A big weekend for Dublin hurling starts on Sunday when the senior team take on Kerry for a place in Division One of next year's national league. With the Colleges team also in next Monday's All-Ireland colleges' final, senior manager Tommy Naughton believes Dublin are ready to embrace the challenges ahead.
Having come through Division Two A unbeaten, Dublin face Kerry in Thurles as part of the league finals double-bill. Naughton relishes the possibility of a return to top-flight hurling.
"We see it as a great prize," he said, "and that's what any team in Division Two has wanted. You always try to better yourself, and test yourself against the best teams. All I can do is ask my players to do their best, and if they're not good enough, so be it. But we do want to go up to Division One.
"And that's always been the aim, to become competitive again for an All-Ireland title. That's why it's a big weekend for Dublin hurling, with the colleges team out against St Flannan's on Monday. But that can only be good for Dublin hurling, to be playing at that kind of level."
While last year's Leinster minor championship victory for Dublin was viewed as major progress for the county, some of the old problems remain, namely the quality dual players ending up on the football team. Yet Naughton, who previously had success with the Dublin under-21s, refuses to use that as an excuse anymore.
"To me the main problem is that most clubs in Dublin are dual clubs, whereas down the country you would have a lot of areas strictly football or hurling. I don't believe it's possible to play both games at senior intercounty level. Not anymore.
"Everyone took a great lift from the minors winning the Leinster title last year. It was great for all the players and clubs involved, but that didn't happen overnight either. That took years of work, and it will take years of work at club level to keep raising that standard."
Kerry manager Jerry Molyneaux has given the thumbs down to the motion passed at congress whereby weaker hurling counties can now recruit players who can declare for the counties of their parents' birth, or their county of residence.
"If I've a panel of 30 players, and then we have four guys coming down from Cork, what do I say to my own guys? Sorry, we're letting you off? It won't help hurling at all," he said.
Kevin Ryan is an injury concern for Dublin ahead of the final. The full-back has an ongoing back injury and did not train last week, although Dublin do welcome back Dave Sweeney and Pádraig O'Driscoll.
Tom Brady (Na Fianna) and Greg Bennett (Raheny) were both involved in Tuesday's Dublin football championship replay, and with Sam Lehane of St Jude's in action at under-21 level last night, manager Tommy Naughton is awaiting updates before naming a side.
KERRY (SH v Dublin): PJ O'Gorman; J Fitzgerald; M Lucid, M Quilter; K O'Sullivan, A Keane, C Harris; A Boyle, J Griffin; S Brick, M Conway, D Young; J Egan, JM Dooley, M Slattery.
