The seeds were sown at the Luttrellstown Castle Resort as last Christmas approached.
James McCarthy's winter wedding to his long-time partner Clodagh O'Mahony was packed with Dublin footballers, present and past, and was in full swing. Inevitably talk turned to getting all the boys back for one last dance.
As captain, McCarthy didn't want Dublin's golden era to fizzle out on the back of All-Ireland semi-final defeats to Mayo and Kerry. Fast forward to All-Ireland final day and, the battle won, McCarthy gratefully receives and then takes a sip of a pint of Guinness as he reflects on the sweetest journey of all of his nine final wins.
“We were ferociously disappointed with the last two seasons," said the Dublin skipper. "We were hurt. The defeats really did hurt.
READ MORE: Smithfield Square reception for Dublin's victorious All-Ireland team
"But life goes on. We gathered at the start of the year.
"We had a bit of a chat at the wedding, try and get a few boys back. And they made a difference as well.
"But not just them. Cian Murphy came on today, exceptional. Sean McMahon driving forward. So it was a real team performance that got us over the line.
"It was wet out there. The ball was a bar of soap. It just took massive bravery and courage from the boys. The tackling was ferocious - that won the day in the end.
"I have no doubt in saying that it was the most special All-Ireland I’ve ever won.
"To come back after being knocked down twice and a few people ruling you out and thinking the time has passed, but I knew we were still good enough to win it. I had no doubt in my mind."
There was an understanding that Dublin needed to get the band back together to make the big push to get back on top.
So it came to pass as Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion and - most remarkably of all - Stephen Cluxton returned to the fold. Pat Gilroy, the 2011 All-Ireland winning guru, was also added to the backroom team.
t was just getting a few pieces together, try and drive a few lads on to get a bit better and myself get better, Mick Fitz(simons) get better, Stephen Cluxton get better.
"Look what Mick Fitz did today. Mission impossible, some would say, but he went one-on-one with David Clifford all day.
"I've played with Mick a long time, he's an incredible player. He is like glue.
"That’s the type of player you have on the team, sacrificing everything, and that’s so important. That was special today.”
McCarthy dedicated the victory, Dublin's 31st All-Ireland in total, to manager Dessie Farrell as he paid tribute to how the former darling of the Hill took the brunt for what had transpired over the previous two years.
Praise will inevitably follow, but undoubtedly Farrell played a central role in getting such critical senior players to buy back into the set-up.
The Na Fianna man himself says it was a two-way street.
"Look, there were plenty of conversations in the background but ultimately the players wanted it," Farrell explained.
"I never forced the agenda, I was always talking to the three lads when they moved away and it was never a case of the door being closed.
"They needed to be ready themselves and I think obviously having seen how the thing had gone in the last two years and us being beaten by the tightest of margins and understanding that that strength in depth may not have been what it once was.
"While the young fellas were great, they were still maybe a year or two potentially off the level of the development that you need in the clutch moments on the biggest days of the year.
"So I have no doubt that there’s that level of selflessness in them all, and the care and nurture of the group flipped the balance in our favour and meant they were much more amenable to coming back."
McCarthy also railed against the financial doping claims that had been levelled at the Dubs during Jim Gavin's ultra-successful tenure, when they were virtually untouchable and talk turned to splitting the county in two to level the playing field.
“There was a lot of negative talk after doing the five or the six-in-a-row about the finances and the money and all this type of stuff," said the Ballymun Kickhams star.
"I just think that’s bullshit but everyone had their say on that.
"It's a lot inside to come back and win like that (today), on a day where we were sucker-punched (by Paul Geaney's goal) at half-time.
"I thought we had been better in the first-half and it was the worst time to concede a goal but look, we had time to regroup.
"We didn’t have to change much, we thought we had the better of the game. Anything can happen in Croke Park on the big day.
"The game is always taking on a life of its own.
"You have your plans but it is up to individuals to step up at different times and we have (those) guys on our team. You never rely on any one person."
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