Only one man can divide them — Sam
The football-mad couple will find themselves in rival camps in Croke Park on Sunday, with passionate Kerryman Denny cheering on the green and gold and proud Dub Breda willing the boys in blue to victory as the two sides revive their old rivalry in the battle to lift Sam Maguire.
There has been great excitement in the build-up to the big encounter, and the tension in the Murphy home is reaching fever pitch, with friendly rivalry and fun-filled banter the order of the week.
To heighten the tension, both Denny and Breda are at the centre of the unprecedented rush for tickets, as the Killarney native is the chairman of Killarney Legion GAA club, while Breda is a sister of Dublin County Board secretary John Costello.
“The phone hasn’t stopped ringing with people looking for tickets, but they are incredibly scarce. There are so many former All-Ireland medal winners in Kerry to be looked after that there are very few [tickets] left to go around — there should be plenty in Dublin though,” joked sales rep Denny.
Breda, a teacher in Faha National School near Killarney, has lived in Kerry for 27 years but she remains a true blue and is hoping and praying for an emphatic Dublin win.
The couple met several years ago when Denny was bringing U12 Legion sides to the capital to play in annual challenge games against Breda’s home club, Erin’s Isle.
They will be wearing rival jerseys in Croke Park on Sunday but Denny will have back-up from his daughter Sarah who, in another twist, is a national school teacher in Castlenock, Dublin, where the principal, Denis Courtney, is also a Kerryman.
“We’re really looking forward to it and I’m particularly proud that Killarney Legion star James O’Donoghue is part of the Kerry set-up,” said Denny. “I trained him when he was seven and I always knew he would be something special.
“I have a feeling that I will be the one celebrating after Sunday — Breda will just have to wait for another year,” he added.
