'Jesus, I didn't think I had enough in it': the score that won All-Ireland title for Dingle

"No-one can ever take this away from us, we're always going to be All-Ireland champions," said Dingle match-winner Mikey Geaney

Dingle’s Mikey Geaney celebrates at the final whistle after his side's victory over St Brigid's. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

All-Ireland match-winner he is and forever will be but Mikey Geaney’s wife Nicole is just three days away from her due date, so he won’t be following the celebrations to Dingle on Monday.

The Geaneys live in Portmarnock. He hopes to wet the baby’s head at home in the coming weeks alongside the Andy Merrigan Cup.

For geographical and family reasons, he was only able to train twice with the group since the Munster final win over St Finbarrs. 

“I'm living in Dublin now and my wife is expecting, so it wasn't a case of travelling home wasn't an option, really.

“I was travelling before the county final and then after that I kind of pulled away, not pulled away, but had to prioritise being in Dublin and training on my own.” 

His recollection of that winning score off his weaker left foot was that it wasn’t sweetly struck. 

82 nóim@DingleGAA 0-23 @StBrigidsRos 1-19

Mikey Geaney leis an iarracht agus Geaney leis an scór chun an chluiche a bhuacaint!😱🤯🤝

After a titanic battle, Dingle are All Ireland Club Champions after extra time!!

BEO/LIVETG4 AR @TG4TV 📺 #GAABEO pic.twitter.com/peKTbeAHTg

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) January 18, 2026

“Well, we had three back, and me, and we'd gone up the field and I said I'd just go up and make an extra man out of it.

“I got the ball, when I gave it to Tom Sullivan, I knew two or three could go with him. I just slipped the head and he passed it to me, and Jesus, I didn't think I had enough in it. I didn't think I actually made the goal or kicked it over. I’d say it just creeped over, but that's all that matters, to be honest.” 

If it’s the last thing the 36-year-old ever does for Dingle on the field, he won’t be unhappy. 

“You can talk about sacrifices, there's never a day of sacrifice when you're doing it for your club. Going forward, I'll probably have to prioritise different things, but I got the green light from home to be travelling up and down this year, so what else do you want to be doing?

“We're playing with our club all our lives and playing football all our lives, it's the thing that brings the most satisfaction in life, to a certain extent. Just days like today for the crowd and everyone, the kids and the coaches that have been there for years, no-one can ever take this away from us, we're always going to be All-Ireland champions, it's just incredible.” 

Geaney’s foiling of St Brigid’s captain Brian Stack minutes before was almost as important.

“Yeah, it was probably last chance saloon. If they scored there, it was game over. We were being coached that tackle years ago, by Cian O’'Neill with Kerry in and around the back – if it's the last thing you do, just get your knuckles in the ball and it'll pop out and it just worked.

“Yeah, just big moments like that, I think we came up with a few of them when we needed to, especially when we were two points up and they kicked the last score in normal time.

“What a score from Ruaidhrí (Fallon) and they went three points up, but again we just have something in us, a bit of battle, a bit of stubbornness.” 

Geaney expects it will be a long time before Dingle appreciate what they have achieved. 

“We’re in the moment, but I think the gravity of this kind of thing, for a club like us, will be years before it sinks in properly.

“From where we came from three and a half, four months ago, nearly men, losing finals and stuff, and now just winning every county final, a Munster final, a Ballyboden game, all just pulled it out of the fire, just too stubborn to know any different.”