DARRAN O’SULLIVAN FIRST sampled All-Ireland final day in Croke Park as a player back in 2004.
He was a flying force of energy for the Kerry minor footballers, causing a constant headache for the Tyrone rearguard but ultimately seeing his side slip to a two-point loss.
Since then he has grown accustomed to All-Ireland finals. There have been seven appearances on Sunday afternoons in September, injury disrupting his 2014 season as he was on the bench.
Today is another All-Ireland final Sunday but he’ll get to break new ground on the club stage with Glenbeigh-Glencar.
“I never thought about it too much to be honest,” says O’Sullivan.
“It’s only in the last couple of weeks now when it’s become a bit of a reality that you’re going to get up there with your clubmates and fellas you’ve been friends with for so many years.
“I think it’s the buzz you get off other people and the supporters around the place, that’s made it feel that bit more special.”
There’s nothing new about a Kerry club featuring at this level. Since the enlightened decision was taken to give junior and intermediate sides their day in the sun back in 2006, 12 teams from the Kingdom have managed to journey all the way to the decider.
For good measure, North Kerry’s Ardfert have made three appearances and St Mary’s Caherciveen contested two finals.
Kerry clubs All-Ireland final record
Junior
- 2006 – Ardfert (W)
- 2007 – Duagh (L)
- 2009 – Skellig Rangers (W)
- 2010 – Castlegregory (W)
- 2011 – St Mary’s (W)
- 2013 – Kenmare (L)
- 2015 – Brosna (W)
- 2016 – Templenoe (W)
Intermediate
- 2007 – Ardfert (W)
- 2009 – St Michael’s-Foilmore (W)
- 2010 – Spa (L)
- 2012 – Miltown-Castlemaine (W)
- 2013 – Finuge (L)
- 2015 – Ardfert (W)
- 2016 – St Mary’s (W)
O’Sullivan watched a bunch of players that he shared a Kerry dressing-room with, get the opportunity to play with their clubs on such a marquee occasion. He opted not to dwell on that trend and instead focused on clambering out of the junior grade in Kerry.
There had been losses in the finals of 2013 and 2015, along with defeats in semi-finals in 2012 and 2014. Motivation to succeed was not in short supply.
“By the end of it, I just hated the competition. It’s as simple as that. I was so sick of it.
“For me it was all about just getting out of Kerry and getting into intermediate. I’ve played with the club when we were down in Division 5 and down in Novice. We were losing against teams we shouldn’t have been losing you.
“We’ve come an awful long way. The likes of myself and Fergal (Griffin) have been there together through the whole lot of it.
“It was a tough couple of years there for the club. We seemed to be doing everything right but falling at the final hurdle. It was great this year to get over that.
“When you do go out of Kerry, you want to go that extra step. The fact that so many teams in Kerry have done well in the junior and intermediate, it does put a bit of extra pressure and you don’t want to be stopping the run. We want to keep up that tradition of doing well.”
Their journey through Munster last winter and participation on the national stage this spring has been refreshing for O’Sullivan, a temporary break from the grind of getting set for another year on the inter-county treadmill.
He’s been spending more time on the pitch than the physio table as well. 2016 saw O’Sullivan fit and free from knocks. He started each of Kerry’s four championship outings, hitting the net against Clare and Dublin. A torn quad saw him withdrawn in the second half of that epic semi-final but it was an injury that healed quickly and he bounded into the club campaign.
“It’s nice to have something different. Every year for the last 12 has been more or less the same for me, come December or January, just thinking of the National League.
“It’s brilliant to see the club doing well, everyone’s buzzing. Christmas flew because of it.
“The body was good last year. I do a lot of work with Daniel Murphy there, he’s involved in our Kerry strength and conditioning team, with him twice a week in the gym.
“The stuff he does with me is very much specific to my needs. It’s just balancing, if I’m working on the hamstrings, I’m also working on the quads.
“It’s having somebody with me who has the education behind them and has kept it fresh.
“I’m doing a lot of heavier weights now than I’d have done in years because I wouldn’t have thought I was able for them. I had someone pushing me all the time. I was confident enough to do it.”
He’s surrounded by a bunch of young players, who are thriving. Pa Kilkenny and Gavan O’Grady have got Kerry senior game time in recent seasons. Caolim Teehan picked up an All-Ireland minor medal last September.
Pa Kilkenny up against Donegal's Paddy McBrearty in 2015
Kerry All-Ireland minor winner Caolim Teahan
Gavan O'Grady marked by Dublin's Jonny Cooper in 2016
Source: Lorraine O'Sullivan/INPHO" title="">
Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO" title="">
Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO" title="">Directing operations from the sideline is Aidan O’Shea, son of Jack and part of Kingdom football royalty. Back in 2008 it was O’Shea who stepped up for divisional outfit Mid Kerry to nervelessly slam home a penalty at the death that won a Kerry senior final replay, breaking the hearts of a Kerins O’Rahilly’s side, managed then by Jack O’Connor.
He was cursed by injuries thereafter, groin and hip complaints cutting short a career that was rich with potential for both club and county. As a manager with his native club, he has flourished.
“Aidan is a player’s man,” says O’Sullivan.
“The way I look at it, everyone should look at him as an example anyway because when Aidan was playing, he did everything right. He never slacked off, he’d never take shortcuts and he expects people to train like that.
“Obviously he was robbed of a lot of his career through injury which is a pity. You know well he’d give anything to be up there. But as a coach he’s brilliant as he still thinks like a player as well. He knows when to take a step back and when to push us.”
An All-Ireland final beckons on the pitch and there’s plenty planning off it as well. He’s getting married later this year and is putting the finishing touches to opening a bar and restaurant at home.
“It’s near completion now. We’re thinking of the Rossbeigh Bar and Grill, it’ll be down in the beach there. That’s more than likely what we’ll call it.
“We should be up and running in the next month or two. It’s a kind of a family project, myself and my old fella decided to tear at it about six-nine months ago. It’s starting to take a bit of shape now.”
Toasting an All-Ireland club win would be a nice way to open the new premises. Today’s collision with The Rock from Tyrone has gripped their community.
“It’s taken over. It was a big eye opener about how much the club means to people. You’ve a load people coming home.
“One of my best friends, Raymond O’Connor – he was captain when we won the Mid Kerry championship for the first time in 36 years (in 2012) – he’s based in New York, he’s flying home for the game.
“Cian Griffin, he’s Fergal’s brother, he’s based in London, he’s coming home to watch it. It shows how important it is to everyone to see the club colours in Croke Park. Everyone lives and breathe it.”
Another All-Ireland final day then. But this one carries extra prestige.
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