Éamonn Fitzmaurice: What Kerry lacked in polish they made up for in grunt

It is important to have these kind of experiences in the memory bank, to be able to draw on them during a sticky patch in  championship.

HARD WORK: Mayo Jack Carney in action against Kerry's Barry Dan O'Sullivan. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

I was quite surprised with the levels of apathy in some coverage before the league finals. Reading and listening, one would have presumed we were facing into a series of glorious challenge matches. Someone forgot to tell the players and management from the counties involved, who clearly wanted to be there. The Division 1 final ran out of juice well before the end but the other three finals were keenly contested. 

The league has its place in the pecking order but it is one of only three chances per season to get hands on silverware. While the memories and bonds forged are what players remember most, medals provide a neat summation of a players career. National medals are hard come by. Only a select group get a Celtic Cross, so winning a league medal counts. Equally for Kerry being the first county to win the Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh Cup added a layer of prestige to the win. Anyone I met from Kerry over the weekend was motivated more by that accolade than clocking up a 24th league title.