Post by Attacking Wing Back on Sept 12, 2007 17:08:01 GMT
Little Over four short summers ago kerry football according to most sources was on its knees. Outdated, out fought and out thought by a tyrone team the; image of dara o cinneide crawling on his hands and knees trying to break free from a pack of tyrone players adorned every newspaper, magazine and website associated with what according to pat spillane by then had termed the “not so beautiful game”.
Kerry were down and out, in disarray and according to all sources had lost their footballing ability, nerve and above all superiority complex that makes a kerry footballer what he is. Paidi o se was hanging onto his kerry job for dear life and Sean Walsh was doing his best to give him a gentle shove towards the door without appearing to heavy hand one of the kerry greats.
The national media was lapping up the furore in kerry claiming the county was in turmoil and football was in freefall. Mickey harte and peter Canavan had written books explaining to kerry how to go about winning an all Ireland title. Then on the night his mother was carried to the church Jack O Connor was ratified as the new kerry boss. An opening league defeat added fuel to the fire that the kingdom were finished. Media reveleled in this “new low” in kerry football and kerry football had now reached rock bottom.
Then the resurgence started with cork. On a wet and windy night under lights in tralee kerrys graph began to rise. O Cinnedie decided to play with and captain kerry despite his club commitments and rifled over 6 points to ensure a kerry win. On the night in question two of the new breed of kerry warrior were introduced to the viewing public. Paul Galvin and Aidan O Mahony are a throw back if not a clone of the typical kerry footballer. Power, Pace skill and a bit of devilment thrown in for good measure. Galvin was hailed as the kingdoms answer to Brian Dooher. Little did people realize that the roving wing forward was invernted by one pat spillane
Kerry scorched through that years league campaign and handed out comprehensive beating of galway in the final. Kerry in the end went on to win the all – Ireland helped in no small way by the brilliance of Tomas O Se and a little sprinkling of star dust from colm cooper.
Kerry reached the final in 2005 and lost in a titanic battle to the men from the O’ Neill county . Again the reports of doom and gloom surface and kerry cant beat a northern team in croke park was the new media mantra.
In 2006 a championship campaign that was in severe cardiac arrest after the cork loss got the kiss of life it needed from the positioning of a shooting star on the edge of the small parallelogram against longford. Armagh were vanquished in the quarter final with the skill and poise associated with a kerry team of a different golden era. Cork were dispatched again in the semi final with clinical efficeny. Ved.
Mayo once again provided the opposition in the final and once Kieran Donaghy played like the beanstalk that jack built kerry were never going to be deprived.
So now to the 2007 all Ireland final and our recent stunning run of success there has only been one constant along the way. CORK. They were the team that forced kerry to change tack last year. They were the team that kerry players O Mahony and Galvin first sparked to prominence. We have a lot to be thankful to Cork for but that graciousness can wait until after the final whistle on sunday
Kerry were down and out, in disarray and according to all sources had lost their footballing ability, nerve and above all superiority complex that makes a kerry footballer what he is. Paidi o se was hanging onto his kerry job for dear life and Sean Walsh was doing his best to give him a gentle shove towards the door without appearing to heavy hand one of the kerry greats.
The national media was lapping up the furore in kerry claiming the county was in turmoil and football was in freefall. Mickey harte and peter Canavan had written books explaining to kerry how to go about winning an all Ireland title. Then on the night his mother was carried to the church Jack O Connor was ratified as the new kerry boss. An opening league defeat added fuel to the fire that the kingdom were finished. Media reveleled in this “new low” in kerry football and kerry football had now reached rock bottom.
Then the resurgence started with cork. On a wet and windy night under lights in tralee kerrys graph began to rise. O Cinnedie decided to play with and captain kerry despite his club commitments and rifled over 6 points to ensure a kerry win. On the night in question two of the new breed of kerry warrior were introduced to the viewing public. Paul Galvin and Aidan O Mahony are a throw back if not a clone of the typical kerry footballer. Power, Pace skill and a bit of devilment thrown in for good measure. Galvin was hailed as the kingdoms answer to Brian Dooher. Little did people realize that the roving wing forward was invernted by one pat spillane
Kerry scorched through that years league campaign and handed out comprehensive beating of galway in the final. Kerry in the end went on to win the all – Ireland helped in no small way by the brilliance of Tomas O Se and a little sprinkling of star dust from colm cooper.
Kerry reached the final in 2005 and lost in a titanic battle to the men from the O’ Neill county . Again the reports of doom and gloom surface and kerry cant beat a northern team in croke park was the new media mantra.
In 2006 a championship campaign that was in severe cardiac arrest after the cork loss got the kiss of life it needed from the positioning of a shooting star on the edge of the small parallelogram against longford. Armagh were vanquished in the quarter final with the skill and poise associated with a kerry team of a different golden era. Cork were dispatched again in the semi final with clinical efficeny. Ved.
Mayo once again provided the opposition in the final and once Kieran Donaghy played like the beanstalk that jack built kerry were never going to be deprived.
So now to the 2007 all Ireland final and our recent stunning run of success there has only been one constant along the way. CORK. They were the team that forced kerry to change tack last year. They were the team that kerry players O Mahony and Galvin first sparked to prominence. We have a lot to be thankful to Cork for but that graciousness can wait until after the final whistle on sunday
