Kerry manager Fintan O’Connor regrets highlighting that Shane Conway was “singled out” in last month’s Allianz Division 2A final defeat to Westmeath.

At a time of great volatility in the world, there is considerable comfort in the few reliables we encounter during this extended period of reflection in the GAA calendar.

First time John ‘Tweek’ Griffin travelled to hurl for Kerry, he couldn’t believe it when players headed for the pub the night before. But over a fiercely committed 15-year career, he saw improvements, a new ambition, the melting away of some old divisions, and even a little glory. He drove much of that progress himself, making a few enemies along the way. But when he retired last year, to modest fanfare, he knew he had given the jersey all he could.