Ó Sé sure Ó Beaglaoich will be on Jack O'Connor's Kerry radar

Pádraig Óg Ó Sé believes An Ghaeltacht will be better prepared in 2026 for life in Kerry's top tier than they were last time up

Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaoich (left) has suffered two cruciate knee ligament injuries in recent years. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

An Ghaeltacht’s All-Ireland semi-final experience at Páirc Uí Chaoimh was the perfect dress rehearsal for Sunday’s successful outing at Croke Park, according to captain PJ Mac Láimh.

The half-forward was adamant that playing the previous weekend’s All-Ireland intermediate semi-final at a ground so similar to Croker stood to the players “big time” for their debut run out at GAA HQ.

“Páirc Uí Chaoimh was a great rehearsal, really, for this place,” he noted.

“Like, it was the same in so many ways; the bus coming in under the same kind of tunnel, the same dressing-rooms, the same kind of atmosphere.

“Páirc Uí Chaoimh was a dress rehearsal for Sunday, and I think it stood to us big time. Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a big open pitch, exactly like outside there, and just delighted to get it done.

“I suppose it wasn't a great watch there in the first-half. We wanted to go against the wind and get in at half-time having weathered the storm, and I think we did that to perfection there in the first half.” 

The same as the previous weekend's extra-time semi-final win, it was Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaoich who top-scored. 0-8 then, 0-6 here.

Half-back Pádraig Óg Ó Sé is confident the flying again two-time cruciate victim will be on Kerry manager Jack O’Connor’s radar in the weeks ahead.

“I remember when he came back from the first cruciate, we were playing Castlegregory in the West Kerry Championship. A wet and windy day. First ball that came in, in his first game back, and he did it again. That was heartbreaking for him,” Ó Sé said of the now 24-year-old forward.

“But the work he's done behind the scenes is unbelievable. The rehab is twice as worse coming back. And Ruaidhrí, he's never far away from Gallarus either with a bag of balls, and that showed with the scores he took here.

“It’s special for him and I'm sure he'll be on Jack O'Connor's radar for the year ahead.” 

On the club front for the year ahead, An Ghaeltacht’s priority will be managing a longer stay than their one-season visit to the senior ranks following the local intermediate success of 2017.

“The first year we went up, we were drawn against Crokes, Austin Stacks, and Kerins O’Rahilly’s in the pool [of the Kerry club championship], so I think we'd be better ready for it this year, and obviously they're adding more teams to senior. When you have the calibre of players coming through, I already mentioned Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaoich being on Jack O'Connor's radar, we have talent coming through so we'll try and stay there now.”