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.