AS DUBLIN qualify for a first Leinster hurling final in 18 years, one man is ideally equipped to gauge the distance travelled. Cuala’s Damien Byrne was goalkeeper on the side that lost provincial finals at the turn of the last decade, went on to become a development officer in the county and was recently a selector with the seniors.

In 1990, as at the weekend, Dublin defeated Wexford in the semi-final and played Offaly in the final, going down by five points. A year later the team went even closer, running Kilkenny to two points in the final and hitting the woodwork in the dying minutes.

“The main difference I would see,” says Byrne, “is we’re building something sustainable in the past few years. In ’91 the age profile was around 29 or 30 so we were near the end. The game is a lot different now; it’s speeded up and the rules permit a lot less fouling so it’s been possible to create a sustained progression to senior for younger players coming through.

“This has meant it’s not the old boom-and-bust cycles of having a team one year and having to wait years for the next. Our under-21s are in the Leinster final this year and we’re bringing through those players on to the senior panel. The colleges scene has improved greatly with the amalgamated teams competing well in Leinster, we’ve had recent Féile winners in Kilmacud Crokes and Castleknock and development squads well established. The regional sides help us to spot late developers – the filter system is there.”

In retrospect he’s not surprised the 1990-91 team faded quickly. Built on the Leinster minor winning side of 1983 (featuring future soccer international Niall Quinn) that lost the All-Ireland final to Galway, the team took its time to arrive, something Byrne believes could have been improved.

“By 1990 we were old enough but the ’83 minors hadn’t been properly developed. They never got to play under-21 because of board policy and losing out on the experience was a big blow to their development.

“It’s very different now. The structure is an awful lot better. Coaching is to a higher level and the quality of challenge matches at underage is of a higher standard: St Kieran’s, Good Counsel and CBS Kilkenny and the development squads playing in Tipperary and Galway.”

In a couple of weeks all of that work will be tested at its highest level yet.