What did the Dubs see in Pat Gilroy?

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Tue Jan 31, 2012 6:16 pm

I think the only thing more remarkable than Gilroy turning Dublin into All-Ireland winners is the transformation he has undergone himself. A managing director of Dalkia into All-Ireland winning manager of Dublin. Dalkia don't normally breed football managers. That management position along with a peripherial role in DCU's Sigerson Cup team in 2008 were the only things on his CV back in 2009. Along with the fact that he'd previously played for Dublin but was not good enough to start for them in 1995. How on earth did he ever get the job?

And what did those in charge of appointing Pillar's successor ever see in Gilroy? He had no form whatsoever. As a matter of interest, I had a look at the records of Jack O'Connor, Mickey Harte, Pat O'Shea and Conor Counihan prior to their intercounty stints. O'Connor was heavily involved with the school where he tought eventually winning a Hogan Cup as well as winning a county championship with his club Dromid Pearses in 1999. We all know about Mickey Harte winning All-Ireland minor and u21 titles before his three senior All-Irelands. Pat O'Shea reached two County finals with Dr. Crokes as well as overseeing the Kerry minor team for a period in 2002 and 2003. And Counihan has been involved in some form or another in a lot of Cork managements following his retirement in 1993. And has managed his own club with a reasonable degree of success.

So what about Gilroy? What did he do before his time as Dublin footballer manager?

**bocerty** Tue Jan 31, 2012 8:10 pm

did he not have some role with his club Loyal - not sure what success if any can be attributed to him - perhaps makes it even more remarkable that he had no 'form' as such and yet was able to turn the Dubs into All Ireland winners.

The temptation is there to say they won it in spite of him and not because of him but that same accusation was levelled at Mickey Harte after 03 when Paddy Tally was getting all the credit in some disgruntled quarters. In 05 Tally wasnt in the equation but the same disgruntled few tried to gave the credit to Peter Canavan and yet in 08 neither of the two were in the equation so i think the minority accepted mickey must have been doing something right.

**Loyal2TheRoyal** Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:55 pm

St. Vincents, Gilroy's club, reached the Dublin club decider in 2006 but were beat by UCD in the final. However they came back to win it in 2007, and then beat Seneschalstown in controversial circumstances in the Leinster club championship. And later emerged triumphant on Patrick's Day the following March. Mickey Whelan was in charge. However it's possible Gilroy was the brains behind it all, and that someone in Dublin County Board realised this and gave him the job, and then decided to put Whelan in as selector as a kind of fail-safe mechanism.

**Parouisa** Wed Feb 01, 2012 9:37 am

It was a lot to do with Mickey Whelan alright. When Vins won the All Ireland club championship Mickey was at the helm with Giller still playing but helping out too. They couldn't appoint Mickey as it may have been seen by some fans as a retrograde step so they picked Giller knowing Mickey would be part of the ticket. They also recognised Pat's business acumen and knew he would bring hard work and discipline to the table (and hopefully success) and cut out the BS that marked the end of Pillar's reign. And they were right.