If Carlsberg did advertisements for the GAA, Saturday night’s script would have been perfect.
With the majority of the birthday guests already taken aback by the quality of the winter football, the after-party failed to disappoint as an illuminated HQ came to life. And of course what would a landmark birthday be without the old embarrassing photos.
As the strobe lights danced around the historic arena, fans were treated to a spectacular display of imagery, lighting and fireworks. Flashy and the GAA don’t exactly go hand-in-hand but with a bit of U2, JFK and a Mexican wave thrown in- and it all came together somehow.
The wide availability of tickets also opened Croker’s doors to a different type of visitor. With wide eyes and even wider smiles, the magic of the GAA was shared and absorbed by many first time viewers. It really was wonderful to see.
There was a collective sense of pride in the greater GAA community on Saturday evening as many made their way back towards the city centre. While the Dubs lost out on the day, the organisation as a whole really flourished.
It wasn’t all bad for Pat Gilroy’s side with the All-Ireland champions given an extensive mock exam ahead of another exhausting season.
But if Mickey Harte can keep that full-forward line fit this year, one would fear that they will just be far too good for Dublin, Kerry or anyone else for that matter.
Tyrone can play football as well as anyone else but it is their attitude and work ethic that is the most inspiring .
They have strength all over the park but it is their strength-in-depth that continues to shine. Michael McGee looks to be a corner-back of immense quality while Aidan Cassidy had an excellent debut at midfield for Mickey Harte’s side.
The artistry of Stephen O’Neill was worth the ticket fee alone. The Clann na Gael man was at his mercurial best, on his way to six points from play off one of the tightest man-markers from the capital.
Alan Hubbard had a difficult debut but like Ger Brennan, Ciaran Whelan and a couple of others in blue - he started to settle as the game progressed.
From a Dublin perspective, the full-forward line stood out. Jayo’s energy continues to amaze while Bernard Brogan and Conal Keaney both offer excellent scoring outlets if they are supplied sufficiently.
David Henry looks well able for the half forward line but I feel he might be better suited to number 10 or 12. Diamond and James Brogan both put in decent shifts but neither showed sufficient dynamism to suggest they will be serious contenders for starting berths come championship time.
Dublin could really do with someone in the playmaker mould of Brian McGuigan at centre-forward and out of the current squad I feel Bryan Cullen would certainly be worth a look there.
Cullen looked lost without the ball at times while his direct opponent Joe McMahon enjoyed multitudes of possession and the Omagh man used it to great effect.
Tyrone’s running off the ball really exposed Dublin’s zonal marking system with ball retention never really an issue for the All-Ireland champions. And, while Dublin did push them right to the wire, Tyrone looked like they had another couple of gears there if they needed to up the ante at any stage.
The jury is still out on the organisation’s new rules and it seems pretty clear that they are not required in hurling anyway. However, they certainly seem to make for more exciting and free-flowing football and long may that continue.
While the celebrations were an interesting distraction on Saturday night, it was the game itself that really displayed the true strength of the organisation. Let’s just hope that this trend continues and Year 125 is more than just a milestone.