2000 and beyond: Éamonn Fitzmaurice's inside story of Kerry’s All-Ireland success 25 years ago

As I have aged I have a much better appreciation of the fantastic journey I was personally on at the time, and by extension my family with me

Seamus Moynihan, right, and Peter O'Leary of Kerry celebrate with the Sam Maguire cup at the hill following the All-Ireland SFC Final Replay at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

MY late father, also Eamonn, kept a diary his whole life. As gaeilge. Sometimes detailed, occasionally brief. He passed away in January 2019, but I never had the heart to read back over them. Until this week, for this article. 

I went through his recollections of the year 2000, specifically our All-Ireland win, my first, through his eyes. He was a quiet and humble man who would never burden you with excessive praise, but reading back on his thoughts the pride of a parent is clear, even if he rarely showed it.