Seán Doherty, captain of Dublin’s 1974 All-Ireland SFC winning team, dies aged 78

Seán Doherty, the captain of Dublin’s 1974 All-Ireland SFC winning team, has died at the age of 78 following a short illness.

A giant of Dublin GAA, Doherty was a central figure in the county’s football revival in the 1970s and remains one of the most respected leaders ever to wear the sky-blue jersey.

He famously lifted the Sam Maguire Cup in 1974, ending an 11-year wait for All-Ireland glory and sparking a golden era for ‘the Dubs’.

Born in Wicklow, Doherty first made his name on the club scene with Ballyboden Wanderers.

He captained the side to a Dublin Junior Football Championship title in 1968.

A year later, Wanderers merged with Rathfarnham St Enda’s to form Ballyboden St Enda’s, where Doherty would go on to win two Dublin Intermediate Championships – in 1971 and 1974.

In the later stages of his playing career, he also lined out for St Anne’s in Tallaght, taking on a player-manager role and continuing to contribute to the development of local football.

Doherty’s inter-county career with Dublin coincided with a major resurgence for the county.

After years in the doldrums, Dublin football roared back under the legendary management of Kevin Heffernan.

As captain, Doherty led Dublin to a Leinster title in 1974, defeating old rivals Meath.

That same season, Dublin upset reigning champions Cork in the semi-final and faced Galway in the All-Ireland decider.

The 1974 final saw Galway lead by two points at the break, but a pivotal penalty save by Paddy Cullen changed the tide.

Dublin surged ahead and ran out 0-14 to 1-6 winners, with Doherty lifting the Sam Maguire and later earning a deserved All-Star award.

In 1975, Dublin retained the Leinster title but were stunned by a youthful Kerry side in the All-Ireland final.

Doherty and his teammates responded in 1976 with one of their greatest seasons, winning the National League, another Leinster crown, and reclaiming the All-Ireland title with a 3-8 to 0-10 victory over Kerry.

Goals from John McCarthy, Jimmy Keaveney, and Brian Mullins sealed the win.

The success continued in 1977 as Dublin made it five Leinster titles in a row and reached another All-Ireland final after a legendary semi-final triumph over Kerry.

Against Armagh in the decider, Dublin put on a scoring masterclass in an eight-goal thriller to claim back-to-back All-Ireland titles.

Doherty ended the day with a third All-Ireland medal in four years.

His final season came in 1978. Despite another National League and Leinster title, Dublin were humbled in the All-Ireland final by Kerry, in a match remembered for Mikey Sheehy’s audacious lobbed goal.

Doherty retired from inter-county football shortly afterwards.

In 1989, he returned briefly as joint-manager of the Dublin senior team alongside Gerry McCaul and Tony Hempenstall.

Seán Doherty’s impact on Gaelic football in Dublin cannot be overstated.

As a captain, leader, and servant to the game, he helped define an era and inspired generations of players who followed.

His legacy will live long in the hearts of Dublin supporters.