How basketball put the pep back in Kieran Donaghy’s step

Éamonn Fitzmaurice was fulsome in his praise of Kieran Donaghy after his latest midfield showing but the player is taking the plaudits with a pinch of salt.

The Kerry manager described last year’s captain, who turned 33 earlier this month, as being in “the shape of his life” after a winter where he had strongly considered quitting the inter-county scene.

But backed by a longer-than-usual break from football in which he helped guide St Brendan’s to an intermediate All-Ireland basketball title, Donaghy has strung together four solid midfield displays in the space of five weeks.