FOR the first time in a decade, there will be a Brian Fenton and James McCarthy-shaped hole in Dublin’s heart – with the National League offering Dessie Farrell the perfect opportunity to audition potential successors.
But Cuala powerhouse Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne has the chance to light up Croke Park six days out from the Dubs’ opening Division One outing against Mayo, and in the process state his case for one of the spots that medal-laden duo has vacated.
At 34, and with a string of niggly injuries getting in the way during recent years, it was no huge surprise when McCarthy decided to call time. However, the retirement of two-time Player of the Year Fenton – still only 31 – sent shockwaves through the capital.
Replacing such significant figures could take years to sort out but, having been part of the Dublin panel in recent years and starred in Cuala’s run to Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Ulster champions Errigal Ciaran, Farrell knows exactly what Ó Cofaigh Byrne has to offer.
And the towering midfielder hopes to force his way up the pecking order once club business is taken care of.
“Yeah, of course - definitely for the lads in the squad, myself included, it was a massive target anyway,” said the 25-year-old, speaking at a media event ahead of the AIB All-Ireland Club SFC final.
“Now that there is a hole there, it is an opportunity, definitely. They are 100 per cent tough boots to fill, James and Brian… playing with them was an absolute pleasure.
“I know there are a lot of lads there - Ethan Dunne is a young fellow coming up, Tom Lahiff, there was a lot of lads chomping at the bit there, trying to get the jerseys off the lads, trying to compete with them and if that made us better as a team that was great but now that they are gone, 100 per cent.
“Now, I have not been involved so I don’t even know who is even there at the moment, who is looking for that spot. Even with the new rules and stuff, I am sure it will be quite different.
“I know for the team, and for us, it is going to be a massive loss even just character-wise. With regards to replacing them, you hear the same cliches that they can’t be replaced and stuff like that, but there are definitely a lot of lads there - not only myself - who are ready to go.
“I know the first League game is soon but, when it comes to Championship, I am not sure. It will be a tough battle until then.”
And while Fenton’s announcement came as a bolt from the blue to most, Ó Cofaigh Byrne was part of the inner circle who had been contacted by the Raheny man days before official word leaked out.
“I was probably as shocked as anyone, to be honest.
“Like, I think there is a thing out there that we know everything that is going on with each other in Dublin, and we don’t tell anyone. But, like, I think Brian’s decision was his own, it was private and he let a few of us know before but it was probably something he kept personal.
“I would say a lot of his close friends would have known, his family. It was a little bit of a shock and I might have heard a little bit before you guys, but it was not something that we would have been aware of at the end of last year.”
The Glen players were back in with Derry just a week after last year’s All-Ireland winning exploits and, while Ó Cofaigh Byrne isn’t sure how soon the Cuala contingent will return to the Dublin fold after Sunday, an entirely different scenario awaits.
Because while the final rounds of the club football championships are being finished out using the Gaelic football rules so familiar to the game’s playing population, those hopping straight into county panels face something of a culture shock amid a raft of new rules.
It is a daunting proposition, admits Ó Cofaigh Byrne.
“I think probably to our detriment a little bit, for the Errigal lads and us as well and even Strandhill and all those lads, we haven’t looked at any of the new format or the new rules or anything - not even once, and I haven’t really looked at any of those games either that we’re on.
“I know even our league starts with Cuala soon after that, so it’s going to be a massive learning curve. Obviously it’s changed a lot, there’s a lot of new changes, ones that you’d almost miss if you weren’t probably drilled into it, and I know the lads have probably been doing workshops and stuff, knowing them.
“They’ve probably gone through that and they’ve already developed certain game-plans and stuff with regard to it. That’ll be something that definitely anyone who’s involved from our Cuala team, or any of the Errigal lads who are going back to Tyrone, that’s going to be a massive undertaking to do just to even get to grips with it.
“Fitness-wise we’ve been playing for ages, but keeping on top of that if you do get a break is going to be massive.”
