Dublin's one-year hiatus from Division 1 was brought to a swift end with a routine win over Louth at Croke Park.
With little fuss on the field, all eyes was on the return of Stephen Cluxton to the Dublin panel throughout.
Five points in a row at the beginning of the second half all but sealed the promotion.
With the result now not in doubt, further interest on Dessie Farrell’s substitutions grew and grew.
Liam Jackson did get Louth off the mark with a well-taken goal midway through the second half but there would be no comeback or Cluxton.
With distractions all around, the Wee County settled with a sample of what went before in this league campaign. Stout defending, neat transition and nippy interplay that saw Ciarán Downey notch the games first score.
The loss of Sam Mulroy was well-known, but his effect on Louth’s scoring rate was seen in two long range frees passed over by Mickey Harte’s men.
Dublin finally settled and asserted their dominance with two counter attacking scores of their own. The two early scorers, Killian O’Gara and Colm Basquel, two players scrapping for championship places.
Yet, despite taking the lead, Dessie Farrell’s outfit laboured and clocked up the wides. Conall McKeever smacked the upright for Louth and Dáire McConnon levelled. McKeever’s effort was wonderfully worked again but Harte’s men were buoyed by the creation of the opportunities.
Louth goalkeeper James Califf came up the field to slot over one of those mid range free’s that the Wee county struggled with earlier in the afternoon. That would be the last time the sides were level.
Basquel firmly put his hand up with another point and Con O’Callaghan blazed over the bar after a vintage James McCarthy surge into Hill 16.
Ciarán Downey ended the half like he started it with a point to make it a one point encounter.
Upon the resumption Dublin squeezed the game, toying with Louth's structure to chip away at its foundations are along sequences of possession that resulted in scores.
Brian Fenton, off his left foot, typified the crushing ease for Dublin with a fine score.
With the game unravelling, Liam Jackson gave his younger brother Tom the eyes for a through ball that he duly delivered. With the path clear the Ardee man did what he did the last time he was in Croke Park, finishing low to the net.
Louth did not push on and go for broke, O'Hanlon welcomed the scrutiny with a low stop from Dáire McConnon but Louth's lull remained and Dublin powered on.
Decorated players like Paul Mannion and Dean Rock entered the fray with aplomb but there were no further sightings of Cluxton, for now.
Dublin: David O'Hanlon; Daire Newcombe (0-01), David Byrne, Michael Fitzsimons; John Small, Eoin Murchan, Lee Gannon; James McCarthy (0-01), Brian Fenton (0-01); Colm Basquel (0-03), Ciaran Kilkenny, Seán Bugler (0-02); Killian O'Gara (0-01), Con O'Callaghan (0-01), Cormac Costello (0-02, 0-01f)
Subs used: Paddy Small (0-01) for O'Gara (24), Tom Lahiff (0-01) for Murchan (ht), Paul Mannion (0-01) for Basquel (53), Lorcan O’Dell (0-01) for Costello (61) Ross McGarry for Bugler (65), Dean Rock (0-01, 0-01 '45) for O’Callaghan (71)
Louth: James Califf (0-01, 0-01f); Dan Corcoran, Peter Lynch, Donal McKenny; Leonard Grey, Ciarán Murphy, Niall Sharkey; Conor Early, Tommy Durnin; Conall McKeever, Liam Jackson (1-01) Conor Grimes; Dáire McConnon (0-01, Ciarán Downey (0-03, 0-02f),Ryan Burns.
Subs used: Craig Lennon for McKenny (44), Tom Jackson for McKeever (44), Conall McCaul for Burns (35), Bevan Duffy for Sharkey (56), Jay Hughes for McConnon (66).
Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)
