Back to the future for dazed Offaly forward

PREPARING for a Leinster Senior Football Championship semi-final in Croke Park for the first time was certainly not on the horizon for Nigel Dunne last October and it was no surprise that he was in a somewhat dazed condition when he spoke after Sunday's super 1-11 to 0-10 win over a stunned Meath.

Taking the pats on the back and plaudits from supporters, the Shamrocks man grinned broadly as refereeing stalwart Noel Cooney “accused” him of being a Pullough man – born and bred in Rahan, Dunne's father, also Nigel was a long serving goalkeeper for Erin Rovers and Pullough blood is very much part of his heritage.

Four years ago at 29 years of age, Dunne was on the inter-county scrap heap as a mixture of being pushed and walking away saw him exit from the Offaly senior football panel after a fairly big difference of opinion with the then new manager, John Maughan.

Dunne had been a central figure in a calamatious 2018 Leinster championship defeat by Wicklow. Taken off in the first half, he later denied reports that he had been on his way to the car at half time when persuaded to return by a supporter. He came back on as a sub in the second half but missed a penalty as Offaly suffered a devastating 1-20 to 1-15 loss.

With the manager Stephen Wallace suspended and watching from the stand, the County Board dispensed of the Kerry man's services within days. Paul Rouse saw out the 2018 season as interim manager – his brother John is a selector – but John Maughan's appointment seemed to spell the end for Dunne.

Their falling out was not exactly a public one but it was widely known and with Maughan staying on until the end of the 2021 season, Dunne's day looked to be well and truly over – he didn't play in the championship in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. There was surprise, not to mention plenty of questions asked when one of Liam Kearns' first acts as manager was to invite Dunne back in for a trial.

He shot the lights out at that trial in Faithful Fields, was called into the panel and has started most games since then. Dunne had an excellent game on Sunday, scoring four crucial points, two of them from play but the biggest surprise was that he played for the whole match. He has generally been called ashore around or before the 50 minute mark in other matches and that may have happened again only for circumstances – Rory Egan, Conor McNamee and Bernard Allen all went off with injuries and the Allen one in particular handicapped Offaly as he had just come on ten minutes early.

Unsurprisingly, Dunne was one of the players running on fumes in the closing quarter but he battled with every inch of his being and unusually, he was almost lost for words as he discussed it all afterwards.

“Unbelievable, the sense of relief there is something else. For so many years, we have fallen short against the teams ranked that little bit higher than us. I haven't been part of a team that has got over the line in one of those games. It is an unbelievable feeling, absolutely unbelievable.”

Now back living in Offaly and working as a full time Games Promotion Officer with the County Board, Dunne did not think he would now be preparing for his first ever Leinster semi-final – Offaly's last appearance there was way back in 2007. This time, there will be no walking away and he will have to be pushed out the door.

“I didn't expect it, I thought my time was done. At the final whistle there, my eyes nearly watered. It just means so much to me. Growing up, all I ever wanted to do was play for Offaly and at 29 I thought I was done but at 33 it's back and it just feels better than ever. I am going to rinse everything I can out of it now. I will go now when I am shoved out the door.”

He did not expect to be playing the full game.

“The adrenalin is keeping me going now. I would say tomorrow morning I will be in a nice bit of pain.”

Dunne had warm words of praise for the late Liam Kearns and the influence he has had on him.

“To be fair, I feel a sense of unbelievable gratitude to the late Liam Kearns. I had a little prayer this morning and I was thinking of Liam. He targeted this game when I spoke to him back in November. Even thinking about that conversation we had now. . . . This was the one. He said to us if we can beat Longford, I promise you we will beat Meath. He was with us today and Martin (Murphy) and John (Rouse) have been just unbelievable, dragging us on from what was such a vulnerable position as a group. They were immense really.”

He is very glad that Liam Kearns showed faith in him.

“I think he did. I went in with Liam and I was just as honest as I could be. I tried my best in all the runs. I am not going to keep up with the younger lads but I have other attributes that I can bring to the squad and I think I can help us improve a little bit. I knew I was still capable but it was just did someone else have that belief in me and Liam did.”