Kerry’s clan celebrates ‘one of the sweetest of all’
The eight-time All-Ireland winner was a key part of Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s management team that plotted yesterday’s 2-9 to 0-12 final win over Donegal at Croke Park.
Written off in many quarters in the spring, Kerry laboured until their Munster final win in July at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, a win that ignited belief in the camp that they could go all the way to September, Fitzmaurice revealed last night.
Sheehy added: “Earlier on in the year, we weren’t given any great chance. The bookies had us rank outsiders, and the bookies are seldom wrong. But we always had huge faith in these guys. As a group, they are a very tight bunch, very clannish, stick together, battle for each other.”
Veteran defender Aidan O’Mahony said he has never experienced such a tight bond in a dressing room. “I would literally do anything for that group of lads,” he declared.
It was an extra special day at GAA headquarters for the Kingdom, which completed a minor-senior All-Ireland double for the first time since 1980.
For Declan O’Sullivan, winning his fifth All-Ireland medal, it was a day spent on tenterhooks as his wife Michelle was due to give birth to their second child. Special arrangements were in place with a Dublin hospital in the event that she went into labour at the match.
O’Sullivan may call it quits after this season, but Fitzmaurice believes he and other senior members of the side can defend their title in 2015.
The manager said Kerry’s against-the-head title win was every bit as sweet as his All-Irelands as a player with Kerry.
The key was Kieran Donaghy’s 51st-minute goal after Donegal keeper Paul Durcan blundered on a short kick-out.
Donaghy’s resurrection to lead the front line is another of the remarkable storylines from the day.
“I’d be a fool to think it,” he said, when asked earlier this year about his prospects of being man of the match in the All-Ireland final.
“Eamonn and the management instilled huge belief in us, even after that heavy league defeat to Cork. That was the day we promised ourselves that would never happen again.”
Jack O’Connor’s success in guiding the Kerry minors to their first All-Ireland in 20 years completes a clean sweep for him at senior, U21, and minor.
“I’ve done them in reverse,” he joked after the 0-17 to 1-10 win over Declan Bonner’s Donegal.
“It’s like having the honeymoon before the wedding.”
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