Showdown replaces the weather as the most talked about topic

JOHN CRONIN isn’t keeping his opinions to himself ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland final between his native Kerry and Cork.

A publican in Brosna, Cronin is also the local postman whose daily route includes excursions into the neighbouring parish of Rockchapel which is over the border in Co Cork. The Croke Park showdown has replaced the weather as the most talked about topic along the borderline.

“You don’t seriously think we are going to let this one go,” he said. “This will be the icing on the cake for us. We’ll always be winning Munster finals from Cork, but Sunday’s game is different. Victory would settle once and for all which the best county in football is.

“Niall Cahalane was right when he said if Cork win this final, it would give them 100 years grace.

“I know I’m in a precarious position here because I straddle both counties, with the post. I’m the postman for both Brosna and Rockchapel; I get fed in Rockchapel so I have to be very careful in what I say about the Cork team until Sunday is over.

“We have the best forwards in the game at the moment while the Cork backs have conceded only one goal all season so far, that was against Kerry in the Munster final. Midfield is where it will be won and lost. It’s probably Daragh Ó Sé’s swansong and he’s want to go out in a blaze of glory.

“As a footballer myself and putting my Kerry allegiance aside for a moment, I’m sorry that Anthony Lynch is going to miss out. Croke Park on All-Ireland final day is where every player wants to be. He has played for his club, county and country. He’s been a great servant to Cork and probably won’t get another chance to play in a final. It’s a big blow to him, but his absence could be just the spur Cork need.”

Despite such a belief he predicts the outcome as “Kerry by four points”.

Cronin’s chief sparring partner this week is old pal, John Stack. Stack who won county junior and intermediate medals with the Rock in 1987 and 1989, lives in Kerry where his son was born, but because he went to the national school in Rockchapel, the youngster plays his club football in Cork.

Cronin, who was chairman of the under age section of his club at the time, argued that because the young Stack’s father played his football with the Rock, his son should be allowed to do the same. That ended the matter.

“To give you some idea of what happens along the border, there were two Brosna men in goals in the Munster junior final in 1994. Brendan Lane played there for Kerry while Joe Joe Collins lined out for Cork. Both lived in the Brosna parish, but JJ played his club football with Rockchapel.

Said Stack: “Because of the uniqueness of the occasion, the interest in the game is massive. There is little or no work being done this week. All the talk is about the match. There are people going to this final who haven’t been to a game in years. The craic between the followers of both counties is brilliant. It will be hard to live it down if we lose, but we are not contemplating that.

“My view is that Kerry are not the same since Seamus Moynihan and Mike McCarthy retired. Cast your mind back to the Munster final. We were seven points down in that game, but came back strongly and should have won it in the finish. Kerry teams of old would never let Cork back into a match once they got on top. They’d bury them.

“Cork have improved greatly on last year. Donncha O’Connor has made a huge difference to the team as has Michael Cussen. In my view Cussen is more than a full forward. He’s more versatile than most people think. His distribution is inch perfect. He is also a very intelligent player and doesn’t waste too many balls. He could be our ace. From talking to Kerry people around here they think it’s a foregone conclusion.”