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Jim Gavin on his childhood Kerry hero and growing GAA's reach in Dublin

Jim Gavin's the manager tasked with the challenge of leading Dublin's 'Drive For Five'. His Dubs ...



Videos

Jim Gavin on his childhood Kerry hero and growing GAA's reach in Dublin

Jim Gavin's the manager tasked with the challenge of leading Dublin's 'Drive For Five'.

His Dubs take on Kerry on Sunday with history on the line.

With that on the horizon, the Dublin manager looked back into the mists of time with our own Maire Treasa Ni Cheallaigh.

Kerry were all-conquering during his youth so which player from the Kingdom did he aim to emulate most as a player?

"I suppose Mikey Sheehy. His skill-set and he was just a really graceful player on the ball," said Gavin.

"Obviously, he got some really great goals against Dublin as well. But those teams have so many skillful players. But he's probably the player in a Kerry jersey that would have stood out to me at a very young age."

He also turned to the Dublin GAA side of that era, who won a few All-Irelands of their own. Gavin added that the current crop "are stepping in the footprints of the sand" of that generation.

"So they're acutely aware of their responsibilities in this continuum of Dublin GAA," he said.

Bigger Picture

Gavin also discussed the wider context of growing sport's reach within the county across all cultures, creeds and genders.

"It's been very successful the last couple of years with the strategic plan that the management team and leadership that Dublin GAA have shown," he said.

"But there are still quite large tracts of land and estates in Dublin without a GAA ball being kicked or there's no sport being played.

"That still is a social challenge Dublin has as a big metropolitan city. So, of course we'd like to see them with the hurleys and Gaelic footballs in the hand. But if it's a basketball, a soccer ball, a rugby ball, we wouldn't really care. Once they're participating in sport."

Gavin also discussed how working in the Air Corps has benefited him within a sporting context.

You can watch the full Jim Gavin interview on YouTube.

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All-ireland Dublin Dublin GAA Gaelic Football Jim Gavin Kerry Off The Ball