In Kerry, even the closed gates of the stadium can’t protect you from bad noise

The middle ground in Kerry has become a sparsely populated plain. On either side, the badlands of hard-ass opinion on football and Eamonn Fitzmaurice festers.

At morning mass yesterday in Ballymacelligott, near Tralee — where David Clifford’s grandfather was among the congregation — the local priest confirmed a parish event for September 2 with no All-Ireland to be planning for.