North Dublin vs South Dublin | Which football team would win?

With talk of splitting Dublin into two teams increasingly on the agenda as we head into a new decade, we’ve decided to look at the two potential starting 15s of a North and South Dublin team. 

While splitting the All-Ireland champions into two sides would certainly result in two weakened teams, both sides would be expected to make it far in the championship.

North Dublin

1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
2. Philly McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams)
3. Johnny Cooper (Na Fianna)
4. Darren Daly (Fingal Ravens)
5. Eric Lowndes (St. Peregrines)
6. John Small (Ballymun Kickhams)
7. Jack McCaffery (Clontarf)
8. Brian Fenton (Raheny)
9. James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams)
10.  Diarmuid Connolly (St. Vincent’s)
11.  Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille)
12.  Brian Howard (Raheny)
13.  Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock)
14.  Bernard Brogan (St. Oliver Plunketts / Eoghan Ruadh)
15.  Dean Rock (Ballymun Kickhams)

North Dublin especially would have to be considered as real contenders to win the All-Ireland. The return of Diarmuid Connolly to inter-county football has seen their attacking threat be strengthened even further and they would still have one of the best goalkeepers in history in Stephen Cluxton.

There are five players who are currently in the Dublin panel who didn’t make the starting 15 for the Northsiders - Evan Comerford, Eoin Murchan, Paddy Andrews, Conor McHugh and Paddy Small, which would ensure they would have plenty of firepower coming off the bench.

South Dublin

1. Lorcan Molloy (St. Annes)
2. David Byrne (Naomh Olaf)
3. Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala)
4. Rory O'Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes)
5. Conor Mulally (Cuala)
6. Cian O’Sullivan (Kilmacud Crokes)
7. Nicky Devereaux (Ballinteer St. Johns)
8. Mark Schutte (Cuala)
9. Michael Darragh McAuley (Ballyboden St Endas)
10.  Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street)
11. Kevin McManamon (St. Judes)
12.  Andrew McGowan (Kilmacud Crokes)
13.  Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes)
14.  Eoghan O’Gara (Templeogue Synge Street)
15.  Con O’Callaghan (Cuala)

While South Dublin aren’t quite as formidable a team as their northern counterparts, there wouldn’t be many sides that would feel complacent when coming up against them.

There are four players in South Dublin’s starting 15 who are currently not on the Dublin panel - Lorcan Molloy, Conor Mulally, Nicky Devereaux and Mark Schutte. Goalkeeping would be an area of concern for the Southsider’s with both keepers in the current Dublin panel hailing from the Northside.

Prospects

South Dublin could realistically set their sights on an appearance in the Super 8s, but you would feel that they wouldn’t get any further. 

In Leinster, they could well be a match for the likes of Meath and Kildare but you would have to feel that the Northsiders would be the strong favourites for the Delaney Cup.

North Dublin would certainly set their eyes on the Sam Maguire and would boast many players that have played crucial roles in previous winning All-Ireland campaigns.

While they wouldn’t be fancied to maintain Dublin’s current dominance, it would be no surprise if they won an All-Ireland within their first few years of existence.

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