THE LAST TIME KERRY won the All Ireland, in Jack O’Connor’s third coming of 2022, they landed the league as an appetiser; also the last time they won the league.
They will take that as a positive omen as they defeated Mayo here in front of a crowd of 21,596. Maybe. It’s difficult to say as both teams were concerned with preserving their effort level ahead of the provincial championships.
For this was Gaelic football played as a pastime. Not the serious stuff of championship. The result was immaterial. The performance wasn’t even that big a deal. It was highly skilled, unbelievably conditioned elite teams playing out their own version of Lads and Dads. The annual Stephen’s Day charity games between married and singles has been contested with more ferocity.
If there were scores to be settled, they were done so in the media room interviews afterwards.
But for the record, Mayo had a bright opening. Aidan O’Shea has had the horrors when it comes to his scoring record in Croke Park, but he had three points hit in the first half here, two of them in the opening ten minutes.
Then Paudie Clifford took over. We will take a deeper dive into his contributions later, but he was typically bright, inventive and daring with his contributions, creating a certain tap-in for Paul Geaney. He kicked two ‘45’s, and one from play that oozed quality. And he was involved directly or indirectly with five more points.
He was, it’s more than fair to say, the footballer of the league.
With the league trophy rechristened the Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh Cup, Kerry had a greater motivation to go harder as Mayo have Sligo in their opening Connacht championship next weekend.
The Kingdom put together an impressive opening half, the highlight coming in the 12th minute when Mayo goalkeeper Colm Reape’s risky short kickout was dribbling towards the arc when David Clifford stole in for possession. A quick pass to his brother Paudie later and he set up Paul Geaney for a palmed finish to the net.
At the break they led 1-9 to 0-7.
There was a brief glimpse of a Mayo comeback in the second half when Eoghan McLaughlin raced in for a goal and Ryan O’Donoghue converted a two-point free soon after to leave just three points in it with twenty minutes remaining.
Soon after, they realised that going eyeballs out could lead to false hope, untimely injuries, or just plain old looking too keen on a league title. Never a good look when you prefer to have your eye on another prize. Either way, they will polish up their grievances and take them out on Sligo next Sunday in Castlebar.
Kerry righted themselves in time to hold on and land their 24th Allianz League title. They head to Portugal now, along with it seems half the intercounty squads in Ireland for a little hard yakka ahead of a leisurely Munster championship, and then their main goal.
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Scorers for Kerry: David Clifford 0-8 (4f), Paul Geaney 1-2 (1f), Paudie Clifford 0-3 (2x’45’), Joe O’Connor 0-2, Barry Dan O’Sullivan, Conor Geaney, Tony Brosnan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-5 (2f, 1x 2pt free), Eoghan McLaughlin 1-0, Aidan O’Shea 0-3, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn, Frank Irwin, Paul Towey 0-1 each.
Kerry
1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
2. Paul Murphy (Rathmore), 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), 4. Dylan Casey (Austin Stacks)
5. Gavin White (Dr Crokes), 6. Mike Breen (Beaufort), 7. Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht)
8. Joe O’Connor (Austin Stacks), 9. Barry Dan O’Sullivan (Dingle)
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Kerry do enough to see off Mayo in half-hearted Division 1 league final
Kerry 1-18
Mayo 1-12
THE LAST TIME KERRY won the All Ireland, in Jack O’Connor’s third coming of 2022, they landed the league as an appetiser; also the last time they won the league.
They will take that as a positive omen as they defeated Mayo here in front of a crowd of 21,596. Maybe. It’s difficult to say as both teams were concerned with preserving their effort level ahead of the provincial championships.
For this was Gaelic football played as a pastime. Not the serious stuff of championship. The result was immaterial. The performance wasn’t even that big a deal. It was highly skilled, unbelievably conditioned elite teams playing out their own version of Lads and Dads. The annual Stephen’s Day charity games between married and singles has been contested with more ferocity.
If there were scores to be settled, they were done so in the media room interviews afterwards.
But for the record, Mayo had a bright opening. Aidan O’Shea has had the horrors when it comes to his scoring record in Croke Park, but he had three points hit in the first half here, two of them in the opening ten minutes.
Then Paudie Clifford took over. We will take a deeper dive into his contributions later, but he was typically bright, inventive and daring with his contributions, creating a certain tap-in for Paul Geaney. He kicked two ‘45’s, and one from play that oozed quality. And he was involved directly or indirectly with five more points.
He was, it’s more than fair to say, the footballer of the league.
With the league trophy rechristened the Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh Cup, Kerry had a greater motivation to go harder as Mayo have Sligo in their opening Connacht championship next weekend.
The Kingdom put together an impressive opening half, the highlight coming in the 12th minute when Mayo goalkeeper Colm Reape’s risky short kickout was dribbling towards the arc when David Clifford stole in for possession. A quick pass to his brother Paudie later and he set up Paul Geaney for a palmed finish to the net.
At the break they led 1-9 to 0-7.
There was a brief glimpse of a Mayo comeback in the second half when Eoghan McLaughlin raced in for a goal and Ryan O’Donoghue converted a two-point free soon after to leave just three points in it with twenty minutes remaining.
Soon after, they realised that going eyeballs out could lead to false hope, untimely injuries, or just plain old looking too keen on a league title. Never a good look when you prefer to have your eye on another prize. Either way, they will polish up their grievances and take them out on Sligo next Sunday in Castlebar.
Kerry righted themselves in time to hold on and land their 24th Allianz League title. They head to Portugal now, along with it seems half the intercounty squads in Ireland for a little hard yakka ahead of a leisurely Munster championship, and then their main goal.
Scorers for Kerry: David Clifford 0-8 (4f), Paul Geaney 1-2 (1f), Paudie Clifford 0-3 (2x’45’), Joe O’Connor 0-2, Barry Dan O’Sullivan, Conor Geaney, Tony Brosnan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-5 (2f, 1x 2pt free), Eoghan McLaughlin 1-0, Aidan O’Shea 0-3, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn, Frank Irwin, Paul Towey 0-1 each.
Kerry
1. Shane Ryan (Rathmore)
2. Paul Murphy (Rathmore), 3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue), 4. Dylan Casey (Austin Stacks)
5. Gavin White (Dr Crokes), 6. Mike Breen (Beaufort), 7. Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht)
8. Joe O’Connor (Austin Stacks), 9. Barry Dan O’Sullivan (Dingle)
10. Micheál Burns (Dr Crokes), 11. Paudie Clifford (Fossa), 12. Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses)
13. David Clifford (Fossa), 14. Paul Geaney (Dingle), 15. Dylan Geaney (Dingle)
Subs:
19. Tony Brosnan (Dr Crokes) for Geaney (46m)
26. Mark O’Shea (Dr Crokes) for BD O’Sullivan (47m)
20. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle) for ÓBeaglaoich (54m)
17. Conor Geaney (Dingle) for Burns (54m)
23. Killian Spillane (Templenoe) for G O’Sullivan (66m)
22. Ruairí Murphy (Listry) for P Geaney (69)
Mayo
1. Colm Reape (Knockmore)
2. Jack Coyne (Ballyhaunis), 3. Donnacha McHugh (Castlebar Mitchels), 4. Enda Hession (Garrymore)
5. Sam Callinan (Ballina Stephenites), 6. David McBrien (Ballaghaderreen), 7. Stephen Coen (Hollymount-Carramore),
8. Jack Carney (Kilmeena), 9. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy)
20. Eoghan McLaughlin (Westport), 17. Conor Reid (Moy Davitts), 12. Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina Deel Rovers)
13. Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), 14. Frank Irwin (Ballina Stephenites), 15. Ryan O’Donoghue (Belmullet)
Subs:
11. Darren McHale (Knockmore) for Reid (33m)
25. Paul Towey (Charlestown) for Irwin (42m)
10. Davitt Neary (Breaffy) for Flynn (45m)
16. Adrian Phillips (Ballyhaunis) for Reape (54m)
18. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber) for Coen (63m)
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)
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division 1 final GAA Gaelic Football Kerry Mayo