By Cian O’Connell

The 2017 All-Ireland U21 Football Championship was something else.

Dublin, Galway, Kerry, and Donegal won the provincial championships with star studded teams. Ultimately, Dublin triumphed on the national stage, but the four counties benefited enormously in the long run.

Significant senior inter-county careers have been forged by some of the main protagonists.

Dublin’s panel included Evan Comerford, Eoin Murchan, Seán McMahon, Cian Murphy, Brian Howard, Colm Basquel, and Con O’Callaghan.

Donegal were prompted by Stephen McMenamin, Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Daire Ó Baoill, Brendan McCole, Michael Langan, Jamie Brennan, Jason McGee, Niall O’Donnell, and Caolan McGonagle

Kerry’s cast list featured Shane Ryan, Jason Foley, Tom O’Sullivan, Brian Ó Beaglaíoch, Gavin White, Seán O’Shea, Killian Spillane, and Micheál Burns.

For Galway Seán Andy Ó Ceallaigh, Cillian McDaid, Kieran Molloy, Peter Cooke, Céin D’Arcy, Michael Daly, Seán Kelly, Antaine Ó Laoi, and Rob Finnerty participated. Dylan McHugh, though, was a central player in that Galway panel.

It was a time long before McHugh had cemented a place at senior club level with Corofin. So, that campaign illustrated McHugh’s potential in esteemed company. “It was a real eye-opener for some lads,” McHugh reflects.

“I would have only been 19 playing on that under 21 team, and then the following year the way things changed with grades, I didn’t get to play again.

“But I would have been 19 and playing with the likes of Michael Daly, that would have been in Galway (squad). Peter Cooke was in with Galway, Seán Andy Ó Ceallaigh.

“So, you would have learned a lot from them lads. And then you’re coming up against brilliant footballers from other counties like Con O’Callaghan, and, you know, so many of the U21s are playing senior for Kerry now.

“So, you would have learned a lot from that and, probably just given a bit of confidence to go back to playing with the club again.”

Valuable lessons were learned, but McHugh still had to remain patient and resilient. McHugh starred at U21 level in maroon, but it took home a further three years to become a regular for Corofin. “That probably gave a bit of confidence, but at the same time then probably a small bit of frustration, as years went on because I would have been looking at probably 10 of that U21 team going on and playing for Galway, and I was there not playing for my own club,” he reflects.

“But look, it was brilliant, and definitely gave a bit of confidence just to try to play for Corofin and Galway later on. I probably just had to be patient then to bide my time to try to get into the Corofin team.

“Obviously, we had a very strong half back line where I was trying to get in, and probably two of the three were playing with Galway and probably had another lad that probably could have been playing for Galway. So, yeah, definitely resilience probably over the years and just a bit of patience as well.”

One thing McHugh wanted to do was improve. That was key. “You can point fingers at different lads for what reasons they’re not playing, but I think just, probably just patience was the key thing,” McHugh says.

“Talking to lads about, you know, having to bide my time, where I needed to improve, and, yeah, just stuck at it.”

Corofin continue to manufacture footballers, capable of thriving at the highest level. McHugh highlights the emphasis that was placed on development. “I suppose I would have got good coaching growing up,” he says.

“I would have learned an awful lot from, you know, senior players in Corofin like Kieran Fitzgerald and Gary Sice and these lads that would have been around with the Galway panel. So, I would have been obviously learning a few bits from them as I was growing up as a teenager in Corofin.

“And, yeah, I suppose just the influence of players and getting to see lads that, you know, that would be down in the pitch in Corofin, that would be playing for Galway at the weekend, maybe just a little bit more inspiring. The level of coaching as well was brilliant growing up.”

At the end of 2020 McHugh accepted an invitation to join the Galway senior panel. “It’s funny, like, at the time, I remember saying to lads in Corofin, they were on about would I go in with Galway and different things like this,” McHugh recalls.

“I remember thinking at 23, I was too old to ever play for Galway, which is kind of funny looking back now, but, that was just the way it was.

“It was kind of like if a player was leaving, they’d bring in a 20-year-old or a 21-year-old or something like that. So, yeah, probably a later stage than most to start coming in.”

McHugh was happy to answer Padraic Joyce’s call. “I wouldn’t say I was reluctant,” McHugh responds. “I was obviously delighted when Pádraic called me, but I just had the feeling that at 23 that my time for a call had gone.

“I just had made up that I’d be playing with Corofin for the foreseeable, but, yeah, obviously, I wasn’t reluctant at all once Pádraic rang, I was delighted to go in.”

It gives McHugh a sense of perspective. To be wearing the Corofin and Galway jerseys in high profile matches means so much, especially ahead of another All-Ireland SFC final against Armagh. “I’ve always enjoyed being in here,” McHugh states.

“It’s an unbelievable group of lads. You wouldn’t come across a nicer group around and obviously the management make it so enjoyable. It’s been a great couple of years.”