This is not a drill.
Dessie Farrell has confirmed that both Paul Mannion and Jack McCaffrey will re-join the Dublin senior football panel for the 2023 season. McCaffrey (28) left the Dublin panel ahead of the 2020 All-Ireland championship and Mannion (29) followed him out the door the following year.
But it comes as game-changing news, two years on, and as a huge boost for manager Dessie Farrell, that the two boys are back.
"We'll have Jack McCaffrey and Paul Mannion re-joining the squad next year," he told Dubs TV earlier today, and you can watch the full interview below.
https://twitter.com/GAA__JOE/status/1571550115826892800
Mannion had told SportsJOE eight months ago that he was content with his decision though he has been in flying form for his club, Kilmacud Crokes.
"It was strange," he said. You're back to being a fan again. You do analyse things based on the knowledge of how we would have liked to play in the past. In ways, there was a lot less pressure. We were able to enjoy it a little bit more.
"I've told the lads that I don't plan on it now. I'm happy enough just focusing on the club. I have big decisions to make with work and where I'll be this year, in general.
"When I spoke to Dessie last year when I was stepping away, he made clear to me then that the door would still be open, and having spoken to lads on the team more recently, they've said the same as well. I do appreciate that.
"As I've said before, I do take things one year at a time. I've been pretty terrible at planning things beyond that timeframe. I've told them that I do appreciate that, and if a time comes when I would like to go back, and do get that urge again, that would be great."
He's got the urge again. As for McCaffrey, he has featured very little for Clontarf in their Dublin SFC campaign this year, though he was a water-boy during their relegation play-off loss to Raheny this morning.
