AS DUBLIN AND Kerry prepare to meet for their 13th All-Ireland Football final, we run down through the key figures on both sides of the GAA’s most celebrated rivalry.
The Silverware
Dublin: Dublin have 22 All-Ireland titles to the their name, but crucially — as you may have heard once or twice over the past few weeks — they haven’t won one since their one-point victory over Tyrone in 1995.
Kerry: There is only one county who have won more All-Irelands than Dublin and that’s Kerry. The Kingdom have lifted Sam on a staggering 36 occasions which puts them way ahead of the chasing pack. What’s more, they’ve won six finals since the last time the holy grail resided in the capital city.
The Boss
Pat Gilroy (Dublin): This is Gilroy’s first trip to the big dance but all week he has been commended for the manner in which he has managed both his players and the hype which inevitably accompanies Dublin’s presence in an All-Ireland.
Jack O’Connor (Kerry): O’Connor is a dab hand when it comes to All-Ireland finals. A win tomorrow would be his fourth in charge of Kerry, following victories over Mayo in 2004 and 2006 and, most recently, the four-point win over Cork in 2009.
The Star
Bernard Brogan (Dublin): Not only is Brogan the reigning Footballer of the Year, he’s also the Dubs’ top scorer in this year’s Championship with 0-23. With defenders often opting to double up on the Plunketts forward, Brogan has been able to create space for his team-mates time and again by dragging opposition back lines out of position.
Colm Cooper (Kerry): There’s not much to say about Cooper that hasn’t already been said. He has four All-Ireland medals, sitting pretty on his mantelpiece alongside his six All-Star awards. It’s rare for a player to captain a team from wing-forward, but Cooper does it with ease, pulling the strings in the Kerry forward line without as much as a thought.
The Keeper
Stephen Cluxton (Dublin): There’s many a Dublin fan not looking forward to the post-Cluxton era, whenever that may come. The fiery stopper made his Championship debut back in 2001 and has been virtually ever present in the Dublin nets since then. A fourth All-Star award looks likely to come his way after another excellent season which has seen him chip in 0-10 to his side’s Championship tally.
Brendan Kealy (Kerry): Kealy has the target of some criticism this season, but the youngster has been very reliable in only his second Championship season with the Kingdom. A good distributor of the ball, he reminded everyone of his excellent shot-stopping ability with some quality saves in the semi-final win over Mayo.
The Wild Card
Kevin McManamon (Dublin): The St Jude’s forward changed the semi-final against Donegal with his direct running as a second-half sub. Some of the Hill 16 faithful would argue that he should be starting, but he’s a potent reserve and could give the Dubs’ front six a much-needed boost late on.
Paul Galvin (Kerry): The Finuge dynamo isn’t in Jack O’Connor’s starting XV for tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t have a massive impact on how the game pans out. Galvin was born a game-changer and he will relish nothing more than the chance to step into a delicately poised contest with 20 or 25 minutes remaining.
