Keith Barr and John O'Leary celebrate after the 1995 All Ireland SFC Semi-Final win over Cork at Croke Park.
By Cian O’Connell
It is a particularly exciting era for Dublin, but Keith Barr is delighted that strong links to the memorable summer of 1995 remain.
Pat Gilroy and Jim Gavin have occupied central roles in Dublin’s success story with five All Ireland titles collected since 2011.
That victory arrived following a decade and a half of waiting and wondering, Barr, a totemic Sky Blue figure, encountered something during his own playing days.
“1983 to 1995 is 12 years, then 1995 and 2011 there is 16 years,” Barr says about stints when Dublin weren’t perched on the Gaelic Football summit.
“My view on all of these things and on the present Dublin team from the team that won in 2011 all the way up to where we are is that they are a special group of people.
“They wear the Dublin jersey with pride and passion. I think the common denominator in this is that they've had wonderful management teams.
“To me a lot of credit should go to Jim Gavin and his management team and Pat Gilroy in 2011. I think they are wonderful guys, 1995 plays a small part in all of this because they are guys from our era.
Dublin manager Jim Gavin pictured at a media event at Parnell Park ahead of the All Ireland SFC Final.
“It gives me great pride to see people like Jim Gavin going on doing what he is doing. Carrying on the great Dublin tradition of being a great Dublin player and manager.”
How Gavin continues to maintain high standard with a gifted crop of Dublin footballers impresses Barr, who stresses the importance of the passion which exists for the game in the capital.
“It isn't a case of being disrespectful to any other manager or anything like that, Jim is a special person, a special manager that goes about his business in his own quirky way or in his own manner,” Barr states.
“It is absolutely wonderful to see what he is achieving. Jim is the manager of a management team, you have had the likes of Declan D'arcy, Mick Deegan, Paul Clarke, Jason Sherlock all these former players are making a wonderful contribution.
“No more than we had back in the 90s, we were managed by former players such as Paddy Cullen, Pat O'Neill, Fran Ryder, Bobby Doyle. Wonderful, wonderful people.
“Those people cherish Dublin, no more than the present management team treasure Dublin. That is the baton we all hope to pass on.
“That is the secret of Dublin football, you are only the holder of a jersey, you pass it on then better than what you got it. This present team are definitely doing that.”
