Kerry captain White praises fans in heartfelt speech after epic All-Ireland win
The Kerry captain was immense in today's All-Ireland final and delivered a true captain's performance as an awesome Kerry side breezed past Donegal to win by 10 points.
Moments after the final whistle, White followed GAA President Jarlath Burns to the podium and delivered a rousing speech to the thousands of Kerry supporters in attendance and the millions watching around the World.
After thanking teammates, management, sponsors and family, White reserved special praise for the Kerry supporters.
"Lastly, to our own Kerry supporters, the ones looking down on us from above and ones scattered across the globe, at home in the Kingdom and especially the ones in Croke Park today, we are most grateful for the miles you've travelled, the prayers you've sent and the candles lit.
"Don't ever underestimate the impact you have on the Kerry team's of the past and of the Kerry team.
"When we needed ye most this year, ye backed us in your thousands. Your voice was heard and you drove this Kerry team over the line.
"I hope you celebrate Sam Maguire number 39 as much as we do. Ciarraí abú!"
During his speech, White also paid a special tribute to manager Jack O'Connor, who was given perhaps the biggest honour of all for a Kerryman when GAA President Jarlath Burns suggested that with five All-Irelands in his back pocket, he deserved to be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Mick O'Dwyer.
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
How Kerry won it: Two-pointers, a kickout masterclass, and Clifford
The two-pointers For their first score, Gavin White took off from the throw-in and fed Dylan Geaney. For their second trick, Paudie Clifford went for two. They set the tone. The number 14's shot dropped short but Sean O'Brien's fist still managed to direct the ball over the bar. In the first half into the Canal End, Kerry went for 11 two-pointers. They converted four. In total they went 5/13. As the Ulster champions started chasing, Patrick McBrearty and Jamie Brennan were introduced and went for two. They had three attempts and didn't score a single one. The final shot tally was 35 for Kerry, 31 for Donegal. It was 22 scores to 19. In a year when the sport has been changed spectacularly, Jack O'Connor's side showed you have to be able to mix it up. They had the ability to kick the ball and run it. They can press aggressively and zonally. Kerry hit ones, twos and a three. David Clifford versus Brendan McCole It only took eight minutes for David Clifford to make his mark. A punch-for-punch opening exchange was swung towards the Kingdom with a terrific effort from outside the arc that stretched the margin to four. The first ever orange flag in an All-Ireland final was produced by the Fossa sensation, closer to the 45m line than he was the arc. McCole dedicated himself to the task but it proved formidable. When Clifford wasn't involved, he brought himself out wide to disrupt Donegal's zonal system and ensure they could only defend with ten. Just before the turnaround, Kerry worked the clock until the hooter had sounded. Everyone in the ground knew what was coming. No one knows how to stop it. Clifford roared off his brother's shoulder and swung over his third two-pointer of the afternoon. That relationship was a key feature of an awesome attacking display. Paudie's second-half kick to Clifford cutting in towards goal was pure genius. Clifford's championship record is now phenomenal. 45 games, 22-222 scored, two All-Irelands in the pocket. Remember, he is 26 years old. The half-back burst This was a kickout masterclass. Shane Ryan finished with 71% retention. A crucial part of that was their half-back axis, with Mike Breen and Gavin White in particular excelling. Together they were monsters on breaking ball. White roared into the contest with his very first involvement. He scored three points from play. The third was the definition of a captain's score. Michael Murphy nailed a point to cap three successive scores and make the gap just four with 15 minutes late. White took it upon himself to drive forward and fist over a point. Jim McGuinness made one late change, bring in Caolan McGonagle as expected but in place of Hugh McFadden. They sorely missed his physical presence on restarts early on, losing five of their first 11 kickouts while Kerry won all of their own during the same stretch. McFadden was brought on for McColgan at half-time. White managed to show all the ways a half-back can impact a game. It has been a whirlwind year for the Dr Crokes man. He led his club to county and Munster titles before suffering a nail-biting defeat to Errigal Ciarán after extra-time in the All-Ireland club semi-final. In the aftermath of that, White was criticised in places for a late free that they failed to retain. He sat down, watched it again and backed his decision. On the biggest stage, he showed exactly why he trusts his instincts.
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Colm Boyle column: Why Jack O'Connor will go down in history as 1 of the greats
This All-Ireland final seemed like both the end of an era and the start of one. If, as seems likely by his post-match comments, Jack O'Connor resigns, then we will be saying goodbye to one of the greatest managers in the history of Gaelic football. Until yesterday, you may also have described O'Connor as one of the sport's most underestimated coaches, especially in his own county. Read more: All-Ireland final TV viewers have same complaint during Kerry v Donegal Read more: Surprising voice at Croke Park as Kerry legends honoured ahead of All-Ireland final Absurd as that sounds, considering he had won four All-Ireland titles, his previous achievements seemed to be accompanied by an asterisk. Yes, he had won all those All-Irelands, but that is what Kerry fans expect. If anything, there was possibly more of a focus on the three finals he lost, especially the 2005 defeat to Tyrone, than the four he had won. Well, that perception has most certainly changed now after yesterday's win, not just the manner of it, but also the opposition. After losing to Meath in the round-robin section, Kerry appeared to be going nowhere. David Clifford aside, none of their players appeared to be in form and the team were struggling to click. That certainly changed. First came Cavan, then Armagh, next Tyrone and yesterday Donegal, four Ulster teams defeated by an aggregate of 33 points. That's astonishing and for O'Connor, it is special. For years, Kerry have been perceived as having an easy route to an All-Ireland, because of their provincial set-up. Kerry manager Jack O'Connor (Image: ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo) No one can say that now because they have just claimed a de-facto Ulster championship as well as everything else they have won this season: the League, the Munster championship, the All-Ireland. Not just that, but for Jack, this fifth All-Ireland confirms his position as the third most successful manager in Gaelic football history, behind Mick O'Dwyer (who won eight championships) and Jim Gavin (six). No one can ever question his credentials again. To win five All-Irelands is astonishing but to do it across a 21-year timespan is even more impressive, as the game is so radically different now than it was in 2004, when he won his first All-Ireland. Players too have changed dramatically in terms of their outlook and expectations and one thing that has really impressed me about Jack is his willingness to get outside coaches to freshen up his backroom team. Persuading Cian O'Neill to come in as his No2 was a masterstroke. I worked under Cian in 2012 when James Horan brought him into the Mayo set-up and saw first hand how organised, innovative and tactically intelligent he was. That year he was with us, he gave us valuable insight into opposing teams as we made our way to an All-Ireland final. You could see his fingerprints all across Kerry's win yesterday, especially the way Kerry decoded Donegal's zonal defence. All season that system has worked perfectly for Donegal. But the biggest danger of zonal marking is that no one is ever held responsible which allows players to drift into scoring areas unmarked. We saw that repeatedly when Gavin White surged forward, when Sean O'Brien got his easy score, when Kerry were able to get two-point shots off. Yet while Cian O'Neill should be credited for devising a tactical plan which worked so efficiently, equal credit should go to O'Connor for having the self-confidence to appoint someone with O'Neill's experience. A lesser manager may have perceived O'Neill as a threat or worried that his assistant would receive all the credit if things went right but be free from criticism if it went wrong. Credit O'Connor then for having the self-awareness to add to his backroom team with a different style of coach. That's how you bridge eras from 2004 and 2025. Of course it helps too to have exceptional players. And all of Kerry's main men turned up yesterday, none more so than Gavin White who was my man of the match. He set the tone right from the start, setting up the first score of the game, then getting Kerry's second and third points of the day. That put them on their way. Then came the second half; again he made a key involvement from the throw-in and Kerry again got a score from it. Later, in a period when Donegal chipped away at Kerry's lead, reducing it from nine points to four with a concerted 15-minute period of good play, White showed his leadership qualities to seize possession and carry the ball 40 yards before getting a superb point. That, once more, set the tone as Donegal's comeback had stalled. Indeed, they would score only one more point in the match. Kerry's anxious period was over. They can thank White for that. Kerry's Gavin White lifts the Sam Maguire (Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne) Yet the plaudits must be shared. Paudie Clifford was outstanding and while people may focus on the stats, the 76 possessions, the thing we should really concentrate on is the quality of his play. It was strange that Jim McGuinness left him as the free man; stranger that he didn't decide to change this initial policy. Because Clifford destroyed Donegal with the precision of his passing and the intelligence of his decision-making. And he had plenty of company. Right through this Kerry side, their leaders turned up, Joe O'Connor outstanding yet again. And that is why it feels like the start of an era as well as the end of one. Yes, O'Connor may decide to retire and walk away. But Kerry will be staying for quite some time. Considering how well they played yesterday they will take some beating. **** I started watching Gaelic football in 1996. And there have been some great players come along. But David Clifford is the best I have ever seen. All year Brendan McCole has marked players superbly well. And Clifford scored 0-9 against him. That's outstanding. Adding yesterday's performance to the other displays he has given this summer, he is my player of the year. *** When Michael Murphy stepped out of retirement, it seemed as though he would be a 20-minute man. Instead he has had an excellent championship. But the big question is whether he will be persuaded to come back for another season. He turns 36 soon and the miles on the clock have added up over the years. Remember it was 2007 when he made his inter-county debut. Finnbarr Roarty was a one-year-old in 2007. Murphy defied time for most of this year but yesterday he looked fatigued in the closing minutes which suggests that next year he will be an impact sub - should he decide to come back. Will he stay or go? That will be a hard question to answer. Does he deserve an All-Star? That is an easier answer. Yes. Absolutely he does.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Half-time message was to have no regrets as Cork found way to break down Waterford's defence
Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Senior Camogie semi-final: Cork 1-21 Waterford 1-11 Have no regrets. That was the message at half time in UPMC Nowlan Park on Saturday after hot favourites Cork went to the dressing-room one point in arrears in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship semi-final. Courageous Waterford had put it up to them and Beth Carton's 15th minute goal - Mairéad O'Brien the provider - was a big moment in that first half. Cork struggled with the opposition's game plan. Abby Flynn's stoppage time point enabled Waterford to lead 1-7 to 0-9 at the interval. A significantly-improved second half performance led to the three-in-a-row seeking champions carving out a 10-point victory and a highly-anticipated meeting with familiar foes Galway in a repeat of last year's final in two weeks time. 'They set up with two extra at the back and it probably took us a while to figure out how to get our forwards on the ball,' captain Méabh Cahalane explained. 'At half time we discussed that if we ran it through the lines and forced Waterford to come out and defend from higher up, we'd have a great chance. 'Laura Treacy, as our spare player, she kind of dictated the whole thing and was telling who to take who, and once we got our running game going in the third quarter I felt it gave us a great platform going into the final stretch. 'The big thing about sport is, it is always hard when you have regrets. We came in at half time and we felt we would have regrets if we didn't go out in the second half (and perform). There is no game won after 30 minutes, we had another 30 minutes to rectify what we weren't doing right. We definitely needed to bring more energy to our play, get in on the rucks and tackle harder.' With the double header drawing a crowd of 7,120 to the superb Kilkenny venue, the atmosphere was electric. In fact, Mick Boland's side could have had another goal in that period but Carton's brave effort in the eighth minute inched over the bar rather than under. Cork had come off a four-week break and that may have led to some rustiness. They were thankful to prolific attacker Saoirse McCarthy who gave the Rebel support something to cheer about. She had a major influence on the outcome tallying seven points - four in the opening 30 minutes. Incidentally Boland, who lives in Carrigtwohill, coached McCarthy when Courcey Rovers won the Cork senior championship in 2020. Cork were a different proposition after the restart outscoring their near neighbours seven points to two in a wind-assisted 15-minute spell. Katrina Mackey was a late replacement for the injured Clodagh Finn and in her 17th senior inter-county season the Douglas legend struck three points in six minutes. With Cork's defensive structure now in full swing the Déise were beginning to struggle. Yet with 12 minutes remaining, they were very much in the hunt, 0-16 to 1-10. Cork, however, continued to build momentum and influential substitute Orlaith Mullins' stoppage time goal - put through by Orlaith Cahalane - gave the Sarsfields lady a day to remember. She sensationally grabbed 1-2 after being introduced three minutes from time. 'When it mattered we stepped it up,' noted manager Ger Manley. 'We said that to them at half time to step it up and the girls pushed themselves. I thought in the second half they were excellent. 'Will it do for the final? Probably not. But 1-21 is a solid score. 'You have to give credit to Waterford, they worked very hard. They played two sweepers. 'Carton had a great game early on but I think Pamela Mackey was unbelievable on her and Carton is one of the best players in camogie history so both Mackeys, they were excellent. 'Katrina has been injured, we only got her back in the last couple of weeks. She has quality. 'There is huge quality there but you need it all.' Scorers for Cork: S McCarthy (0-7, 0-4 frees), O Mullins (1-2), K Mackey (0-4), A O'Connor (0-3, 0-2 frees, 0-1 45), E Murphy and S McCartan (0-2 each), L Hayes (0-1). Scorers for Waterford: B Carton (1-4), Rockett (0-5, 0-3 frees), L Bray and A Flynn (0-1 each). CORK: A Lee; P Mackey, L Coppinger, M Cahalane (Capt); A Healy, L Treacy, L Hayes; H Looney, A Thompson; E Murphy, S McCartan, E Murphy; O Cahalane, K Mackey, A O'Connor. Subs: C Healy for E Murphy (53), M Murphy for A Thompson, O Mullins for S McCartan (both 57), A Fitzgerald for L Hayes (62). WATERFORD: B O'Regan; A McNulty, K Corbett Barry, V Falconer; B Bowdren, R Walsh, O Hickey; L Bray (Capt), A Flynn; E O'Neill; B Carton, E O'Neill, M O'Brien; A Fitzgerald, N Rockett, K Lynch. Subs: T Power for B Bowdren (40), M Gostl for M O'Brien (46), M Comerford for A Flynn (55), N Ahearne for A Fitzgerald (63). Referee: Gavin Donegan (Dublin).
