DUBLIN have already broken one hex on their league travels this spring, and now they must look to break another in Castlebar this Sunday.

Pat Gilroy's young guns created history in Killarney last month, delivering Dublin their first victory on Kerry soil since November 1982. Given that happy precedent, they are unlikely to be overawed by their latest challenge on the road -- trying to secure a first Dublin triumph in Mayo since February 1992.

Back then, newcomer Dessie Farrell announced his senior arrival with the only goal as Dublin emerged from McHale Park on the right end of a 1-9 to 0-10 result. Ironically, Mayo were then managed by a Dub, former All-Ireland winner Brian McDonald.

"Yes, I remember it well," Farrell told the Evening Herald. "I was just back from injury and I remember our manager of the time, Paddy Cullen, delivering a great speech on how important it was for Dublin teams to impose themselves on the opposition. Paddy was very colourful and I had great time for him, and it did the trick that day."

COLOURFUL

A more precise account of Cullen's "colourful" language can actually be gleaned from Farrell's 2005 autobiography, Dessie: Tangled Up in Blue.

"I have fond memories of that day in Castlebar," the book recounts, "but what sticks out most in my mind was Paddy's hilariously colourful speech before the game, when he spoke of men on tractors and the importance of keeping them in their place. 'Lads,' he implored, 'we're Dubs, we need to take our guns from our holsters and blow these culchies away!'"

The young debutant took Cullen at his word, firing home Dublin's goal five minutes into the second half. His future Na Fianna team-mate, Mick Galvin, had the initial chance but when his shot was blocked down, Farrell pounced on the loose ball to leave the visitors ahead by 1-5 to 0-7.

Mayo twice battled back to parity, but then late points from Niall Guiden and a Charlie Redmond '45' secured what the Irish Independent described as a "somewhat flattering" two-point winning margin.

They would gladly settle for another "flattering" victory on Sunday because, since 1992, Dublin have failed to record a single win from four league trips to Mayo.

On closer inspection, the record isn't actually that lopsided. Two of those games finished in stalemate -- in the corresponding fixture last March, with McHale Park out of commission, Dublin and Mayo drew 0-9 apiece in Ballina while the sides finished tied at 0-10 each in November '96.

Dublin's two recent defeats in Castlebar were both painful affairs, for similar if not identical reasons. A week after beating All-Ireland holders Tyrone, Tommy Lyons' crew were humbled by 1-10 to 0-3 in February 2004. This contrasted with a narrow 0-10 to 0-9 defeat on April Fool's Day, 2007.

But parallels could still be drawn in the fact that Dublin failed to score in the second half of each game; had a player sent off both days; and even had the misfortune to see late penalties strike the woodwork on each occasion.

In 2004, Dublin tallied two early points but failed to score for the last 52 minutes. To compound their misery, Darren Homan received two yellow cards and Tomás Quinn won but then failed to convert a 58th-minute penalty. "He drove the ball off the crossbar with such force that it passed him again on its way out the field," the Western People reported.

Three years later, Dublin returned to McHale Park presumably stirred by nightmarish memories of their All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Mayo the previous August. So it seemed as the wind-backed visitors established a 0-9 to 0-4 cushion at the midpoint.

But then it all started to unravel. Conal Keaney, arguably their best player on the day, was dismissed on a second yellow after 38 minutes. They failed to score again, and had fallen behind to a Conor Mortimer point (what proved the eventual match-winner) when Sky Blue hopes briefly flickered with the award of a 63rd minute penalty.

Again it was a case of close but no cigar: Quinn had been replaced by clubmate Diarmuid Connolly who assumed penalty duties only for his shot to bang off an upright and across the face of goal. The danger was cleared, thus ensuring that Mayo qualified for the Division One semi-finals.

Given the above, you may surmise that Dublin must make their own luck on Sunday.

"It is arguably one of the hardest places to go in football," says Farrell.

"Mayo is a strong, traditional football county -- a fact reflected in their home record in Castlebar.

"It's also reflected in the fact that Dublin teams have such a poor record there. But perhaps Paddy Cullen's assessment is right -- that Dublin need to impose themselves on the opposition, which they have done in their two games to date."

- Frank Roche