Dublin go to Omagh on Sunday with their margin for error diminished as they bid to avoid what would be their first relegation since 1995.
Although Dublin spent 2008 in Division Two, that was as a result of a restructuring of the competition that year; they had finished fifth in the old Division 1A the year before (there were 16 teams in the top flight at the time).
Dublin’s cause is not a hopeless one despite their four defeats as three victories from their last three games would probably be enough to save them, with Kerry in 2013 managing to stay afloat after a similarly bad start.
Whether the Dubs can rediscover their form and confidence in time remains to be seen, but it would sit nicely alongside this catalogue of high wire acts if they were to pull it off.
Mayo 2018
There are an array of options for great Mayo escapes over the years as they diced with relegation so often before finally making the drop, albeit a brief one, in 2019.
The closest shave prior to that was in 2018 when they went to Ballybofey to play Donegal in a final round relegation shootout. A win would see Donegal leapfrog Mayo on scoring difference; a draw would do the visitors.
Donegal were 0-13 to 0-10 in front with six minutes to go but Mayo kicked the last three points, with the equaliser coming from Kevin McLoughlin’s less celebrated right foot, in the fourth minute of injury time to preserve their top flight status for yet another year.
While it was a sweet strike, Donegal certainly had cause for complaint as McLoughlin clearly overcarried before kicking the leveller.
Kerry 2013
Just like Dublin now, Kerry sat pointless at the foot of Division One after four games in Éamonn Fitzmaurice’s first season at the helm.
They were well beaten in each of their games with the exception of a two-point loss to Kildare in Newbridge and the nadir came in the shape of a 10-point home defeat to Dublin (1-11 to 0-4) in round two.
Successive home wins over Down and Cork gave them something to fight for going to Omagh to play Tyrone in the last game. After a brilliant first half display, their advantage was whittled down to a point and even though they hung on for the win, they were still relying on favours from elsewhere.
That came from Dublin’s Paul Mannion, whose late equaliser in Ballybofey meant that reigning All-Ireland champions Donegal made the drop to Division Two instead of Kerry.
Meath 2011
Séamus McEnaney was the unlikely Meath manager as they pulled off a houdini act in Division Two, managing to stay up with just three match points.
Their only win came in round two against Sligo, who they were scrapping with along with Antrim to avoid the drop come the last round of games with Meath at home to Tyrone and their relegation rivals away to Kildare and at home to Derry respectively.
With Sligo on three points to Meath and Antrim’s two, all they had to do was better their results to stay up.
Antrim were well beaten while Meath were pegged back by a late Martin Penrose equaliser for a draw. A nervous wait on the outcome in Newbridge ensued and Éamonn Callaghan was the unlikely Royal hero as his winner in the third minute of injury time condemned Sligo to Division Three.
Monaghan 2010
McEnaney was at the centre of another Houdini act 12 months earlier and this time it was even tighter.
Monaghan survived in Division One at Derry’s expense despite having the same number of points (four) and scoring difference (-11) as the Oak Leafers at the end of the seven rounds of games, with the Farney men’s better ‘scores for’ column saving them.
Tyrone were also in the thick of it with four points but finished bottom due to a scoring difference of -15 having lost their last game at home to Dublin.
On the final day, Monaghan went to Kerry two match points ahead of Derry, who travelled to Galway, and eight points better off on scoring difference.
With Monaghan three behind and Derry three up late on, while Tyrone were well adrift, McEnaney’s side were hanging in.
But Kerry added a point and won by four as Monaghan awaited developments from Pearse Stadium. Derry tagged on one more point and beat Galway by four - another solitary score over the course of the campaign would have been enough to save them.
Dublin 2001
Whether Dessie Farrell can lead Dublin out of the current relegation mire remains to be seen, but at least he’s done it before in a different capacity.
Farrell was Dublin captain as they lost their opening three League games to Tyrone, Offaly and Roscommon in the 2000/01 National League, the last time the competition started pre-Christmas.
They finally got points on the board against Donegal in round four before the competition was shut down for more than a month as the foot and mouth crisis took hold.
When action resumed Louth, who Dublin were still to play, were turfed out of the competition due to a confirmed case of the disease in the county and so Tommy Carr’s side were awarded the points for that fixture.
After losing to Kerry, a win over Galway in the last game was enough to keep Dublin up, rendering Kerry’s defeat of Donegal immaterial as the reigning All-Ireland champions made the drop instead.
The Louth walkover proved crucial in the end as if the Wee County, who had beaten Kerry on the road earlier in the competition, had seen off Dublin they would have stayed up instead.
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