Cliffords honour late mother as five-star Kerry ease past Clare
ADAMENT ON PLAYING: Kerry's David Clifford is presented with the Cup. Pic: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
On an afternoon laced with emotion for the Clifford brothers, Kerry were without a trace of it in routing the Banner to bag an 84th Munster football crown.
On an afternoon when Kerry folk in the crowd of 12,499 had plenty to cheer, the first meaningful applause of the day followed the announcement of Paudie Clifford at left half-forward on the Kerry team. A second cheer went up shortly after when brother David was called at full-forward.
News had surfaced a day earlier of the death of their mother, Ellen Clifford. After a long battle with illness, her final whistle had sounded.
Management left it entirely up to the brothers as to whether they stayed at home or hopped on the team bus come Sunday morning. In the end, the pair decided to channel their grief, for 70 minutes anyway, with a ball in hand.
Such was the gap in evidence from first whistle to last, we can only surmise that Kerry would have retained the Munster silverware in the pair’s absence. But that they made themselves available at a time of sorrow and loss, one can hold them in nothing but admiration.
“When I heard the news yesterday, the initial reaction was that I didn’t expect the lads to play,” explained manager Jack O’Connor after his sixth Munster final win as manager.
“But when I talked to them, they were adamant that they had discussed it as a family and extended family. And the decision was that they wanted to play, and we certainly weren’t going to stand in their way.
“They honoured their mother in the best way possible and made everyone proud.”
At the final whistle, a scattering of kids, as they always do, made for the younger Clifford.
Kerry selector Mike Quirke was quick in reaching David out on the field to make sure he didn’t become ensconced by oblivious youngsters.
Quirke shepherded the team captain back to the main stand and inside the security line of luminous yellow bibs. Their journey was broken only sporadically by well-meaning individuals wishing to pass on their condolences.
Before handing over the silverware, Munster chairman Ger Ryan offered his sympathies to the Clifford family.
There was no acceptance speech from David. He skipped back down the steps. Standing at the bottom was Jack O’Connor, who wrapped him in a warm embrace.
Close to the tunnel outside the Kerry dressing room, the two brothers met. The warmest embrace of the day.
The provincial football championships have long been on the road to irrelevance. That was even more pronounced on an afternoon such as this.
It was rather poignant that it was the brothers who engineered and executed the first half goal that altogether finished this final as a live contest.
Given Kerry led 2-8 to 0-5 at the time, you could argue the result had already been tucked tight under the duvet. This third goal turned off the light and closed the door shut.
It was a goal the Clifford brothers practiced a million times over as kids. Paudie, out in the back garden, feeding a high ball over the top to twisting and turning David. Fetch. Finish. Green flag.
The goal had stemmed from a Clare mistake. Another Clare mistake. They made the world of them.
Midfielder Darren O’Neill claimed an early mark. He kicked the ball straight to a green shirt. It was the second Clare attack that had broken down from nothing more than the ball being booted straight to the opposition.
Cathal O’Connor inexplicably dropped a handpass from Pearse Lillis. Jamie Malone kicked a point attempt short. Emmet McMahon missed a routine free. The ensuing restart found its way back to McMahon. Again he couldn’t find the target.
The clock read 23 minutes when they managed a point from play.
Colm Collins' championship record against Kerry coming into the final was seven losses. From very early on, that record was headed for eight.
At the back, Clare were cut open often and early. The defensive structure that had stifled Cork showed loose threads that were relentlessly pulled at by Kerry.
Their opening goal arrived on 16 minutes. The assist came from the impressive Dylan Casey. The finish was provided by the equally impressive Tony Brosnan.
Brosnan started goal number two. His crossfield ball found Geaney. He transferred possession to Dara Moynihan. 2-4 to 0-2. There would be no upset here.
The interval scoreline was 3-8 to 0-7. The second half was a non-event.
Clare had two goal openings upon the restart. Shane Ryan was equal to what sub Ronan Lanigan and Podge Collins fired at him.
David Clifford had his second on 40 minutes. The elder brother completed the team’s green flag act. No celebration from Paudie, just a high-five from Seán O’Shea.
Kerry head for the All-Ireland series untested. Clare head for the same group phase knowing they are a whole pile better than this.
D Clifford (2-6, 0-4 frees); D Moynihan, T Brosnan (1-1 each); P Clifford (1-0); S O’Shea (0-2, 0-1 ‘45); D Casey, G White, P Geaney, K Spillane (0-1 each).
E Cleary (0-6, 0-4 frees); E McMahon (0-4, 0-2 frees); S Ryan (0-2 frees), K Sexton (0-2 each); C Russell (0-1).
S Ryan; T O’Sullivan, J Foley, D Casey; G O’Sullivan, T Morley, G White; D O’Connor, J Barry; D Moynihan, S O’Shea, P Clifford; T Brosnan, D Clifford, P Geaney.
K Spillane for Geaney, B Ó Beaglaíoch for T O’Sullivan, S O’Brien for Moynihan (all 51); BD O’Sullivan for Barry, M Breen for G O’Sullivan (both 60).
S Ryan; C Rouine, C Brennan, M Doherty; C Russell, J Malone, D Walsh; C O’Connor, D O’Neill; D Coughlan, P Lillis, E McMahon; E Cleary, K Sexton, P Collins.
R Lanigan for Doherty, M McInerney for O’Connor (both HT); G Cooney for Coughlan (48); C O’Dea for Collins, I Ugwueru for O’Neil (both 58).
J Henry (Mayo).
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