Jackeens come to culchie country for an enlightened rekindling of old rivalry

THERE’S a novel situation in Tralee tonight as Kerry and Dublin meet in the third round of the NFL under lights at Austin Stack Park. It’s hardly a novel pairing, however.

It's country versus city, culchie versus jackeen, agriculture versus pseudo-culture. Call it what you will, but Kerry versus Dublin is a classic rivalry, one of the many that makes the GAA the vibrant organisation it is.

There are those who believe it all started in the 1970s when Kevin Heffernan had his dreams of a Dublin dynasty shattered by an outrageously-young and equally talented Kerry side, guided by the then recently-retired playing legend Mick O'Dwyer.

Mind you, Dublin did manage four All-Ireland senior titles, 1974, 76, 77 and 83, and it would have been at least twice that but for Micko's men.

Between 1975 and 1986, Kerry doubled the Dublin tally with eight titles, creating a team and a record that will probably never be equalled.

The greatest team of all time denying a team that would otherwise have had justified claim to that title those were truly the glory years of Gaelic football.

That great Kerry/Dublin rivalry didn't begin then, however, and no-one is more aware of that than O'Dwyer himself. "No, the real rivalry started in '55, a couple of years before I arrived on the scene.

"That was the first big one, when Kerry beat Dublin in the All-Ireland final. It went on from there, we met them again in the '59 All-Ireland semi-final, and we beat them again.

"For all those games, there was massive interest, huge crowds going to them. Rural Kerry against urban Dublin; that was a lot of it."

It wasn't just rural Kerry against Dublin of course it was rural Ireland. "Yeah, no doubt about that either, Dublin are always on their own when there's any team playing them, but I must admit, I like to see Dublin doing well. It's not good for football when they're not there."

The rivalry between the two teams of the 70s and 80s was real, but reports of bitterness were, says Micko, greatly exaggerated.

"It was serious stuff all right, but there was none of that bitterness. The fellas who played in the 70s and 80s, sure they're the best of friends still, meet regularly to play each in golf.

What about the managers, what about Heffo and Micko?

"We got on alright. There wouldn't have been too many words passed between us, but I respected him, and I suppose he respected me."

Do they mirror the meetings of their former charges on the golf course? "I never actually played a round of golf with him, would you believe, although the last time I met him, when he was being honoured by the ESB in Dublin, we had a chat and said we'd have to have a game. Before too long more now, please God."

Likely winners? With both sides having mixed fortunes, Kerry losing to Cork and making amends against Offaly, Dublin overcoming Mayo before falling to Tyrone, there isn't any great form guide so far this season.

Kerry field a new-look midfield, the most surprising aspect of which sees Darragh Ó Sé replaced by younger brother Tomás.

Dublin also make changes from their last outing with Declan Lally and Liam Óg Ó hEineacháin coming into the attack.

"Going on present form, Kerry look to be on the way back," O'Dwyer says rather ominously.

KERRY: D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan, M Lyons; A O'Mahony, E Fitzmaurice, S Moynihan; K Donaghy, T Ó Sé; P Galvin, E Brosnan, P Kelly; D Quill, R O'Connor, C Cooper.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P Griffin, P Christie, S O'Shaughnessy; P Casey, B Cullen, P Andrews; C Whelan, S Ryan; D Lally, L Óg Ó hÉineacháin, S Connell; D O'Callaghan, C Keaney, T Quinn.