Until last September, only three players had started each of Dublin’s All-Ireland finals in the 2010s - Stephen Cluxton, James McCarthy and Cian O’Sullivan.
Unfortunately for O’Sullivan, he didn’t line out in the 2019 drawn final against Kerry or the replay, leaving
Cluxton and McCarthy to continue on together. Nine finals each, nine starts each.
Dublin used 36 players in total in those nine All-Ireland finals, winning seven and drawing with Mayo in 2016 and Kerry in 2019. Just three of the 36 featured in all nine finals – Cluxton, McCarthy and, perhaps surprisingly, not Michael Darragh Macauley or O’Sullivan but super sub Kevin McManamon.
All of which leads us to consider exactly who was the player of the decade?
Unfortunately, Cluxton’s self imposed media ban and McCarthy’s modesty means that neither is ever going to lay claim to that title, not publicly at least.
Asked about his incredible All-Ireland record, McCarthy told Irish Sunday MirrorSport: “You’re always trying to be fit and ready for the business end of the season, every year.
"I’ve been really fortunate over the years that while I have picked up injuries, they’ve always been at times that have given me a chance to recover and to get back in time.
“Starting each final, that’s a nice statistic to have when you finish up, to look back on.”
McCarthy, who recently turned 30, has time on his side to eventually eclipse Cluxton who turns 39 later this year.
The powerful wing-back admitted his motivation to keep going is strong, despite having won virtually every honour in the game.
He said: “It’s simple enough, I still get a huge kick out of just playing football. Unfortunately right now the circumstances aren’t great but hopefully we’ll be back at it at some stage, whether it’s mid-summer or late-summer.”
Hot on McCarthy’s heels with eight All-Ireland finals is a group of eight Dubliners including Diarmuid Connolly and Dean Rock. Ciaran Kilkenny and Jonny Cooper are the only two of that group who have started all eight, just missing out on the 2011 success.
