When Dublin’s favourite son Brian Mullins signed up to guide Derry’s fortunes

When Dublin’s favourite son Brian Mullins signed up to guide Derry’s fortunesOn the great Dublin teams of the 1970s and 80s Mullins was to the Dubs what Graeme Souness was to Liverpool or Roy Keane to Manchester United: the alpha male in the middle, ruling by force and iron will and unremarked sophistication.

By dint of other circumstances Mullins was in their orbit. His career in teaching had taken him to Carndonagh, in north Donegal, where he was principal of the secondary school. From there it is only about 20 miles to Derry city. They proposed; he said yes. Anthony McGurk knew Mullins. They had been on All Stars trips together, and when Mullins accepted the job he asked the county board to recruit McGurk for his management team. Training was usually in the south of the county, so on training nights they would meet in Derry city and McGurk would drive from there, at ease in each other’s company.

Getting past first base with Mullins was the forbidding part. Gormley played for two seasons under Mullins and when a blood condition forced him to step away, at the end of 1997, Mullins invited him on to the management team. By then he thought he had figured him out. The players responded instantly to Mullins and in his first season they won the 1996 National League.

“There was enough capacity to probably win an All-Ireland,” says McGurk. That would have been Mullins’s thinking too. It didn’t happen. Remarkably, that was Mullins’s last day as an intercounty manager. In 1986, a year after he retired from playing, Mullins, Robbie Kelleher and Seán Doherty were gathered as a “caretaker” management when Dublin needed an in-season solution; their involvement, though, ended with Meath’s first Leinster title in 16 years.

Among other things, he asked for a week-long overseas training camp, permission to pick his own selectors and “an enhanced sports science programme” which he had costed at about €5,000 per month. The full list came to about eight items, but the Dublin management committee couldn’t swallow them all. “I’m not saying that,” said Mullins. “I’m definitely not saying that. On this occasion, it’s the end.”

Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Bookies report strong support for Willie Mullins-trained pair at CheltenhamWillie Mullins is sending a seriously strong team of horses to the Cotswolds
Source: IrishMirror - 🏆 4. / 98 Read more »

Willie Mullins camp recreate famous Patrick-Danny row ahead of CheltenhamTeam Clossuton have landed in the Cotswolds and were in a jovial mood as they stretched the legs of many of their equine superstars on Sunday morning
Source: IrishMirror - 🏆 4. / 98 Read more »

The Willie Mullins 2,111/1 accumulator for the Cheltenham FestivalThere is every chance that Mullins could hit double figures for winners this year after having six winners at last year's festival
Source: IrishMirror - 🏆 4. / 98 Read more »

Willie Mullins and Paul Townend land pre-Cheltenham Festival trebleThe trainer/jockey partnership is widely expected to dominate proceedings at Prestbury Park this week
Source: IrishMirror - 🏆 4. / 98 Read more »

Patrick Mullins on the tragic death of his childhood best-friend at just 21Ronan Lawlor sadly lost his life in a freak riding accident in 2010 before he could fulfil his potential as a jockey
Source: IrishMirror - 🏆 4. / 98 Read more »

Danny Mullins preparing to make the most of festival second-choice pickingsJockey Danny Mullins believes Il Etait Temps is the one to be on from Mullins team in Arkle
Source: IrishTimesSport - 🏆 2. / 99 Read more »