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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Experience was key to Kerry's success
Kerry captain Gavin White felt his team's big-game experience was a factor in their flying start to Sunday's 1-26 to 0-19 All-Ireland Football final victory over Donegal. The Kingdom flew out of the traps and had laid the foundations when leading by eight points after 15 minutes as they attacked the Ulster champions in waves. White made an immediate impact when sprinting on to a loose ball from a throw-in and feeding Dylan Geaney for a score which set the the tone. The Dr Croke's clubman contributed three points in a man-of-the-match performance as Kerry banished the memories of their 2023 final defeat by Dublin to secure title number 39 for the county. "I think we went out in the first 15 minutes to make our experience count and made an unbelievable start," he told the GAA Social Live, after the final whistle. "You want to get your hands on the ball as soon as you can It was an ambition to set the tempo from get-go and that started with the throw-in." Kerry's dominance around the middle was also crucial to their win as they were sharp to the breaks and won the kick-out battle. With the new rules of Gaelic football taking hold this year, restarts have proven to be a crucial area with goalkeepers going long more often. This was an area where Kerry struggled in their group stage defeat by Meath, but improved upon greatly in the games since. "If you can win your share of breaking ball, you'll have most of the possession and more attacks," White said. "That's something we've looked at the last couple of days because against Meath in Tullamore, we were wiped out." White was speaking just minutes after lifting Sam Maguire on behalf of his county and admitted he was "very emotional". The half-back was captain in 2019 when Kerry lost in the final to Dublin after a replay, so it was a special moment for the Killarney man but one he felt could have been filled by a number of players who he praised for their leadership. "You could put an armband on anyone out there as there are serious leaders - it's difficult to put it into words," he added. "To captain an All-Ireland team is highly special and I'm not sure it will sink in for a number of days. Maybe one day when I hang up the boots, I may only then look back at the magnitude of it. I'm incredibly proud of the boys."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Experience was key to Kerry's success
Kerry captain Gavin White felt his team's big-game experience was a factor in their flying start to Sunday's 1-26 to 0-19 All-Ireland Football final victory over Donegal. The Kingdom flew out of the traps and had laid the foundations when leading by eight points after 15 minutes as they attacked the Ulster champions in waves. White made an immediate impact when sprinting on to a loose ball from a throw-in and feeding Dylan Geaney for a score which set the the tone. The Dr Croke's clubman contributed three points in a man-of-the-match performance as Kerry banished the memories of their 2023 final defeat by Dublin to secure title number 39 for the county. "I think we went out in the first 15 minutes to make our experience count and made an unbelievable start," he told the GAA Social Live, after the final whistle. "You want to get your hands on the ball as soon as you can It was an ambition to set the tempo from get-go and that started with the throw-in." Kerry's dominance around the middle was also crucial to their win as they were sharp to the breaks and won the kick-out battle. With the new rules of Gaelic football taking hold this year, restarts have proven to be a crucial area with goalkeepers going long more often. This was an area where Kerry struggled in their group stage defeat by Meath, but improved upon greatly in the games since. "If you can win your share of breaking ball, you'll have most of the possession and more attacks," White said. "That's something we've looked at the last couple of days because against Meath in Tullamore, we were wiped out." White was speaking just minutes after lifting Sam Maguire on behalf of his county and admitted he was "very emotional". The half-back was captain in 2019 when Kerry lost in the final to Dublin after a replay, so it was a special moment for the Killarney man but one he felt could have been filled by a number of players who he praised for their leadership. "You could put an armband on anyone out there as there are serious leaders - it's difficult to put it into words," he added. "To captain an All-Ireland team is highly special and I'm not sure it will sink in for a number of days. Maybe one day when I hang up the boots, I may only then look back at the magnitude of it. I'm incredibly proud of the boys."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Experience was key to Kerry's success
Kerry captain Gavin White felt his team's big-game experience was a factor in their flying start to Sunday's 1-26 to 0-19 All-Ireland Football final victory over Kingdom flew out of the traps and had laid the foundations when leading by eight points after 15 minutes as they attacked the Ulster champions in made an immediate impact when sprinting on to a loose ball from a throw-in and feeding Dylan Geaney for a score which set the the Dr Croke's clubman contributed three points in a man-of-the-match performance as Kerry banished the memories of their 2023 final defeat by Dublin to secure title number 39 for the county."I think we went out in the first 15 minutes to make our experience count and made an unbelievable start," he told the GAA Social Live, after the final whistle."You want to get your hands on the ball as soon as you can It was an ambition to set the tempo from get-go and that started with the throw-in." Kerry's dominance around the middle was also crucial to their win as they were sharp to the breaks and won the kick-out the new rules of Gaelic football taking hold this year, restarts have proven to be a crucial area with goalkeepers going long more was an area where Kerry struggled in their group stage defeat by Meath, but improved upon greatly in the games since."If you can win your share of breaking ball, you'll have most of the possession and more attacks," White said."That's something we've looked at the last couple of days because against Meath in Tullamore, we were wiped out."White was speaking just minutes after lifting Sam Maguire on behalf of his county and admitted he was "very emotional".The half-back was captain in 2019 when Kerry lost in the final to Dublin after a replay, so it was a special moment for the Killarney man but one he felt could have been filled by a number of players who he praised for their leadership."You could put an armband on anyone out there as there are serious leaders - it's difficult to put it into words," he added."To captain an All-Ireland team is highly special and I'm not sure it will sink in for a number of days. Maybe one day when I hang up the boots, I may only then look back at the magnitude of it. I'm incredibly proud of the boys."
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Paudie Clifford covers every blade of the pitch – and doesn't hold back in post-match chat
The changes in Gaelic football this season didn't only come with the new rules, or innovations, at play. For those watching on television, the diamond-patterned turf in Croke Park proved a distraction that took a bit of getting used to, although Joanne Cantwell on RTÉ One assured us the view from up high was quite different from that which the players would encounter at field level. Still, for those of us sitting on our sofas, not expecting an episode of Landscape Artist of the Year, it took a bit of getting used to, and that was only in the parade when Donegal for some reason decided enough was enough of marching behind the Artane Boys Band and took themselves away from the formalities of it all. Darragh Maloney referred to Donegal's abrupt departure from the parade as part of the 'mind games' in the psychological warfare that goes on between teams at All-Ireland finals. Kerry , though, stuck to the old ways and stayed true to tradition in marching behind the band until the death. READ MORE 'There's greatness in their DNA,' Sarah Mulkerrins over on BBC 2 Northern Ireland had told us upon Kerry's arrival on to the pitch ahead of the parade, while the Beeb's match commentator Thomas Niblock in his build-up essay had talked of how the players from Donegal and Kerry came from counties where football 'isn't just played, it's inherited'. Both RTÉ and BBC have evolved their prematch coverage of All-Irelands and their use of a corner of the now diamond-patterned pitch near the Nally Stand had Joanne and Sarah as their respective main presenters, each knowledgeable and bringing a mix of pertinent questions of their punditry teams with a little humour too for a match where there was a common consensus that the new rules had, as Philly McMahon put it, 'reinvigorated everybody'. Kerry's David Clifford and Brendan McCole of Donegal in action in the All-Ireland football final. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho In the build-up to the game, the BBC cameras brought us high into the premium seats where a number of award-winning actors – among them Douglas Henshall, Martin Compston and Chaneil Kular, who are all starring in The Revenge Club, a new thriller being filmed on locations in Ireland – were among the station's guests. 'I cannot believe I've missed [Gaelic football] my whole life,' remarked Henshall (of Shetland fame) with Compston (you know him from Line of Duty) marvelling at the lack of segregation among the supporters, which he described as 'mind-blowing'. The RTÉ lads, meanwhile, were hardly building us up for a game of the century or anything like that, with Peter Canavan being 'sceptical about a free-flowing game', while Tomás Ó Sé added: 'I don't think it's going to be a classic.' [ Kerry player ratings: The Clifford brothers star as Kingdom lift Sam Maguire Opens in new window ] So much for all of us with our popcorn and cups of tea settling in for a game where we wanted free-flowing football and drama, and hoping someone somewhere had a bit of revenge to add to the mix. By half-time in a game of, yep, free-flowing football dominated by Kerry, the BBC's Niblock seemed to tip his cap to what he'd seen from Kerry and especially to Kerry's chosen one. 'What do you say about genius?' he asked of DC, although the same could have been said about Paudie – whose energy levels should be harnessed for the national grid – and others as the game seemed all but done for. Former Dublin manager Jim Gavin working for RTÉ in Croke Park: 'Half-time is only a break in play, I think this is far from over.' Photograph: Morgan Treacy Hold your horses, or something like that, seemed to be the message coming from pitchside down below where none other than former Dublin manager Jim Gavin – the head of the Football Review Committee – had joined the BBC analysts. 'Half-time is only a break in play, I think this is far from over,' said Gavin. Jim was right until he was wrong. Donegal's fightback seemed to briefly hold out the prospect for a comeback akin to Tipperary's against Cork in the hurling but that never happened, and Kerry did what Kerry usually do when the Sam Maguire is within touching distance. [ How Tipperary capitalised on Cork's chronic lack of flexibility to take All-Ireland title Opens in new window ] 'It's amazing to see Kerry so excited about winning an All-Ireland,' remarked Mickey Harte on the Beeb, to which Niblock responded by observing – after so many pundits had foreseen a Donegal win – of Kerry that, 'the hurt, the anger, whether it is manufactured, a team can feed off it.' Indeed, over on RTÉ, Damian Lawlor had done what no Donegal defender had managed and only gone and nabbed Paudie Clifford, who seemed more charged up than he had been in his terrific performance throughout where he seemed to cover every blade of the diamond-patterned turf. Paudie didn't mince his words either in his chat with Lawlor. 'We did feel disrespected, being called a one-man team,' he said, with all the assurance of a big brother who knew the bigger picture. It's in their DNA, for sure.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Jack O'Connor lifts Kerry to All-Ireland No39 but says he's still just ‘trotting after Micko' in Kingdom's golden legacy
AFTER five All-Irelands across three stints in charge, Jack O'Connor refuses to emerge from Mick O'Dwyer's shadow. 2 Kerry players, staff and family celebrate with after their 39th Sam Maguire cup win 2 Kerry manager Jack O'Connor hailed the late and great Mick O'Dwyer after the triumph Micko made All-Irelands a right of passage in Kerry. Sam Maguire is their trophy, and only ever on loan when it goes elsewhere. Nobody knows that more than But he still carried Micko's mantle to win his O'Dwyer won his first Sam as boss 50 years ago this summer, and his last 11 years later in 1986. READ MORE ON GAA After the final game, GAA president Jarlath Burns said from the Hogan Stand steps that it's time for Jacko and Micko to be mentioned in the same breath. Not many can argue with that now, even if O'Connor did his best after their 10-point mauling of Donegal. Five as manager ends the debate over his greatness as a manager, even if his credentials in Kerry were often questioned. Those queries can no longer be asked. One of his proudest moments was visiting O'Dwyer in Waterville with Sam - a memory he will cherish forever. Most read in GAA Football Micko led the way - and Jack has only followed. He said: 'Sure look, the rest of us are only trotting after Micko. He's created a great history and tradition in Kerry and the rest of us are only trotting after him now. 'Sad to see him go' - GAA fans emotional seeing Michael D Higgins attend last men's All-Ireland final as President "It's a bit sentimental for me because I brought the cup to him, to his house in 2022. We had a nice half an hour of a chat there and there was a nice photograph taken of the thing. 'So I'll treasure that always because he was an idol of mine. As I say, he's created history, and the rest of us are all trotting after him.' When Micko took them to the top, O'Connor ensured they stayed there. They say you should never go back - but the Dromid Pearses man's third coming has delivered TWO to titles on top of their glory in 2004, 2006 and 2009. He is now the the third most successful manager in the history of Gaelic Football - only behind Micko on eight and Jim Gavin on six. Their 2022 title was one thing, but this was another. Dublin stealing their crown in 2023 hurt badly. But a new, darker and angrier shade of blue proved their class at Croker. Kerry were down and out after their shock group stage O'Connor warned us how dangerous they can be when they are questioned as Armagh, Tyrone and Donegal bore the brunt of and as they stormed home to title 39. This was no classic, but Kerry won't care. One medal is never enough in the Kingdom and now the bulk of this squad have two, and Paul Geaney and Paul Murphy won their third. CLIFFORD CLASS His coronation as the greatest of all was rubber stamped in 2022 and cemented here - even if Donegal full-back Brendan McCole did a half decent job on him. His brother, Paudie was equally devastating and the cheer of the day rang out at Croker when the siblings and David's son, Ogie, held Sam aloft with glee. Clifford had barely touched the ball until his first orange flag on nine minutes, and Kerry laid down a marker that this game would be played on their terms. Donegal's zonal defensive shape was torn apart, as Gavin White made Croke Park his own and capped a stunning captain's display with 0-3. Kerry devoured Donegal on kick-outs and breaking ball - two facets of the Ulster champions that led them to this final. But leaving McFadden on the bench yesterday hurt them in the middle, and those wounds opened even more when Ciarán Thompson hobbled off after 23 minutes. Joe O'Connor was the main reason for Kerry's midfield conviction - and his journey to the top has been a hell of a story. The Austin Stacks clubman was their captain in 2022 yet could not get into O'Connor's team. He was only 22 at the time, and still getting grips with life in that daunting green and gold jersey. The man who could not be picked for their All-Ireland final win over Galway three years ago cannot be left out, and his heroic display won this Sam Maguire. He annihilated Donegal in the air, set up countless Kerry attacks and sealed the fairytale ending when he hammered the ball past Shaun Patton into the net in front of Hill 16. And his manager could only gleam at O'Connor's journey from the side of the stage to the main act on the biggest day of all. KINGDOM COME He said: 'Yeah, Joe was inspirational. I said it here a few weeks ago, a man that played a bit part here in 22, even though he was captain - he played five minutes of that final. 'The way that man has got down to work, improved himself physically and football-wise is just a credit. He's a great lad and he's got a massive effect on the rest of the players.' Donegal are on their own journey and will be back. McGuinness has unfinished business, and keeping comeback legend Michael Murphy on board - who turns 36 next month - will be crucial heading into 2026. O'Connor might well bow out at the top, and what a way to do it. There will be no photograph this time, but he will take Sam to Waterville first. As long as Kerry are winning All-Irelands, Micko's mantra is alive and well.
