There was some striking surnames in the Dublin U21 squad for their 1-12 to 0-9 victory over Meath last night. Darragh Spillane, son of Mick and nephew of Pat, started the game at wing-back.
Mick Deegan Jr., son the 1995 All-Ireland winner (and former IFA League Champion with Crusaders), began the game at centre-half forward.
While Mikey Quinn, son of ex-minor hurler Niall, is the Dublin sub-keeper. Illustrious names but they have caused some disquiet among folk concerned about the runaway nature of the Dubs success.
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Cuala player Darragh Spillane is exempt from this argument but both Deegan and Quinn play their club football outside Dublin. Ewan MacKenna was inclined to throw the question out there.
Mick Deegan jnr plays for Ashbourne in Meath. Mikey Quinn (son of Niall) plays for Eadestown in Kildare. Why are both Dublin under-21s? #GAA
— Ewan MacKenna (@EwanMacKenna) March 3, 2016
What is the ruling around this? We have received word that Deegan was born in Dublin and only moved out to Meath as a teenager meaning his eligibility rests not just on his parent.
Chapter 6 of the Official Rules Guide says that a player is eligible to play for a county if his parents were resident in that county at the time of his birth, surely not applicable in the case of Quinn.
Or, even more tenuously, if the county is the county of the first club of either of his parents.
Let's call it the Declan D'arcy rule.
Many have pointed out, however, that D'arcy, while not resident or born in Leitrim, at least played club football with Aughawillan in the Leitrim championship.
