Maurice Brosnan: Cliffords and Fossa cross the final frontier

Despite operating miles apart for most of the tie, as the hooter sounded, the Clifford brothers were positioned right beside each other.

Kerry IFC final: Fossa 0-26 Kilcummin 0-22 

Somehow, the Cliffords found another world to conquer. David Clifford scored 15 points, his brother hit four and covered every blade of grass while operating further out the field. Fossa are a senior club for the first time. Another frontier crossed.

Despite operating miles apart for most of the tie, as the hooter sounded, the pair were positioned right beside each other. They turned and embraced before being swallowed up by a red and black mass. Kilcummin have endured their own recent heartbreak and this will prove no easier to stomach. They missed 15 chances between wides and shots dropped short, up against a team that missed a single effort all day long. There were some contentious referee calls that they frequently fell on the wrong side of and, more to the point, they met an otherworldly force.

“Relief is the big word,” explained Fossa's manager Jerome Stack post-match.

“I always feel in a big game when you come out on the right side of it, there are so many different things involved. A play here or there and that could have been the other way. I am always a realist with regards to that.” 

A 0-12 to 0-10 half-time lead was never likely to prove enough, given Kilcummin played with the breeze at their backs.

Clifford has done many extraordinary things but what he produced in the third quarter here was truly sensational. The number 14 kicked three points in the first half, two from play, only to decide that his side needed more. He did some selfless stuff, contesting kickouts and spraying ball to the opposite side when the defence collapsed in on him. He is still a sensation though. It needed more.

From the opening two-pointer he kicked just after the turnaround, his brother pointing from the throw-in, Fossa hit the front and never looked back. That was the prelude to his extraordinary burst. He added a two-point free that he won himself, sliced through for a tap-over, cannoned another free over and made the most of a fortunate advantage in his own inimitable style.

Not only did Fintan Coffey’s screen go unpunished, he was actually awarded advantage. Clifford made the most of it with a mazy run through the Kilcummin defence before stepping back outside the arc and curling over a two-pointer on his right foot.

James Foley’s outfit, it should be stressed, did a lot right. Fossa lost intermediate deciders in 2023 and 2025; their opponents won it in 2018 and lost to them in the semi-final last year. They had their own fuel coming into this Fitzgerald Stadium showdown.

Captain Paul O’Shea was immense around the middle as they dominated that department. What will hurt the most will be the missed chances. Brendan Kealy’s early 45 was the result of a fluffed goal opportunity; Philip O’Leary had another in the second half. Kieran Murphy slotted a superb two but missed another three from outside the arc. Kealy hooked a two-point free in the final quarter.

Jack Fogarty and Matt Keane came off the bench and made it a one-point game with seven minutes remaining. Clifford and Darren Ryan ensured there would be no late drama.

They will rightly celebrate this before a Munster intermediate championship campaign later this year. Paudie Clifford still had a wide smile on his face an hour after it was done.

“It is the years of hard work and especially the last; this is our fourth year intermediate,” he said outside a victorious dressing room. “The years of fellas who kept going back to the well over and over again. Today we got a bit of luck, there is no doubt about it. But if you keep giving yourself the chance I suppose, it might fall for you some day.

“It wasn’t even close (to a dream). I was there for everything. I started in Division 5 in 2013 and we won the novice, it was called junior but the fourth tier, in 2016. I didn’t think it was possible. I thought we could win the junior premier because David wasn’t playing in the novice. We knew we had him to come in.

“When we won the All-Ireland, I wouldn’t say we didn’t think we could but we didn’t have a clue if we could or not. Bordering on not being able to win it rather than can win it.” 

The perfect afternoon. Even if the centre-forward did miss their only shot in the entire tie. His free off the ground just sliced right.

“I had the only wide. It was mentioned a few times inside all right,” he laughed.

“Look, I couldn’t care if I was the worst player on the pitch today. It was just about winning.” 

Scorers for Fossa: D. Clifford 0-15 (3 tp, 2 tpf, 2f); P. Clifford 0-4 (1 tp); D. Ryan 0-2; P. Sheehan, E. Talbot, R. Colleran, T. O’Gorman, E. O’Shea (f) 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kilcummin: P. O’Shea 0-4 (1 tpf); M. O’Shea, M. Casey, K. Murphy (tp) 0-3 each; M. Keane 0-2; P. O. Leary 0-2; J. Williams, J. Fogarty, C. Foley, K. McCarthy (free), B. Kealy (45) 0-1 each.

FOSSA: S. O’Sullivan; P. Sheehan, S. Buckley, D. O’Connell; B. Myers, E. Talbot, R. Colleran; M. Rennie, C. O’Shea; J. Hallissey, P. Clifford, D. Ryan; T. O’Gorman, D. Clifford, E. O’Shea.

Subs: F. Coffey for Rennie (40); M. Kennelly for O’Shea (46); F. Doyle for Hallissey (48); H. Buckley for Colleran (51).

KILCUMMIN: B. Kealy; C. O’Leary, D. O’Callaghan, J. Williams; S. O’Leary, D. Stack, J. Nagle; P. O’Shea, C, Kelleher; M. O’Shea, K. Murphy, C. Foley; M. Casey, K. McCarthy, P. O’Leary.

Subs: K. Gorman for Kelleher, M. Keane for Nagle (both 36); J. Fogarty for Williams (49); I. Devane for O’Shea (55), D. Moynihan for Foley (57).

Referee: E. Ó Muircheartaigh.