Dublin footballer, Cian O'Sullivan.
By John Harrington
Cian O’Sullivan will join a very select club on if he helps Dublin defeat Mayo in Saturday’s All-Ireland Football Final and wins his eight All-Ireland medal on the field of play.
Only five players, all of them Kerry legends, have previously managed that feat – Pat Spillane, Páidí Ó Sé, Mikey Sheehy, Denis ‘Ogie’ Moran and Ger Power.
It would be a serious achievement, but it’s not something that he’s using as a source of motivation ahead of Saturday.
“I’m not just saying it because it’s what you should say to media but I honestly don’t (think about it) and even All-Irelands and other accolades that I’ve won in the past, they don’t really register because it’s not what the team is trying to do, we’re so involved in the team right now that your mind doesn’t even go there.
“I think probably when you finish playing and in 10 or 20 years’ time and you’re looking back over it and watching back old DVDs, and have your medals stored away somewhere, it’ll probably hit home at that stage. Right now, no, that’s the honest answer.”
O’Sullivan is one of five players on the current Dublin panel who played in their previous seven All-Ireland wins along with Stephen Cluxton, James McCarthy, Philly McMahon, and Kevin McManamon.
“I’ve heard that before and it’s a nice reference point and to be mentioned in the company of those lads at any time is really nice but it’s not something that really motivates me or drives me,” he says.
“That bubble that we have within the team and trying to be the absolute best team that we can be, to sustain that and be consistent with that and not be a flash in the pan and a one-hit wonder, that’s what really drives me and motivates me to be part of that.
“That creates a massive competitive drive within that arena. To get involved and to be on the 26, or to play some part, it’s a massive motivator.”
Cian O'Sullivan pictured with the Sam Maguire cup after victory over Kerry in the 2019 All-Ireland SFC Football Final replay.
O’Sullivan is clearly the sort of competitive animal who relishes that challenge because he has plenty of excuses to rest on the laurels of his previous achievements.
Staying fully fit has proven to be a challenge in recent years. He missed the All-Ireland semi-final win over Cavan with what he describes as “a couple of niggly” injuries, and hamstring injuries also limited his involvement in the latter stages of the 2018 and 2019 All-Ireland campaigns.
He and his wife Danielle had a baby daughter earlier this year too, so that’s another reason to perhaps not have the same focus on playing inter-county football as he once did. O’Sullivan is adamant though that his edge has been in no way dulled.
“No, definitely not,” he says. “100% not, even the way I’m feeling now about Saturday week, I’m extremely motivated and driven for this final and I guess that’s the secret sauce of the team, that we have that environment that brings out that motivation in everyone.”
And were O’Sullivan and his team-mates to win another All-Ireland title on Saturday, his satisfaction at the achievement would be in no way diminished by doing it in an empty Croke Park.
“I don’t think so, it hasn’t diminished the significance of the All-Ireland in any respect for the players,” he says.
“I think this team has always been about the bubble that we create and trying to get the absolute maximum we can out of each other and this group.
“Probably Covid doesn’t really come into it too much or playing in front of packed stadiums and the glory and die hard days and stuff like that, they probably don’t come into it as much, there’s still the opportunity to win an All-Ireland and for us to play against one of arguably the best teams in recent times on Saturday week is something we’re really, really looking forward to and if it’s any way similar to previous games against Mayo I’m sure it’ll be another epic encounter and battle.”
