Dubs delighted that Kenny takes the reins

Mattie Kenny was the preference of the Dublin pitchers team to replace Pat Gilroy as a manager, according to Eoghan O Donnell.

The Whitehall Colmcille man now admits that Gilroy's unexpected decision to resign from his position gave him "the feeling of dying as a death in the family".

Yet Kenny's presence as a ready, willing and very obviously capable substitute has soothed some of the anxiety aroused by Gilroy's abrupt departure.

"Mattie was probably the first choice between the players," willingly admits O Donnell, "his record speaks for itself."

O Donnell was one of three Dublin players to meet Kenny at the Clayton Hotel in Liffey Valley last Friday, "just to review the projects of the year".

At this meeting, Kenny "clarified that it was not a transition period, we will build on what happened last year and we will not reinvent the wheel".

O Donnell was in Croatia when Pat Gilroy called him late one Sunday, in mid-September.

At first, he now admits, "I thought he was one of the guys who was pulling me out of the room, I could not believe it at all."

Then, as the reality of what Gilroy called to tell him began, O Donnell feeling "almost like a death in the family, it was a shock for everyone."

"We had such a good year last year and it came out of the sky completely.

"It was like a bomb dropped.

"There was disbelief and a few phone calls later to see if we could make it work and the heat said no, he was leaving and would be away for most of the year.

"And that put a nail in there … you can not do anything for what's gone."

"It was more disbelief, and next year is my sixth year in Dublin and I was only 23 last week.

"Before Pat was ringing, there was a buzz that I had never seen in Dublin, the boys were eager to get back to the gym, it was in August and the boys were getting together to do programs. and do some mountain shopping in Phoenix Park.

"So when Pat announced that things were taking a back seat because it was a blow."

O & # 39; Donnell points out that Gilroy's only year in charge has been more successful than the results indicate.

"I think somebody told me a statistic, we were leading in the 70th minute of every league game this year," he said.

"So, if you had offered this at the beginning of the year, apart from the results, we would have bitten your hand and used it as a progression for the next year.

"It's obvious that Dublin was hit hard when we heard."

So, of course, he contacted some Cuala players to find out what will happen on the slopes in the next few months.

"It's kind of like we had a little brainwashed," laughs O Donnell, "they just say the sun is shining all over it!

"So we took that with a pinch of salt.

"When players win, they always say that this method is the best way to succeed.

"I only met Mattie once.

"He was very positive and had a mbadive structure, so when we get to the top in team sessions, it will become clearer for guys who have not had it yet."

It is clear, however, that Kenny's meticulous and targeted approach seems easily transferable to the inter-county stage.

"I think that Cuala and our style last year have very similar styles," says O Donnell.

"It all depends on the strength with which you work when you do not have the ball, so you have to tackle the task, it's all about work rhythm, hooks and blockages.

"I'm sure it will require some adaptation, but her expertise in the meeting itself is very positive.

"Everyone is thrilled, the whole team behind the scenes, all the players are available, we are delighted with the way things have gone so far."