NAME: Dessie Farrell DATE OF BIRTH: 25/6/71 HEIGHT: 5' 11" WEIGHT: 13st CLUB: Na Fianna COUNTY: Dublin HONOURS: Leinster Senior '91 and Minor Leinster '88 INTER-COUNTY DEBUT: 1991/92 National Football League versus Mayo in Castlebar PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: St. Brendan's Hospital TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Niall Cahalane of Cork FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Croke Park FAVOURITE POSITION: Full forward SPORTING AMBITION: Win an All-Ireland senior medal on Sunday DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS? Hurling, hockey and soccer BOYHOOD HEROES: Kevin Heffernan of Dublin FAVOURITE PLAYER: Barney Rock BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: All teachers at my school, St. Vincents WAYS OF IMPROVING THE GAME: Define a tackle much more clearly BEST GAME SEEN: Last match between ourselves and our Leinster rivals Meath in 1991 PLAYERS WITH A PROMISING FUTURE: The Under 21 players that are presently on the Dublin senior panel YOU WILL PROBABLY BE UP AGAINST DONEGAL LEFT FULL BACK NOEL HEGARTY IN THE ALL-IRELAND FINAL. WE ARE TOLD HE IS A RELATION OF YOURS: This is not true. They are only false rumours YOU ALSO TRAINED WITH NOEL'S CLUB NAOMH COLUMBA WHEN ON PREVIOUS SUMMER HOLIDAYS IN DONEGAL: My uncles played with Naomh Columba, so the connection was there YOU OBVIOUSLY RATE NOEL HEGARTY VERY HIGHLY: Very much so, and he has established himself as a player of great potential YOU PLAY A BIT OF HURLING: Yes, I play with Na Fianna, who are a senior club, and I am playing with the Dublin Under 21s for the last two years TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLUB: Na Fianna is based in Glasnevin and have close ties with St. Vincents CBS - we field both senior hurling and football teams. In our club there is a large juvenile contingency, and an active camogie section YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THIS YEAR'S DUBLIN UNDER 21 TEAM: Yes, we reached the Leinster Final only to be beaten by Kildare. We were very disappointed as we fancied our chances to go all the way ANY OTHER INTER COUNTY EXPERIENCE AS A MINOR? I was a member of the 1987 panel and played in 1988 and 1989 WERE YOU SURPRISED AT HOW EASY YOU SLOTTED INTO THE DUBLIN ATTACK? Not really. I was originally on the 1990 panel, but I picked up an injury and was out for ten months. It's great to be back IN FACT, YOU ARE THE ONLY NEWCOMER TO THE DUBLIN TEAM - THAT IS FROM THE VARIOUS SIDES PUT OUT AGAINST MEATH IN LAST YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP: Yes, that may be so but I attach no importance to that fact nor have those Meath games any real significance at this stage as they are all forgotten about YOU HAD INJURY PROBLEMS FOR THE CLARE GAME. ARE THEY CLEARED UP? Yes, thankfully I am fully fit again and have no problems PADDY CULLEN, YOUR VIEWS ON THE DUBLIN MANAGER: It is great to have someone at the helm who has been through all we are going through before. He is a great manager and motivator AND THE DONEGAL BACKS? At the moment they are playing with great confidence, but maybe time will tell otherwise THE NERVES: They are part of any game but I am not really affected by them. Okay, maybe a slight bit on the day THE DUBLIN SUPPORT: The Dublin support is tremendous. Hill 16 is part and parcel of the Dublin team and is a great boost for the Dublin squad A PREFERENCE FOR A DRY OR WET DAY: A dry day would suit the Dublin team better ANY PROBLEMS WITH TICKETS? Personally, I have no problem with tickets. The main thing is to keep away from all the hype, which is always exaggerated, especially prior to an All-Ireland final ARE THE YOUNGSTERS IN THE CITY STARTING TO IDENTIFY WITH THE DUBS OF '92? Yes, they appear to be as there have been big turnouts in Parnell Park at recent training sessions IT OBVIOUSLY HELPS TO PLAY ALONGSIDE EXPERIENCED HANDS LIKE MICK, VINNIE, CHARLIE AND JACK: This is a great help - they all have a calming effect on the other players YOU PLAYED CENTRE HALF FORWARD AGAINST DONEGAL IN THIS YEAR'S NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE QUARTER FINALS. THE DUBS WERE NONE TOO IMPRESSIVE THAT DAY: None too impressive, but we got the result and that's all that matter.s Impressive or not on Sunday, a result is all we will be looking for YOU WORK ALONGSIDE WEXFORD HURLING STAR MARTIN STOREY: Martin has a great interest in both codes in St. Brendans and we have played together on both hospital teams for the past four or five years WERE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO A GAME WITH THE MEATH DEFENCE THE SUMMER GONE? I hadn't thought about it, but I will surely have the pleasure in doing so at a later date BESIDE CULLEN WHO ARE THE ONLY MEMBERS OF THE DUBLIN BACK ROOM TEAM? Pat O'Neill, Jim Brogan, Fran Ryder and John Dalton are the other men behind the scenes PLAYING IN CROKE PARK HAS TO BE A HELP TO THE DUBS: The only advantage the Dublin squad would have would be that they haven't much travelling to do, but once on the pitch, it's the same for both teams YOUR PREPARATION FOR SUNDAY SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER WEEK: The preparation is no different, so hopefully everything will run smoothly DUBLIN TO SING THE BLUES COME SUNDAY EVENING: Let's wait and see! Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 18th September 1992 Vol 2 No 73 Tweet

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