The team last won the Leinster Senior Championship in 2024, the All-Ireland Senior Championship in 2023 and the National League in 2021.
Dublin claimed eleven consecutive Leinster Senior Football Championships following a three-point victory over Wexford in 2011, a three-point victory over Meath in 2012, a seven-point victory over Meath in 2013, a sixteen-point victory over Meath in 2014, a thirteen-point victory over Westmeath in 2015, a fifteen-point victory over Westmeath in 2016, a nine-point victory over Kildare in 2017, an eighteen-point victory over Laois in 2018, a sixteen-point victory over Meath in 2019, a twenty one-point victory over Meath in 2020 and an eight-point victory over Kildare in 2021.
History
1899 Dublin team that won the All-Ireland championship
"In '73, a Dublin footballer had no profile whatsoever. We were regularly beaten in the first round of the Leinster Championship... Dublin didn't really train in those days. We prepared for one championship match, were usually beaten by Laois or Longford and then had the summer off... But then when (Kevin) Heffernan came back into it in '74, it was a different ball game... Much more rigorous in terms of tolerating any drinking or messing".
– David Hickey on the difference in Dublin before Heffernan and after Heffernan.[2]
Starting from the 1970s, the Dublin team managed by Kevin Heffernan (and briefly by Tony Hanahoe) won four All-Ireland SFCs (1974, 1976, 1977 and 1983) and seven Leinster Senior Football Championship (SFC) titles (six of which were consecutive). It was also the first team to play in six consecutive All-Ireland SFC finals (from 1974 to 1979), a feat later matched by Kerry in 2009.
In January 1986, Heffernan resigned as Dublin manager.[3]
Post-Heffernan years: 1986–2008
Dublin and Meath were involved in one of the most famous of Leinster SFC encounters in 1991, the Dublin and Meath four-parter. The teams had to go to three replays in their Leinster SFC first round match before a winner could be found. This series of games had the added factor of Dublin and Meath being long-time fierce rivals, a rivalry that intensified when Meath won four from the previous five Leinster SFCs and two All-Ireland SFCs over the previous five years, to replace Dublin as the strongest team in the province of Leinster. Meath eventually won the series, thanks to a last-minute goal scored by Kevin Foley, and a point scored by David Beggy, in the third replay. Foley took seven steps for the winning goal.[citation needed]
In the 2010s, Dublin produced the greatest teams in modern times. The Dubs won seven All-Ireland SFCs in this decade (five of which were consecutive, the first team to achieve this feat). Six of these were won without defeat (with the exception of one loss to Jim McGuinness's Donegal in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final). Dublin limited Cork, Donegal and Kerry to a single All-Ireland SFC each during that decade.
Pat Gilroy led Dublin to the first of these All-Ireland SFCs in 2011.
On 25 March 2017, when beating Roscommon by 2–29 to 0–14 in a National League game at Croke Park, Dublin set a new record of playing 35 games in League and Championship without defeat. The previous record, held by Kerry, had stood for 84 years.
Jim Gavin continued to introduce new players, with Con O'Callaghan and Niall Scully appearing in 2017 and Brian Howard and Eoin Murchan emerging in 2018.[6] But Gavin tended to wait one year from when he noticed them to introduce them to his team, O'Callaghan having been ready in 2016 and Howard in 2017.[6]
Jim Gavin stood down as manager in 2019.
Alan Brogan noted in 2020: "The only year he didn't do it [introduce new players] was last year. Last year, [Jim Gavin] kept with the same players which, in hindsight, leads you to believe that maybe he had it in the back of his mind it would be his final year".[6]
Mayo defeated Dublin in the semi-final of the 2021 All-Ireland SFC, ending a record run of six consecutive All-Ireland SFC titles for Dublin and marking the team's first championship loss since the 2014 semi-final. A year later, Dublin met the same fate when Kerry defeated Dublin in the 2022 All-Ireland SFC semi-final, Kerry's first victory against Dublin since 2009.
Dublin were also relegated from Division one that same season but returned to top flight in 2023 beating Derry in the Division 2 league final
Colours and crest
Kit evolution
Till 1918, Dublin wore the colours of the Club Champions as was also the case in many other counties. In 1918 they adopted the well-known sky shirt with the Dublin shield, even if the kit has been for many years different compared to the actual one: collar and shorts were in fact white and the socks hooped, white and blue. The change to the present look, with dark blue details, shorts and socks, was made in 1974.[7] Navy sleeves on the jersey were not used from 2013 until 2023.[8]
INJ Player has had an injury which has affected recent involvement with the county team. RET Player has since retired from the county team. WD Player has since withdrawn from the county team due to a non-injury issue.
Supporters
Dublin supporters are commonly known as The Dubs, and in the 1970s as Heffo's army.
While songs are still popular with the Dublin fans they tend to be Dublin-centric, such as "Molly Malone" and "Dublin in the Rare Old Times", or focus on the team itself, singing "Come on You Boys in Blue".
The Hill 16 end in Croke Park is an area for which many Dubs hold a special affection and it is not uncommon to see the Hill filled entirely with Dubs. Dublin supporters have been known to chant "Hill 16 is Dublin only" as a humorous jibe at supporters from rival teams.
The Dublin team are sometimes called The Jacks, with the ladies called The Jackies. These names came from a shortening of the word Jackeen.[15][16][17][18]
Rivalries
Dublin's biggest rivalry has been with nearby Meath. Both counties were the strongest sides from Leinster during the 1970s and 1980s. The 1991 four-game tie added to the intensity between the two counties. The Dublin football team also shares a rivalry with neighbours Kildare. Lesser local rivalries exist with nearby Wicklow, Laois and Westmeath.
On a national level Dublin's rivalry with Kerry is one of Ireland's most renowned. The rivalry between the two counties intensified in the 1970s and early 1980s. Other smaller footballing rivalries have developed over the decades between Dublin and teams such as Cork, Tyrone (see Battle of Omagh), Donegal and Galway, who Dublin played in the 1983 Final known as the Game of Shame.
Managerial history
Dublin — like Cork, Kerry and Tyrone — traditionally appoints managers from inside, rather than seeking a "foreign" appointment.[19]
Johnny Joyce, by scoring 5–3 against Longford in 1960, set a record for the highest individual scorer in any championship football match. Rory Gallagher of Fermanagh, with 3–9 against Monaghan in 2002, matched this record after 42 years. Cillian O'Connor's four goals (accompanied by nine points) in the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final at Croke Park broke that record after a further 18 years.[20]
Stephen Cluxton made his 112th appearance in the All-Ireland Football Championship when he captained Dublin to their six-in-a-row on 19 December 2020.
Cluxton became his county's most capped player, overtaking Johnny McDonnell's record against Meath in the National League on 17 October 2020.[23]
Top scorers
Dean Rock is the team's all-time record scorer, surpassing the long-time record of Jimmy Keaveney against Meath on 17 October 2020. The early goal for Rock in this National League match at Parnell Park meant Rock had scored 17–442 (493), one ahead of Keaveney's 30–402 (492). Rock achieved this in 95 appearances to Keaveney's 104.[23]
Dublin has won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) final on 31 occasions – only Kerry, with 38 All-Ireland SFC titles, has won more. Dublin defeated Mayo by five points in the 132nd All-Ireland Final on 19 December 2020. This was their eighth championship since 2011. Dublin is the only county team in men's football or hurling to have won six consecutive All-Ireland Championships.[25]
Dublin has also won the Leinster Championship on 63 occasions, and is the current Leinster champion, having beaten Louth in 2024. This result was their consecutive eighth, making history and saw it become Leinster champions for the twelfth time in thirteen years. Only Meath has split their wins, winning the Leinster Championship in 2010.
Dublin has won the National Football League on 14 occasions, most recently in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2021. Only Kerry (21) has more league titles.
