By Paul Keane

Dessie Farrell revealed after managing Dublin to his second EirGrid All-Ireland U-21 football title that he has no desire to ever make the leap into senior management with his county.

The former Gaelic Players Association confirmed that he has reached the end of the line as a manager of Dublin underage teams and bowed out on the most memorable of notes.

His team led from the first score of the game in Tullamore, after just 22 seconds, until full-time, leaving Dublin as the last name to be etched on the U-21 trophy.

Farrell has now guided Dublin to three All-Ireland titles between the U-21 and minor grades and was involved with county development teams before that.

He replaced current senior manager Jim Gavin as U-21 boss for the 2013 campaign but ruled out following Gavin again whenever he steps down from the senior role.

"I'm happy with what we've done here," said Farrell. "It's been a wonderful couple of years. You learn a lot about yourself in these situations as well and it's been a great experience.

"I'm just happy with that now. I need to get on and drive on with other stuff that's important.

"My roots have been in the development squads and through to minor and the natural evolution then was to take on the 21s. The seniors is a whole different ball game.

"The time commitment that's required at that level, like, this is ridiculous (at U-21 level) but at senior level it's gone to a whole new level and I have great admiration and respect for the men that take on the role in any county. It's just where I'm at in my own career I can't see it, to be honest."

Dublin went a long way towards sealing victory with a 1-4 blast after the restart that helped open up an eight-point lead.

That margin was cut in half as Galway rallied in the final quarter and would have been reduced to just a point had Ruairi Greene not smashed a Galway goal chance off the post in the 55th minute.

"We don't do things too easy, of course," smiled Farrell. "But we just had enough on the scoreboard. And there was enough of a gap between us. It was never enough, for sure. I think the burst just after half-time saw us through, I'm just delighted."

Farrell praised Eoin Murchan for his excellent man marking role on Galway captain Micheal Daly.

"Murchan is a brilliant bit of stuff," said Farrell. "He did a similar job on Stephen McBrearty in the semi-final. He's a small individual but he's worth his weight in gold."

Con O'Callaghan struck 1-3 for Dublin and had a thrilling duel with Galway full-back Sean Andy O Ceallaigh.

O'Callaghan has now remarkably won three All-Irelands in a matter of months having been on the Dublin senior panel that overcame Mayo last October and having helped his club, Cuala, to club hurling success on St Patrick's Day.

"I missed the early stuff because I was with Cuala but I knew the work the lads were putting in, a savage effort, three or four times a week," said O'Callaghan.

"Dessie is renowned for getting his teams into great shape and he did that. We believed in each other and Dessie believed in us, big time, and it paid off."

Galway manager Gerry Fahy cut a disappointed figure afterwards.

"I thought going in at half-time that we hadn't really played that well and that there was more in us," said Fahy.

"I knew we were going to come with something. But I think Dublin got a spell that really punished us, every chance they got they put it over the bar.

"They got three or four or five in a row and I think that ultimately proved the difference. Even when we got the goals it wasn't enough for us to claw them back."

Fahy sensed the game was up when Greene hit the post.

"We thought when that one went awry that it wasn't going to be our day," said Fahy, who said he expects several of the players to emerge as Galway senior stars in the future.

"Oh absolutely, I have no doubt about that. They have tremendous character, tremendous heart, they're well able to play the game and I think they'll learn a lot from the whole journey we have had this year.

"Unfortunately it wasn't to be today but I think this will make them stronger and better players and I'm very proud to be associated with them."