Everything touched turns to gold

WAS this the most elaborate confidence trick ever? Every human is fallible, but the air of quiet satisfaction evident in the Kerry dressing room after the All-Ireland final landslide suggested that the display did not come as a surprise to those inside the ropes.

As he reflected on his greatest hour as coach or player, Jack O’Connor was suitably humble. But on three occasions, he mentioned the words “much maligned.”

The references were to William Kirby, Dara Ó Cinnéide and to the selectors themselves for having the temerity - after all, they were only at training every night - to select John Crowley ahead of Mike Frank Russell.