Kerry v Donegal: How counties compare in five key categories... unrelated to GAA
Donegal: With its rugged coastline, breathtaking beaches and majestic mountains, Donegal offers the postcard ideal of Irish scenic beauty. 5/5
Kerry: With its rugged coastline, breathtaking beaches and slightly higher majestic mountains, Kerry does much the same. 5/5 Carrauntoohil mountain in Kerry. Pic: Shutterstock
Donegal: Along with trad greats like Tommy Peoples and Dermot Byrne, Donegal has spawned inoffensive international successes like Enya, her old group Clannad, and Daniel O'Donnell.
The Henry Girls are from Inishowen while guitar legend Rory Gallagher was born in Ballyshannon. 4/5
Kerry: Home to a rich and vibrant trad scene with the Begley family still at the forefront. Indie rockers Walking On Cars were school friends from Dingle, while Oscar-nominated actress Jessie Buckley once released a well-received album with former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler. 4/5 Pic: Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images
Donegal: Aside from its two All-Ireland titles in Gaelic football (with a third on the cards today) Donegal has produced Irish soccer greats Packie Bonner, Shay Given, Séamus Coleman and Amber Barrett. Olympic runners Mark English and Kelly McGrory also hail from the county. 4/5
Kerry: On course for a staggering 39th All-Ireland today, but the county's contributions to Irish sporting life have been rather self-serving overall. Champion flat jockey Oisín Murphy and Munster rugby player JJ Hanrahan come from the Kingdom, but Gaelic football reigns supreme. Our loss is their gain. 3/5 Seamus Coleman of Everton looks on during the warm up prior to the Premier League match between Everton FC and Newcastle United at Goodison Park on December 07, 2023 in Liverpool, England. Pic:Donegal: The Mary From Dungloe Festival, which started yesterday, has been running since 1967. Like an indie Rose of Tralee, the week of music and fun ends in a pageant at which Mary From Dungloe is crowned for the year. 3/5
Kerry: First held eight years before the Mary From Dungloe Festival, in 1959, the Rose of Tralee blows the Donegal pageant out of the water in terms of recognisability, glitz – and budget. 5/5 Cork Rose Shauna O'Sullivan with Dáithí Ó Sé. Pic: Domnick Walsh
Donegal: Undoubtedly a strong accent with notable variation around the county, but delivery tends to be clear and unhurried, meaning tourists can generally get by without asking the same question too many times. 4/5
Kerry: The Kerry lilt is distinguished, unmistakable and beautiful – but certain strains can require considerable effort on the part of the listener, depending on how far from Kerry they come from. 3/5
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
12 minutes ago
- Irish Times
All Together Now music festival 2025: Stage line-ups and times, ticket information, how to get there and more
All Together Now , the festival-shaped brainchild of the man who founded Electric Picnic in 2004 only to leave 10 years later, is back for its six year and taking place over the August bank holiday from August 1st to August 3rd inclusive. Across an area of natural amphitheatres, gentle hills and hidden forests, All Together Now boasts several stages of music, spoken word, comedy, workshops, wellness activities and whatever other New-Age artsy things are in vogue today. With more than 25,000 expected to descend on the Co Waterford estate for the festival, a bit of planning can do no harm. So what do you need to know? All Together Now 2022 festival When and where is it on? READ MORE The Festival is on from Friday, August 1st, to Sunday August 3rd at the Curraghmore Estate in Co Waterford. Early entry is available on Thursday July 31st. Are there any tickets left? Tickets for All Together Now 2025 are officially sold out. The organisers have strongly advised festival goers to avoid purchasing tickets or camper van passes from unauthorised sellers. They have received a significant number of messages from people who have been scammed when trying to buy tickets through unofficial channels, particularly through a Facebook group claiming to resell tickets for their events. They are advising people to only buy tickets through official channels listed on their website , avoid social media ticket resales altogether and report any suspicious pages or posts. Make sure to add your tickets to your phone's wallet before you leave home to keep it handy and as on-site signal might be limited. Who is performing and when? With a variety of acts scheduled to perform over the weekend, festivalgoers are spoiled for choice. Headliners this year include Fontaines DC , London Grammar, CMAT , Wet Leg , Primal Scream . Michael Kiwanuka was due to appear on the Main Stage on Monday, but his performance has been cancelled on the advice of doctors due to an illness. As with headliners there is no shortage of Irish music acts lined across other stages, including Bricknasty, Landless, Muireann Bradley, Le Boom and Pigbaby, to name a few. At the Belonging Bandstand you won't want to miss Tony Cantwell and January Winters, plus, there are several spots for special guests across the different stages. Check out the line-up or see the festival's app for more details. CMAT performs on Later with Jools Holland. Photograph: Michael Leckie/BBC Studios Thursday, July 31st The festival organisers have announced that in addition to live music there will be other surprises around the site on Thursday. Max Zaska. Photograph: Aaron Corr The Well Telebox – 6.30pm-7pm T.A Narrative – 7.30pm-8pm Affection to Rent – 8.30pm-9.40pm Delivery Service – 11pm-12am Bandstand Arena Zaska – 8pm-9.15pm Marcus O'Laoire – 9.30pm-10.45pm Le Boom – 11pm-12.30am Friday August 1st Hester Chambers and Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg. Photograph: Alan Betson Main Stage Trinity Orchestra – 5pm-6pm Lisa O'Neill – 7pm-8pm Wet Leg – 8.30pm-9.45pm Fontaines D.C. – 10.30pm-12am Lovely Days Avenue 68 – 2pm-3pm Don West 3.45pm-4.45pm Hinds – 5.15pm-6.15pm Arc De Soleil – 6.45pm-7.45pm Darren Kiely – 8.30pm-9.30pm Parra For Cuva – 10pm-11.15pm Nia Archives 12am-1am ATRIP – 1am-3am Bandstand Arena Taylor Byrne – 2pm-3pm Sexy Tadhg – 3.30pm-4.30pm Toucan – 5pm-6pm Cooks But We're Chefs – 6.30pm-7.30pm MYD (DJ) – 8.30pm-10.30pm SX2 – 10.30pm-12am Carlita – 12am-1.30am Flight Facilities (DJ) – 1.30am-3.30am Something Kind of Wonderful Florence Road – 4.15pm-5.15pm Bricknasty – 6pm-7pm Geordie Greep – 7.45pm-8.45pm Baxter Drury – 9.30pm-10.30pm Leftfield (Live) – 12am-1.30pm Flourish Bold Love – 2.15pm-3pm Girlband! – 3.30pm-4.15pm Cliffords – 4.45pm-5.30pm Heartworms – 6pm-7pm BBY – 7.45pm-8.30pm Skinner – 9.45pm-10.45pm Makeshift Arts Bar – 12am-1am Immerse Away from Dave – 6.30pm-8pm HAAi – 8pm-10pm Aika Mal – 10pm-12.15am Saoirse – 12.15am-2am Courtesy – 2am-3.30am The Circle Alice Ugbah – 4.30pm-6.30pm God Knows – 7pm-7.45pm Kofi Stone – 8.15pm-9pm Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn - 9.–0pm – 10.15pm Onai – 10.45pm-12.30am Jehnny Beth (DJ) – 12.30am-2am Arcadia Dylan Fogarty – 10.30pm-12am Funk Assault – 12am-2am KI/KI – 2am-3.30am Saturday August 2nd Hannah Reid of London Grammar. Photograph: Alan Betson Main Stage Sing Along Social – 4pm-5pm Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 - 6.–5pm-7.30pm CMAT – 8.30pm-9.45pm London Grammar – 10.15pm-11.30pm BICEP present CHROMA (AV DJ Set) – 12am-1.30am Lovely Days Aaron Rowe – 2.20pm-3pm Morgana – 3.30pm-4.30pm Biig Piig – 5pm-6pm Everything is Recorded – 8pm-9.15pm Gurriers – 9.45pm-10.45pm Fat Dog – 11.15pm-12.30am Shee – 1.30am-3.30am Something Kind of Wonderful Tommy Tiernan – 12pm-1pm Lewis Doyle Singer – 1.30pm-2pm Landless – 3pm-4pm Arooj Aftab – 5pm-6.15pm John Grant – 7pm-8pm 49th & Main - 8.–5pm – 10pm Georgia – 10.45pm-12am Bonobo (DJ) – 1.30am-3am Flourish Bonya – 1pm-1.145pm Madra Salach – 2.15pm-3pm Bren Berry – 3.30pm-4.15pm Pan Amsterdam – 4.45pm-5.30pm Chloe Qisha – 6pm-7pm Search Results – 8pm-9pm The Altered Hours – 9.45pm-10.45pm Immerse Marion Hawkes – 3.30pm-5.30pm CAIT – 5.30pm-7.30pm The Trip – 7.30pm-9.30pm Max Cooper – 9.45pm-11.45pm Clouds – 11.45pm-1.30am Blawan DJ – 1.30am-3.30am The Circle Mabfield Live Podcast – 1.30pm-3pm Asha Ari – 3pm-3.30pm DUG – 4pm-4.45pm Huartan – 5.15pm-6pm Rois – 6.45pm-7.30pm Enola Gay – 8.15pm-9pm Dry Cleaning – 9.45pm-10.30pm David Holmes – 11pm-12.30am Shampain – 12.30am-2am Arcadia JWY – 10.30pm-12am EMA – 12am-2am Special Request – 2am-4am Sunday August 3rd Blindboy Main Stage Bueno Vista All Stars – 3pm-4pm BIIRD – 4.30pm-5.30pm Primal Scream – 6.30pm-7.30pm TBC – 8.15pm-9.20pm Nelly Furtado – 10.15pm-11.30pm Something Kind of Wonderful Blindboy -12pm-1pm Kean Kavanagh – 3.15pm-4.15pm The Boomtown Rats – 4.45pm-5.45pm Bob Vylan – 6pm-7pm English Teacher – 7.15pm-8.15pm The Voidz – 8.45pm-9.45pm Ben Bohmer (Live) – 10.30pm-12am Folamour – 12.30am-2am Lovely Day Muireann Bradley – 3.45pm-4.45pm Infinity Song – 5.15pm-6.15pm Nilufer Yanya – 6.45pm-7.45pm A Lazarus Soul – 8.30pm-9.30pm Mura Masa – 12am-1.30am Tara Kumar – 1.30am-3.30am Flourish The Awning – 1pm-1.45pm pigbaby – 2.15pm-3pm Martin Luke Brown – 3.30pm-4.15pm Ishmael Ensemble – 4.45pm-5.30pm Antony Szmierek – 6pm-7pm Radio Free Alice – 8pm-9pm Shark School – 9.45pm-10.30pm The Null Club – 12am-1am Bandstand Arena Glasshouse Perform Sigur Ros – 12.30pm-1.30pm Playback Presents: Bob Dylan '65 – 3.15pm-4.15pm Papa Romeo – 4.45pm-5.30pm Fizzy Orange – 6pm-7.30pm New Jackson – 9pm-10.15pm Matador b2b LRB – 12am-1.30am Deep Dish – 1.30am-3.30am IMMERSE Rhyzine – 3.30pm-5.30pm Puzzy Wrangler – 5.30pm-7.30pm CC:DISCO! – 7.30pm-9.30pm In2stellar – 9.30pm-11.30pm Surusinghe – 11.30pm-1.30pm Shanti Celeste – 1.30pm-3.30pm The Circle Mabfield Live Podcast – 2pm-3.30pm Divil – 3.45pm-4.15pm Adore – 5pm-5.45pm Curtisy – 7.45pm-8.30pm Maria Somerville – 9pm-10pm Sloucho – 12am-2am Arcadia Collie – 10.30pm-12am Sally C – 12am-2am Yousuke Yukimatsu – 2am-4am What else is there to see and do? Like most music festivals, All Together Now's website has a section advertising the various 'experiences' on offer. As well as music scheduled each day festivalgoers will have access to panel discussions, monologues, spoken word, comedy, storytelling, yoga, saunas, hot tubs, live food demos, arcade games, magic shows, circus and craft workshops, sensory play areas for kids, football competitions, music bingo and more. At the Greencrafts Village, an 'eco-conscious crafting hub', you can take part in craft-making activities and, most importantly, you get to take what you make home to show off. What time should I arrive? Access to the campsite will open from 4pm with last entry at 10pm on Thursday 31st July. Thursday the venue will open from 4pm with last entry at 9pm. Friday 1st August the venue opens at 9am with last entry at 9pm. Saturday 2nd August the venue will open at 9am with last entry at 8pm. Sunday 3rd August the venue will open at 10am with last entry at 4pm. How do I get there? As with many festivals held in remote rural locations, it takes some planning to get there. By bike: A bike rack will be located next to car park 4, please follow the directions of staff once you enter the site. E-scooters and e-bikes Bike racks available. No charging e-scooters or e-bikes at bike racks. By bus: There will be direct non-stop services from Dublin city centre and Cork city bus station (Parnell Place) which will operate to the festival on Thursday 31st July and Friday 1st August with return journeys on Monday 4th August. There will be a regular service from Waterford Bus Station to Curraghmore House each day from Friday 1st August with return journeys on Monday 4th August. The organisers have advised that they believe this to be the best option for festival goers. Expressway have set up a page for people who are looking to arrive at All Together Now by bus with all the relevant information on when and where the services will run and how to book. All private buses will be directed to Gate 4 regardless of their route origin and no private hire coaches are permitted to stay on site. By car: First and foremost, festival organisers have advised not to follow directions on a sat nav or Google Maps as it will not get you all the way to the festival site. Instead follow festival signs as soon as you see those. Other key points to remember if travelling by car are: Do not travel to the festival via Carrick-on-Suir; presumably the town would become a traffic choke point if thousands of cars piled through in short succession Organisers have advised that the quietest time to arrive will be between 9am and 1pm, Car parking will be available from 2pm on Thursday, July 31st, and from 9am on Friday, August 1st. There are six car parks on the festival grounds which can be seen on this interactive map . Drop-off or pickup on the event site by taxi is prohibited on Friday and Monday. Ticket holders arriving to the festival on Friday by taxi or getting dropped off by private vehicles will be directed to the designated drop-off zone in Highfield Business Park, Portlaw; accessed from the N25 Kilmeaden Interchange. Ticket holders will then get the free shuttle bus to the festival (Operating Friday (9am-9.30pm) and returning Monday (8am – 1pm only). To avoid festival traffic the organisers have advised the best drop off at the Waterford City bus Terminus where Bus Éireann festival shuttle will operate a regular service to the festival site. The festival organisers have advised that if you are leaving the festival site each night and being picked up by taxi / private car you should tell your drive to come to Gate 4. Once in Gate 4, the festival's team will direct them to the bus drop off / taxi pick up area. The organisers are urging people to not arrange to be dropped or picked up elsewhere near the estate as this can cause delays and disrupt traffic flow. To get to the pickup/drop off area you go back through the main entrance, take a left and then you will see the bus drop-off/pick up area. If you need to avail of access parking you must email access@ and receive confirmation from the access team. Regular Traffic updates will be available on Garda X account , local radio stations WLR 95.1FM and Beat 102FM as well as the festival's app and X feed By train: Waterford Plunkett Station is under five minutes walking distance to Bus Éireann Terminus, which will be running a regular festival shuttle to the festival. Waterford Plunkett Station has direct trains to Limerick, Kildare and Dublin. You can get to Waterford Plunkett from Galway, Cork and Belfast with one change. See Irish Rail's summer events page for more information. What if I'm camping? When it comes to camping at All Together Now, there's no shortage of boutique options for those looking for more than a flimsy tent among the chaotic masses. Fancy paying more for accommodation? There are Podpads, Yippee tents and Silk Road tents, all at varying levels of modest luxury, and you can find out more here. Toilets are dotted around the festival grounds and showers will be located in the campsites and available for use at specific times throughout the weekend. Campfires and disposable barbecues are not permitted on site, and campers have been asked not to smoke in their tents for safety reasons. What's the security? You must be aged 21 or over to gain access to All Together Now, with the exception of children aged 12 or below, who must be accompanied by a paying adult. There is a maximum limit of two children aged 12 and under per adult. People aged between 13 and 20 will not be allowed entry. Festival organisers have suggested if you don't need an item, don't bring it. It's a cashless festival so no need to bring any cash. Stringent searches will be conducted upon entry to the festival grounds. Items not allowed include: fireworks, illicit drugs, glass, animals (except guide dogs), weapons, petrol generators, barbecues, gazebos, flag poles, garden furniture, laser pens, professional photographic equipment, selfie sticks, drones, umbrellas, megaphones and air horns, high-vis clothing, bicycles and sound systems. Each person with a weekend camping ticket can bring alcohol at their first time of entry. They can bring either: 24 cans or 1 litre of spirits or 1.5 litre of wine for personal consumption. No glass bottles are allowed. Pre-packaged and cooked food is allowed to be brought to the campsite and no cooking is allowed. There will be food stalls and a supermarket at the festival. Fans have been asked to report any crimes to on-site gardaí as soon as possible and anybody participating in antisocial behaviour will be liable for eviction from the festival without re-entry. The Garda station at Portlaw can be contacted on 051 387 105. What should I pack? The festival organisers have shared a list of essentials that they suggest people bring: Photo ID & tickets Reusable water bottle Tent, sleeping bag, toiletries, loo roll Card for cashless payments Layers, rain gear, sun cream & wellies – prepare for all weather! Anything else? There will be phone charging facilities on site, but no harm ensuring your phone is fully charged when you're leaving the house. The festival bars are cashless and accept card and contactless payments – that means if your phone is your card, best make sure it's charged. At music festivals, power banks are your friends. For all things All Together Now, you can download the festival app (download from App Store or Google Play) and keep up to date with things throughout the weekend. What's the weather looking like? Met Éireann has said that Thursday will have a cloudy start with a few showers gradually clearing too. Sunny spells will develop across southern and eastern counties but it will remain cloudy elsewhere. Dry for much of the afternoon with highest temperatures of 18 to 21 degrees and northwesterly breezes. Thursday night will have a mix of cloud and clear spells. The best of the dry weather will be in the south and east. A little cooler too with lowest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees in a light northwesterly breeze. Friday will be a largely bright day with plenty of sunshine and just a few isolated showers. Highest temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees and moderate northwesterly breezes. The weekend will be very unsettled with a band of rain moving over the festival on Saturday, turning heavy at times followed by scattered showers for Sunday. Temperatures staying in the mid to high teens.
Irish Post
32 minutes ago
- Irish Post
Paul Costelloe will close inaugural Ireland Fashion Week
DESIGNER Paul Costelloe will present the closing show at the inaugural Ireland Fashion Week its organisers have confirmed. The London-based Irishman will take a central role at the new event, which is due to take place in Dublin from October 6 to 10. Galway-born tech entrepreneur Ashley McDonnell is the person bringing fashion week to Irland for the very first time. The event is set to bring together "leading designers, international industry figures, the most stylish Irish and the global media" the organisers explain. Paul Costelloe will present the closing show at the inaugural Ireland Fashion Week They will be "welcomed to enjoy several fashion shows featuring the country's most celebrated names as well as exciting up-and-comers', they add. This week it was confirmed that the event, which will be sponsored by Visa, will be closed by Costelloe, in what will be a much-anticipated homecoming for the Dubliner. 'As one of the most established names in Irish fashion, Paul's inclusion marks a defining moment for Ireland Fashion Week, bringing four decades of excellence and his legendary craftsmanship home to Dublin,' the organisers state. 'Since establishing his eponymous fashion house, Paul Costelloe has built an extraordinary legacy that seamlessly blends hand-crafted luxurious fabrics with cutting-edge design, innovation and creativity,' they add. 'Drawing inspiration from his Irish heritage and deep love of equestrian elegance, Paul's designs offer a perfect balance between timeless tailoring and modern sophistication.' IFW founder McDonnell said Costelloe's presence as the closing show is a "defining moment for Irish fashion". 'His legacy bridges generations, and his involvement in Ireland Fashion Week signals just how powerful Ireland's creative design future is,' she added. Costelloe's show will take place at the Rotunda of Dublin's City Hall on October 10. See More: Dublin, Ireland Fashion Week, Paul Costelloe
Irish Times
37 minutes ago
- Irish Times
How Kerry pulled off tactical masterclass to beat Donegal in All-Ireland final
One of the best podcasts on sports coaching in Gaelic games was released exactly two years ago, ahead of the Kerry v Dublin All-Ireland final. In an interview with Ger Gilroy on Off The Ball, Cian O'Neill gave a real insight into his coaching philosophy. One of the key aspects of the interview comes at around the 20-minute mark where he talks about role clarity, role acceptance and role execution. He stresses role acceptance is the most crucial, along with the trust within the group on that, as well as the strategy being co-created with the players. Merge that with the insight from his Sunday Game banquet interview, where he referenced having more than 40 coaches (ie the players on the field) involved in the set-up and you see how a tactical masterclass was delivered on the biggest stage by Kerry last Sunday. READ MORE Role clarity The maps below show where some of the key Kerry players got possessions. Much has been made of the 76 possessions that Paudie Clifford got in the final (we will explore the how of that a little more in the role acceptance section). He was fulfilling a role that was afforded to him by the Donegal structure. His pivot role between the 45 and 65 was executed with precision. He was rarely under any pressure in his possessions as he soloed the ball left and right with ease, and surveyed the options in front of him. Possession maps for some of Kerry's key players. Seán O'Shea played a similar role to Paudie at times, while at other times he operated in the 15 corner at the corner of the arc, mirroring David Clifford on the far side. The positioning of O'Shea and David Clifford were absolutely crucial in stretching the Donegal defence. This allowed Gavin White to raid forward down the left wing twice in the opening minutes for a score and again in the second half. Gavin White's early raid with Mark O'Shea and Sean O'Brien positioned high, stretching Donegal. White line break in final quarter, Diarmuid O'Connor has now assumed high midfield role. Role acceptance Again there has been talk of David Clifford's periods of splendid isolation during the game as he brought Brendan McCole to the outskirts of the pitch. This showed a huge level of leadership from a player of such talents. He operated in that right channel of the pitch and allowed Paudie to operate centrally, while Gavin White profited off the weaker side of the defence. It was smart but not unexpected as McCole was always going to stick to the Fossa man closely. McCole did turn over Clifford twice in the game - in a game were Kerry didn't offer up turnovers easily, he cemented his All Star. A typical attacking shape for Kerry during the All-Ireland final. The two players who are maybe not receiving their fair share of the plaudits are Seán O'Brien and Mark O'Shea. They were the epitome of role acceptance. During structured attacks they were always the highest and when Diarmuid O'Connor entered the fray he continued on this 'team/position' role. This wasn't without personal reward as O'Brien scored two points, one from the above picture as he fisted over, and a second below as he came from inside out as Gavin White popped him the ball, with again Mark O'Shea highest. One of the biggest aspects of this move was how it pinned Peadar Mogan so far back the field. The build-up to Seán O'Brien's second point - another score built off a disciplined attacking structure. The structure to the Kerry attack all day, assisted by the passive Donegal zonal defence, meant they could execute rehearsed plays with conviction. The below image of an attack in the early stages of the second half really illustrates the possession control that was in place. Kerry used a set attacking structure to attack the Donegal zonal defence. Another key moment came in the 16th minute when Paudie Clifford checked the run of Peadar Mogan after a rare Kerry mistake, before a Mark O'Shea turnover which afforded David Clifford a breakaway point. Paudie Clifford's check on Peadar Mogan stops supporting run. Role execution Everyone knowing their role and being willing to accept it is one thing, but you must be able to execute and punish. This requires leadership and steel - both were in abundance in the Kerry dressingroom and on the field. The captain has a role in setting the tone. Kerry won both throw-ins with Gavin White raiding forward off both. In the first half he won the break off Mark O'Shea and drove through the heart of the Donegal defence before offloading to Dylan Geaney who opened the Kingdom's account. At the start of the move there was a theatrical jump from Ryan McHugh, as White started his run. The second half started the same with a breaking ball, this time McHugh went to meet the Kerry captain and White went through him, leaving the Kilcar man requiring attention to his shoulder - the phase finished with a Seán O'Shea point. Kerry's Gavin White winning breaks at the start of each half. White wasn't the only leader, there were two particular enforcers on the Kerry team, who led throughout. Seán O'Shea man showed leadership when he came really deep for a Shane Ryan kickout in the second half. He wanted possession deep all day and took the responsibility to carry out from there. The reaction of the Kenmare man when Donegal tried to test the shoulder of the returning Diarmuid O'Connor showed the togetherness of the Kerry team. Kerry's Seán O'Shea coming deep into pocket to take kickout. Seán O'Shea moves to help protect the returning Diarmuid O'Connor. Joe O'Connor won clean kickouts throughout the encounter, and he had an important block as Donegal attempted a two-pointer in the 49th minute. Then he finished the game off by rocketing the ball to the back of the net in the last minute. Killian Spillane assisted the goal, who received the ball off his Templenoe clubmate Tadgh Morley, a leader of Kerry for years. Joe O'Connor block down on rare Donegal two-point attempt. Joe O'Connor senses something is on and drives forward for Kerry's late goal. The Kingdom's true leader was David Clifford. Every score he landed energised the crowd, and they energised him. The humility to spend time on the outskirts to benefit others was fascinating to watch - his first possession only came after eight minutes. When he came into phases on high Kerry turnovers in the first half he returned 0-3 in seconds. His point in the 11th minute hasn't received as much attention as it deserves. He was initially priming himself for a loop off Mark O'Shea but had to readjust and loop off Mike Breen and kick the ball over for a two-pointer under pressure, off the back foot. Unbelievable athleticism and skill. David Clifford adjusting his loop to set up a two-point attempt. The part of the game that emphasised the collective leadership and role execution was the final phase of the first half, where Kerry controlled the ball from the moment Shane Ryan collected it on 33:15 and David Clifford kicked his two-pointer after the buzzer. A huge score that afforded them a seven-point half-time advantage. Paudie on his own 45m line in the phase issued a keep calm sign, before he proceeded to have eight of his 76 possessions in the phase. He set it up for his brother David to execute. The set-up for Kerry's two-pointer after the buzzer in the first half. Paudie was again provider for his younger brother for his 36th-minute point, as he orchestrated the back door cut with a sublimely weighted pass - a score made in Fossa. Paudie Clifford directing his brother for back door cut pass. An All-Ireland final where role clarity, acceptance and execution were to the fore, but the victors were assisted by an opponent who believed that Plan A could not be overcome and were slow to adapt. There will be regret for Donegal on how Kerry navigated around their game plan, but they have the personnel and togetherness to recover and go again in 2026. Paul O'Brien is a performance analyst with The Performance Process .
