admits that setting a new mark has crossed his mind.

“Look, we try to close the book on each season but I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say ‘Jeez, that’s something I’d love to achieve and something I have in my mind that I’d like to go after’, so yeah, of course it would be.

“But I’ve been around long enough now to know that you just have to take each season as it comes and not be thinking ahead. If you think ahead, you get caught.

“I wouldn’t be thinking about it every day. I’m just focusing every day on getting better as a player. I still think I can get better so I’m trying to keep on producing for the team.”

At 31, Mccarthy is the youngest of the sextet and, with

Dublin’s powers showing little sign of waning, he could be out on his own by the time he

“If it happens, it happens.

It would be great. As I said,

I actually feel in great shape at the moment, as good as

I’ve ever been. I’m enjoying my football still.

“I’m 31 now, not too many years left but hopefully I have another three or four at it if I’m lucky.”

finishes.