For pure skill and natural ability I would go for Mikey Sheehy. His vision, passing and finishing were all sublime.

Gaillimh_Abu (Galway) - Posts: 996 - 22/08/2014 08:40:08    1640274

Disagree realdub you name the greatest from any county and it will have the same variety. The Gooch is the greatest football player of all time so I don't get why there is variety anyway.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 22/08/2014 11:04:51    1640343

I started typing out a few names to consider, and more and more sprung to mind. Based on what I've seen, read, and the esteem in which all the below were held by their contemporaries, my own choice would be Jack O'Shea, as he was the biggest star on football's greatest ever side.

Goalkeepers
Dan O'Keefe, Johnny Culloty, Charlie Nelligan, Declan O'Keefe, Diarmuid Murphy

Defenders
Thady Gorman, Maurice McCarthy, Phil O'Sullivan, Joe Barrett, Joe Koehane, Paddy 'Bawn' Brosnan, Bill Casey, Sean Murphy, Jerome O'Shea, Donie O'Sullivan, Paidi O'Se, John O'Keefe, Jimmy Deenihan, Tim Kennelly, Seamus Moynihan, Mike McCarthy, Tom O'Sullivan, Tomas O'Se, Marc O'Se

Midfielders
Pat 'Aeroplane' O'Shea, Con Brosnan, Paddy Kennedy, Mick O'Connell, Jack O'Shea, Dara O'Se

Forwards
Dick Fitzgerald, John Joe Sheehy, Tim 'Roundy' Landers, JJ 'Purty' Landers, Tadghie Lyne, Tom Long, John Egan, Eoin Liston, Denis 'Ogie' Moran, Pat Spillane, Mike Sheehy, Maurice Fitzgerald, Colm Cooper, Declan O'Sullivan, Paul Galvin, Kieran Donaghy, James O'Donoghue

Versatile Players
JP O'Sullivan, Tom 'Gega' O'Connor, Jackie Lyne, Mick O'Dwyer, Paudie Lynch, Sean Walsh, Ger Power

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 22/08/2014 11:26:34    1640359

Surely it has to be James O Donohue - after all The Gooch is only a two trick pony compared to him !!!!

StirringIt (Cavan) - Posts: 374 - 22/08/2014 11:27:01    1640360

Oops'' Left out Johnny Culloty probably longest serving goalie Kerry ever had and won an All Ireland as a corner forward as well- brilliant, long serving and versatile.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4321 - 22/08/2014 12:11:02    1640387

Sorry you have actually included Johnny and quite rightly too

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4321 - 22/08/2014 12:12:05    1640388

realdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 3823

1640225 The variety of answers tells you eveything :)

It certainly does realdub

Big game nearly upon us, and reading topics like this you can't help but puff the chest out a little! Sometimes you forget just how privileged we are down here to have such a wonderful tradition of producing legendary players who are held in such high esteem across the country. Can't help you feel proud of our little corner of Ireland in south-west, I hope that our young lads on Sunday (both minor and senior) can perform and thus take their first steps on road to greatness of all the men mentioned above.

If anyone wants to do a greatest non-Kerry players topic I'm all up for it: Hard to single out one of many I've seen in the flesh but three warriors I would chose are:
Padraig Joyce
Alan Brogan
Sean Cavanagh

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 22/08/2014 12:22:15    1640399

Clondalkin

Each to their own I suppose, I'm watching Kerry sine the early 70s and Gooch has plenty of company if you ask me!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8592 - 22/08/2014 13:07:41    1640444

TheHermit


Alan ahead of Bernard?

I would rate Gooch and Sean Cavanagh as the 2 best I've seen in the flesh. Only saw Joyce "live" in his latter years and Bernard in his earlier years.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5012 - 22/08/2014 13:29:02    1640450

Gooch is the best footballer I have ever seen.
Darragh O'Se was immense in midfield, I reckon poor Ciaran Whelan had nightmares about him.
Tomas O'Se in defence.

Outside of Kerry:
Sean Cavanagh & Alan Brogan are my favourite players ever both exceptionally talented.

In fairness I can only judge on the last 15-20 years but these lads are the best I have seen. Every one of them has dominated numerous games in Croker.

GAAHattrick (Dublin) - Posts: 278 - 22/08/2014 13:45:52    1640458

How in the name of God is Alan Brogan being mentioned in this thread? Good player and all but aside from the fact the thread is about Kerry players, let's get some perspective here.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12120 - 22/08/2014 14:42:25    1640488

Surprised not many have mentioned Maurice Fitzgerald who was unfortunate to to be in an era when Kerry were very poor, 87-96. He had some memorable moments including the 97 final, the wonderful equalising point against Dublin from the side line and a brilliant goal against Armagh in the 2000 semi final when Kerry were in real trouble. Had he been fortunate to have been around in the glory days of the 75-86 or even in the latter part of the last decade we might have seen him achieve a lot more. One of my all time favourite players who made football look easy!

murof (Kildare) - Posts: 480 - 22/08/2014 15:02:31    1640498

Breffni39
County: Cavan
Posts: 9426

1640488
How in the name of God is Alan Brogan being mentioned in this thread? Good player and all but aside from the fact the thread is about Kerry players, let's get some perspective here.


Because he was mentioned by a Kerry poster in an outside Kerry context, Alan Brogan is a very respected footballer in the Kingdom judging by anyone I have talked to.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8592 - 22/08/2014 15:26:38    1640513

realdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 3825

Because he was mentioned by a Kerry poster in an outside Kerry context, Alan Brogan is a very respected footballer in the Kingdom judging by anyone I have talked to.

Yeah I can read that myself. I disagree with the Kerry poster or any poster from anywhere that would consider him an all-time great as is the broad context of the thread.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12120 - 22/08/2014 15:30:40    1640517

On the subject of Alan Brogan. He is unquestionably one of the best forwards of the last 10-15 years but an all-time great is pushing it a bit.

And on the subject of who is the better Brogan, Alan or Bernard, it's Alan for me all day long.

Keane16 (Kerry) - Posts: 306 - 22/08/2014 15:38:34    1640523

Well as per what I said in my first post on this thread lads, I can really only judge players I've seen in the flesh; hence sticking to players from 1997 on.

I'm not in a position to have see greats like Matt O'Connor and judge his merits compared with Alan Brogan. All I can say is that Alan Brogan has been doing it far longer the the younger fella, hence why his ahead of Bernard and secondly no denying Alan was one of greatest forwards playing for last 10-12 years and he shone in quiet a few average to poor Dublin sides.

Still maintain though that Tomas would get on any Kerry team of any era, whether I was alive to see rest or not!!

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 22/08/2014 15:49:28    1640531

I saw plenty of Matt Connor, I'll still breathless, wow!

I'd agree that it would be hard to put Alan Brogan in the greats of all time category.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8592 - 22/08/2014 16:13:19    1640549

Kerry's all time greatest team would probably have more star names than the rest of the country combined, what a brilliant county.
My favourite Kerry footballer, and definitely one of thei best, is Tomas O Se.

pj_mcmanus (Limerick) - Posts: 431 - 22/08/2014 16:24:52    1640557

To establish greatness I compare players to the greats, and the greatest I have seen were Mikey Sheehey, Pat Spillane, Paudie, Gooch, Seamus Moynihan and for greatness outside of Kerry I would choose Dermot Earley of Roscommon.

bryanadams (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 22/08/2014 16:28:09    1640558

A great outside Kerry midfield would be Earley and Mullins, definitely two of the GREATS!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8592 - 22/08/2014 16:43:08    1640575