By Cian O’Connell

During a glittering inter-county career with Dublin, Cian O’Sullivan won eight All-Ireland senior medals.

On these summer weeks when football dominates the agenda O’Sullivan misses representing Dublin in high stakes matches.

“Weeks like this with the build up, even in the weeks previous like the build up for Mayo in the quarter-finals, these are the weeks you relish as a player,” he says.

“You do miss it now, I'm two years out of the game, not that long, but these are the moments you love playing in. I'm not too sure about early January and December being back for that, but certainly if you can be as picky and choosy to just come back for weeks like this, that would be great.”

O’Sullivan, though, is adapting and attends as many matches as possible. “Last year it was a bit mixed,” he replies when asked about going to game. “I've a young family so I'm a little bit constrained on that front. I was away on holidays for two weeks last year, I missed a quarter-final and a semi-final.

“We took clients to the final, but Dublin weren't playing. I've been at a couple of games. Obviously the longer you are out of the dressing room the less of a tie and an association you have with the players, the connection there so it gets a little bit easier.

“I'd still be quite close and familiar with a lot of those in the dressing room. I'll be going along this weekend, you are there as a massive supporter and fan of the team, but you are also there looking on thinking back on the glorious days that you had there, and reliving them to some extent too.”

This Saturday evening O’Sullivan will monitor Dublin’s All-Ireland SFC Semi-Final encounter against Monaghan with interest. The manner of the win over Mayo bodes well according to O’Sullivan.

“I think that performance, everyone was waiting to see that – it clicked,” O’Sullivan says. “It was a really, really impressive third quarter, but I think the whole game, I don't know when the last time Dublin beat Mayo by that margin.

“Any time we have played them it has been a point or two, a draw even. This was a hotly tipped Mayo team, a lot of people fancied them.

“It has been a funny season with how the Championship is structured, how teams are timing their run and timing their performances, it has been a bit different to previous years.

“That was really impressive, it was good to see Dublin putting that type of performance in. We probably haven't seen that this year yet.”

Dessie Farrell’s panel has been bolstered by the return of influential figures such as Stephen Cluxton, Jack McCaffrey, and Paul Mannion. Dublin are still making an impact in 2023.

“You are stepping back looking at the landscape of the teams that is left, you are asking yourself what is driving these teams?,” O’Sullivan says.

“From a Dublin perspective there is definitely a sense of unfinished business. You can see it from the players and the leadership that was shown on the pitch the last day.

“James McCarthy, he has been around, he owes Dublin absolutely nothing. He was an absolute warrior, he really took the game to Mayo in that third quarter, he had a stellar performance.

"To be getting performances out of players like that is a reflection of what is really driving these guys. Is it a case of we are in the business end of the season now and pushing the go button, taking off?

“It will be interesting to see what kind of performance they get out of themselves this Saturday against Monaghan.”