Records mean nothing to Marc Ó Sé only pulling on green and gold jersey of Kerry
Darragh may have 81 championship appearances to his name, Tomás 78 and Marc 63 but they measure themselves in weightier units.
When it was put to Marc that last Sunday week’s game against Tipperary was the first time he had not begun a SFC game for Kerry since 2004 (breaking a run of 49 straight starts), he greeted the titbit with a shrug. To hell with records — he had to be practical.
“I’d a fair idea that I hadn’t missed many games. You don’t think about it as consecutive until somebody says it.
“It’s a nice thing to have but it’s small money — I’ve to look at the bigger picture. I could have played against Tipperary but I would have been prolonging this pain I had been having in my leg. I’ve to get it right once and for all and thankfully it’s on the mend.”
It’s not as if Ó Sé is going anywhere. The hamstring flare-up was his first major injury concern in years.
He’ll be back again next season and, most likely, the one after that.
“Jesus, I love the green and gold jersey. All I ever wanted to do was wear the green and gold jersey.
“I don’t think I’ll be changing my mind next year. It’ll come down to the body. If you’re not able then you’re not able.
“As regards hunger, that has never been a problem with me. Hopefully, I’ll be like Ryan Giggs and playing ’til I’m 40!”
He delivers that last line with a wink and a smile but don’t dismiss the intent. He won the third of his All Stars last year, he was named Footballer of the Year in 2007 but spoke only three years ago about living in his brothers’ shadows.
It’s not as if the form is waning. Last year was another solid season, Andy Moran’s display against him in the All-Ireland semi-final was the only time he looked in any spot of bother.
Did it concern him, though?
“Not at all. Funnily enough considering the space in front of me, I was happy enough with my performance.
“There were oceans of space in front of me and it was very hard to defend against Mayo that day.
“It’s something the team as a group looked at afterwards and realised we need to cover the full-back line more.
“Things were particularly difficult in the second half that day. The Mayo fellas were looking up and there were 60 yards of space in front of them and just Moran and myself inside. All he had to do was to move to the left or the right for the ball.
“You just have to hang in there and not give up. That’s what we did and I did that day. It didn’t affect me at all. It just opens your eyes.”
The fact Cork have more ciotógs available in their attack compared to last year’s Munster final (Colm O’Neill starting and Daniel Goulding and Ciarán Sheehan on the bench) doesn’t concern Ó Sé.
“The way I go out marking fellas is that they have two feet. You look at all the big teams; the Corks, the Dublins... against Mayo, Daniel Goulding stuck a point over with his right leg.
“Bernard Brogan, Alan Brogan — they can all kick with both feet. If you’re marking a good forward you’ve to be prepared to go either way.
“You just have to be in tight and not give them an inch and hope the fella next to you is doing the same thing and the fella out the field as well so that the ball isn’t coming in.”
Two years ago in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, it was Ó Sé’s last-gasp equaliser which forced the game into extra-time in which Kerry prospered.
“That was a nice moment. You look back and you feel as if you made a big difference that day. You did something good for the team.
“It was a draw at full-time and there was a feeling then that we were going to push it on and drive it home.
“It’s funny, when we came in at full-time we all felt as a team that we weren’t going to be beaten so that was special, yeah.”
In his five championship visits to Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Ó Sé has won twice — that game in 2010 as well as ’05.
It’s bear pit, he knows, but it’s not a place that holds any trepidation for him.
“I don’t think they would fear us in Killarney and we don’t fear them going down there. We’ve lost a few times down there but we’ve won as well.
“I don’t think our record will have anything to do with it. It might be an advantage to Cork in the first 10 or 15 minutes but I don’t think it will be much of one after that.”
While Ó Sé is speaking on the subject of tomorrow’s game, he’s keen to underline the significance of it in the face of criticism that it hardly matters over three months out from an All-Ireland final.
“This is the day we’ve been priming ourselves for all year. We don’t like losing to them and they don’t like losing to us. If you win, you’re in a Munster final and you can nearly see Croke Park.
“You hear people saying, ‘ah you’re better off going through the backdoor’, but it’s hard. You don’t know whether you’re going to be lucky or not. I always say the best way is to win.”`
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