Kevin McManamon: 'We Were in a Very Special Place' – Dublin Legend Opens Up on Glory Days and His Verdict on Splitting the County

If you could bottle the spirit of Dublin’s greatest football era, it would probably look a lot like Kevin McManamon charging at a defence in the 2011 All-Ireland final. That audacious goal changed everything for the Dubs, and now, over a decade later, the man himself is pulling back the curtain on what made that team tick. Speaking this week, McManamon delivered the kind of raw, honest reflections that remind you why he was the ultimate super-sub and, later, a leader who defined a generation.

For anyone who followed the Boys in Blue through the Jim Gavin years and beyond, it felt like we were watching something supernatural. McManamon agrees, but he grounds it in something more human than myth. “We were in a very special place during those years,” he said, harking back to the bond that turned a collection of insane talents into an unbeatable unit. It wasn’t just about the medals—though, Lord knows, they cleaned up—it was about the madness they shared behind the scenes, the trust that meant a man could come off the bench and still change the course of history.

The Goal That Started It All

You can’t talk about Kevin McManamon without rewinding to that September afternoon in 2011. The Dubs were stuck in the mud against Kerry, and then McManamon, a fresh face, took a pass, shaped, and buried it in the Hill end. It was the spark that lit a fire under Dublin football. That goal didn’t just win an All-Ireland; it announced that Dublin were no longer chokers—they were hunters. And McManamon, from that moment, became the embodiment of Dublin’s newfound steel.

But ask him now, and he’ll tell you that moment was just a symptom of something bigger. The squad that grew around that win was built on a diet of fierce internal competition and an almost telepathic understanding. Every lad in that dressing room knew his role, whether he was starting or sitting. It’s why they kept coming back, year after year, hoisting Sam Maguire after Sam Maguire. The list of accolades speaks for itself:

• 7 All-Ireland Senior Football titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• 11 Leinster Senior Football Championships (a run that became routine, but never boring)
• 5 National Football Leagues to round out the silverware collection

Those numbers are staggering, but McManamon’s latest comments remind us they were earned by men who genuinely enjoyed the grind. He talks about the dressing room being a sanctuary, a place where the noise from outside—the pressure, the hype, the critics—just faded away.

'We Were Being Baited' – The Split Debate Dismissed

And speaking of outside noise, Kevin McManamon hasn’t held back on a topic that’s been doing the rounds in GAA circles: the occasional call to split Dublin into two or more entities to level the playing field. It’s a conversation that comes up whenever the capital’s dominance gets too much for the rest of the country to stomach, but McManamon dismisses it with the same disdain he’d show a high, hanging ball coming into the square.

“We were being baited,” he said, reflecting on how the team viewed the narrative. For him, the suggestion misses the point entirely. Dublin’s strength wasn’t a conspiracy; it was the result of a massive population, yes, but also of a culture that had been carefully cultivated over years. You can’t just carve up the county and pretend the passion would divide neatly. The Dubs' power came from the blend of city and suburb, northside and southside, all pulling together. To suggest splitting them, in McManamon’s eyes, was an insult to the graft that went into making Dublin a powerhouse.

“We didn’t listen to any of that,” he added. “We were just focused on what we had inside the four walls.” And what they had inside those walls was a generation of footballers who rewrote the record books. Names like Cluxton, Flynn, Connolly, and of course, McManamon himself—each one a legend in his own right, but together, something untouchable.

What’s Next for the Man?

Now retired from the inter-county scene, McManamon is keeping his hand in, offering insights that only a man with his experience can. He’s been linked with coaching roles, punditry, and you’d imagine his phone hasn’t stopped ringing since he started talking again this week. If his playing career taught us anything, it’s that he’ll approach the next chapter with the same intelligence and drive he brought to breaking down defences.

For Dublin fans, hearing Kevin McManamon speak is like catching up with an old friend who just happened to be part of the greatest show the GAA has ever seen. His words are a reminder that while the medals tarnish and the games fade into memory, the bond between those men—and between them and the fans—was the real prize. And as for splitting Dublin? Don’t hold your breath. As McManamon proved time and again, the Dubs are at their best when they’re united.