Just reward for year’s shining lights

Leaving Croke Park, I am laden with the strangest of feelings.

Prospective analysis welcomed the promise of a highly entertaining, combative shoot-out between the two best teams in the country and the opportunity to witness a fitting climax to a superb year for Gaelic Games.

On one side, a Dublin team moulded to play apparently an all-out attacking style with ample disregard for how much the opposition scores ‘as we will score more’. On the opposing side a Mayo team whose strength of character has never been as strong, as witnessed by their semi-final win over Tyrone.