‘These fellas aren’t gone at all, they love football’

Noel O’Leary was thrilled his Dr Crokes team were able to prove people wrong after yesterday becoming the first club since John Mitchels in the 1960s to win three consecutive Kerry SFC titles.

The manager revealed he had taken the job earlier this year when nobody wanted to succeed Harry O’Neill and claimed people had warned him the Killarney team was finished.

“I’m delighted for the players, the Crokes supporters and I’m also delighted for the fellas that trained them from U6 and tied their laces the first day on the Saturday morning above in the Crokes field. This isn’t about Vince Casey, Malachy (Walsh) or myself. No-one wanted this job. They roped me into it and then I got Vince and Malachy.