The restructuring of the football and hurling championships may spell extinction for the already-endangered species of the GAA Dual Player. Today, however, offers us the opportunity to pay tribute to one of the finest - and most underrated - dual players of his generation: Wicklow's Leighton Glynn.
Along with his Internationa Rules appearances, you'll remember Glynn from his starring role in the Wicklow team managed by Mick O'Dwyer, and while intercounty success was rarefied (he did win a Division 4 title and the much-maligned Tomy Murphy Cup), Glynn has enjoyed one of the most successful club careers in GAA history.
Today, at the grand age of 35, he won the twentieth Wicklow title of his career, captaining Rathnew to a five-point win over Blessington in the county football championship final. This represents the eleventh football title of Glynn's career, and offers him the opportunity to repeat arguably his finest success thus far: in 2001 he was part of the Rathnew team to win a Leinster title against a Na Fianna team featuring Kieran McGeeney and Jason Sherlock. Today, Glynn scored one goal from play in a 3-8 to 0-12 victory.
The other nine county titles of Glynn's career have come with Glenealy, the most recent coming a fortnight ago. Glynn was equally to the fore for Glenealy in that final, scoring a late goal to seal a 2-12 to 0-11 victory over Bray Emmets. That result brought an end to three successive championships scooped up by Bray.
The double in football and hurling for these boys pic.twitter.com/bLuAMYiW1S
— Rathnew GAA Club (@RathnewGAA1885) October 15, 2017
Glynn's triumph today means more heartbreak for Blessington, however: they have won just two Wicklow titles in their history, the most recent in 1983.
For added perspective on that: Glynn had just turned two the last time Blessington were county champions.
Remarkably, Glynn alone has more county football titles than all but three clubs in Wicklow. Rathnew, obviously, along with Baltinglass and St Patrick's. Next year offers Glynn a chance to level with the latter.
