Daire Lydon sits down with Ger Brennan, Dublin's new GAA manager.
When Ger Brennan was announced as the new Dublin senior football manager, there was no dramatic campaign, no public lobbying, no pitch for the job.
“It’s not the type of job you apply for,” Brennan smiles. "If it’s meant for you, it comes to you.”
For the new Dublin manager, a former two-time All-Ireland winner with St Vincent’s and with his county, the appointment is “a very humbling honour.” But the philosophy he brings to the role was shaped not just on the pitch, but here in Belfield.
A Value-Driven Coach
Before Dublin, there was UCD. Before tactics, there were values. “One of the former Heads of Sport in UCD, the late Brian Mullins, always had a mantra: how can you add value to the student experience through participation in sport?” he says. “With the GAA hat on, I ask the same thing, how can I add value to the student experience through UCD GAA?”
He sees the club as a home for everyone, elite athletes, social players, administrators, and students who “have a massive grá for the association” but struggle with technical skills. Everyone, he insists, belongs.
UCD GAA’s crest carries a motto: “a home away from home". “That whether you are from Sandymount or Tipperary or wherever, you feel welcome, you feel like you belong and that you have something to give.” That ethos has become increasingly important as the club has grown, particularly in women’s football, camogie and international GAA. This year alone, more than 400 women registered for ladies football and camogie.
“Mags Darcy, from Student Services, has given a massive boost to the club,” he adds. “She led our Fresher Ladies Football team to win their first ever All-Ireland in seven-a-side a couple of weeks ago. A lot of positive things are happening.”
But if facilities and competitions are benefits, he is firm that the real value lies somewhere else entirely. “The overwhelming benefit is friendships and connections. If you’re coming from a rural parish or walking across the road from St Benildus, you’re meeting people from different cultural backgrounds and demographics. You make friendships for life.”
A Historic Leinster Title And What It Meant
Before returning to Dublin, he stepped outside his comfort zone, taking Louth to a Leinster title, their first senior provincial championship in almost 70 years.
“That achievement is right up there with the All-Irelands I won with my club and with Dublin,” he says. “The joy and tears of happiness in Croke Park that day and in the months afterwards were incredible.” It was supposed to be an adventure in coaching. It became something more personal.
“You go up there to challenge yourself and see if you can add value. But on reflection, what they added to my life and my family has been incredible. I’ve taken an awful lot from that experience as well as giving everything to the cause.”
“Leaving the Jersey in a Better Place”
His managerial philosophy can be summarised in one line, a line rooted in culture rather than silverware. “Very simply, you’re taking something, you have responsibility to mind it, to look after it and to add to it. That’s the whole concept of leaving the jersey in a better place.”
In Dublin’s case, he’s honest about the standard that awaits:
“Dublin are judged on All-Irelands. That’s just where it’s judged. So all going well, we can develop decent young lads in their 20s and fellas in their 30s who are giving back to their local communities, who have a sense of humility, who are honest and hungry for learning and achieving. If we get those things, more often than not you pick up a few medals along the way.”
Balancing a Generational Dressing Room
There are All-Ireland winners still in the room. There are young players trying to earn their way in.
How do you balance both? “The starting point is honesty,” he says. “The benchmark is Kerry. Dublin have reached a quarter-final the last two seasons, so there’s work to do.”
He approaches selection analytically, not emotionally. “You look at the output of your top players and then you measure how well the younger fellas are doing. Then you try to bridge the gap. It’s a methodological, data-driven process. I don’t find it that hard.”
For UCD students trying to break through, the message is similar: the door isn’t closed but it doesn’t open by accident.
“It’s about sitting down with an individual and giving them information on where they’re at, the areas they can improve, and making those goals realistic and achievable. Some fellas’ bodies adapt quicker than others, and some fellas won’t make it. But it’s target-driven and honest.”
A Cleaner, Riskier, Better Game
The Jim Gavin review last year introduced sweeping rule changes, including new discipline measures and a revival of 1v1 contests from kickouts. He’s firmly in favour.
“The game has been cleaned up considerably. There’s less chat back to referees, which has improved the product for everyone. There’s been a return to more 1v1 contests. That unpredictability is exciting.”
But a couple of issues still irritate him:
“The amount of handpasses, and the fisted point. I think it’s quite an average skill. As a goalkeeper how do you save that?” Still, he believes Gaelic football is in a better place.
January, Laois, and the First Test
His first game in charge will be in the O’Byrne Cup against Laois. “Playing games is what it’s all about. Training prepares you, but you get training-fatigue. We’ll be looking forward to just getting going.” The O’Byrne Cup also brings another experimental twist: shortened matches and penalties for draws. “They’re sensible changes. They prevent soft-tissue injuries at a time when players are training heavily. Anything that protects players is a good decision.”
The Job Ahead
For a man who has worn the jersey, lifted silverware in Croke Park, and found his coaching voice in Belfield, the Dublin job is not just about winning though he knows winning is required.
It’s about culture. About standards. About leaving the jersey in a better place.
Because whether it’s Laois or Dublin, a Fresher seven-a-side team or an All-Ireland contender, his philosophy doesn’t change:
“You take something, you mind it, you look after it, and you add to it.”
With thanks to UCD Student Centre for sponsoring this article.
Photo:
Ger Brennan & his management team were among the spectators recently, as a host of former Dublin players took charge of the teams in the Dublin Regional Tournament. Photo Credit: Paul Lundy