Well I finally decided to show my face :)

Ok, ok so that was probably the worst Kerry display in Croke Park since Tyrone in 2003 or that horror show against Meath in 2001.

In fact its probably the worst Kerry display in an actual final since Offaly in 1971

To be honest we stunk, and did so from the moment the ball was thrown in. The energy, dynamism, skill, pace and power you associate with our football was just not there. We seemed to have lead in our legs, everything was slow, lethargic and poorly executed.

At best we had 4 lads: Enright, Kealy, Maher, Walsh, who played near their potential. The rest seemed to be MIA for most of the game and the subs just didn't seem able to turn the game around.

On top of this, Fitzy and the management team just seemed at a loss of what to do to try and wrestle back the game in Kerry's favor.

Dublin were the best team out there on Sunday and that's why they won and fair play to them. Its a golden age for them and for any county (except perhaps us and Kilkenny) 3 All Irelands in 5 years is the stuff of dreams!

In fairness they went through a long enough barren spell and had their fare share of bad days in the 16 years before 2011, so I don't begrudge them.

As ever they were generous and gracious in defeat and the 2 hours after the game in the Blind Referee bar outside the Cusack stand was to most craic I've seen after a GAA match in a long, long time!

But don't be getting to sure of yourselves now my Dublin friends...

Kerry have a habit of turning their darkest nights into their brightest days...

We stormed back from 1982 to dominate again...

We avenged 2002 and 2003 with a golden period of 6 consecutive All Ireland final appearances..

We took the hurt of 2005 and turned it into Back to Backs.

We damned the doubters of 2008 in 2009.

You said after 2011 we wouldn't be seen for a decade and yet we were going for 2 in a row on Sunday.

We have more than enough talent in Kerry, and a more than capable manner to come again like the whirlwind in 2016.

In the words of Garry McMahon:

'We savour Kerry victories, we salute a gallant foe
And when we lose, there's no excuse, we pick up our bags and go,
So raise your glass each lad and lass to our warriors brave and bold,
Who again aspire to the Sam Maguire in the Kingdom's green and gold.'

This Kingdom will rise again!!!!

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 23/09/2015 12:20:23    1791244

Hermit, I have no doubt in the world that ye will. I would back ye now for next year. Kerry will never go away !!
Thanks for the good words.
Well played my friend.

Up the Dubs :)

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 23/09/2015 12:27:04    1791255

Fair play The Hermit! Hard luck on Sunday but as you said, you'll rise again, not that there's ever any doubt of that, it's a given. Congrats on the Minor win.

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 23/09/2015 12:32:19    1791260

Excellent post.Kerry will have the bit between their teeth next year and anyone who says otherwise is foolish. Roll on next year.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 23/09/2015 12:39:05    1791266

Well lads, Dublin has been very good to me over the years so no begrudgery here (even if us Kerry people get a little exasperated at how the media go on sometimes for the sake of selling a few more papers in the capital)

The true Dublin blues know their football.

I always felt ye took more enjoyment out of winning and were always more philosophical in defeat than us Kerry folk too, perhaps that's understandable.

Anyway it was a great night for ye, sure I even ended up enjoying the buzz in spite of myself.

I'm looking forward to the league, but its a long cold winter of discontent ahead first :(

Hopefully they'll have Kerry v Dublin as the first match under lights again like they did in 2012.

An Riocht, as ever, Abu!

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 23/09/2015 12:49:59    1791278

TheHermit
County: Kerry
Posts: 834

1791244

In fact its probably the worst Kerry display in an actual final since Offaly in 1971

1972.

We beat Galway in 71.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 23/09/2015 12:54:00    1791280

I think it's a little bit disrespectful to Dublin to be putting what happenened down to Kerry not playing well

Dublin played very well (considering the conditions) and to be honest I felt they were a decent bit better than Kerry (and every other team in ireland) coming into the game and couldn't understand hy so many favoured Kerry.Kerry's defence looked very shaky all year and it showed again on Sunday where Dublin had 4 goal chances 2 of them sitters that should have been scored.

I honestly thought before the semi finals that whoever won the Dublin/Mayo match would win the all ireland so i don't think Kerry should be too diappointed as they did very well to win the all ireland last year.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 23/09/2015 12:58:32    1791286

Fair play Uibh, keeping me on my toes!

I think it was Micko's and O'Connell's last final for Kerry, my father was at it and told me he always remembers O'Connell going down on one knee in the final few minutes, pretending to be at his laces but in reality just trying to catch his breathe because he was blowing hard. A young Offaly side ran an aging Kerry ragged that day...

TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 23/09/2015 13:00:22    1791292

You'll definitely be back. On August 21st you have an All-Ireland semi-final versus Dublin to look forward to. No worries if you lose that as the following August 20th you'll have another All-Ireland semi-final v Mayo to look forward to. You'll definitely rise again from the depths of second place.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 23/09/2015 13:33:41    1791338

That was the replayed All-Ireland 1972. Mick O'Connell married the previous day. Mick O'Connell played in the munster final the following year.

fainleog (Limerick) - Posts: 598 - 23/09/2015 13:38:21    1791341

Nobody is questioning that the Kingdom will rise again. Most of your players have lost more finals than Donegal could ever wish to play in.

However, what people should question is how you will rise again - you'll saunter through Munster, get another handy QF draw and then you're two wins from Sam.

This is why no Ulster Team dominates for more than 4 or 5 years - too difficult to get out of unscathed year after year.

It is very hard to feel sorry for ye when: A) ye got lucky v Mayo (twice) and Donegal last year and B) your path to next years AI series is comically easy.

squareball_1988 (Donegal) - Posts: 343 - 23/09/2015 13:51:47    1791353

You'll be waiting a few years for them minors but once they come through I'm sure you'll be strong again but this team right now is not going to win Sam especially with O Mahoney O Se Galvin Donaghy and Gooch well past there best but they'll all stay on next year looking for revenge but that will be a massive mistake cause it won't happen this Dublin team is still right in its prime.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 23/09/2015 14:51:14    1791406

Clondalkin
I don't always agree with you but I think your right, the lads you mentioned will stay on and we will get the same result unfortunately , they say the definition of lunacy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. As for the minors we might be lucky and get 2-3 from each team but you can't depend on minors as we have to see how they do at U21 level first.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 23/09/2015 16:00:55    1791461

Pfff. They were good. They didn't fall. Dublin just rose higher. Back to basics. Fail better... as a bare minimum

plike (Kerry) - Posts: 569 - 23/09/2015 16:12:04    1791464

Kerry will always be lurking around the long grass...course they will be back.

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 23/09/2015 16:39:04    1791485

would echo the sentiments of the Donegal poster. Kerry are too good a side to need any favours but they get it in spades year after year with the handy draw they get down in Munster ensuring team doesnt need to stretch its legs until August at the earliest and in some cases like this year late August. Not disputing Kerry's ability to go and beat a Donegal or a Tyrone in their own backyard in May in an Ulster preliminary round but would be interesting to see if they were as competitive in that scenario come the business end of things later in the Summer. Difficult thing peaking in May and August/September as Donegal discovered this year.

seanie08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 1799 - 23/09/2015 16:53:41    1791505

Would also agree with you Clondalkin...we need 2-3 lads to walk away now and give some new faces a chance. Donaghy at this point looks like he has little to offer and galvin is finished. However I do think that if we can try to start building a forward line around Tommy Walsh with Cooper, DOS, Donoghue, Geaney x2 and a few new faces then we have enough players from 1-9 to take us very close again next year.

blacknamber (Kerry) - Posts: 267 - 23/09/2015 17:16:52    1791522

Black and amber
I'm sorry but I disagree with cooper staying on I think he's a pale shadow of his former self but he owes is nothing at this stage, also gally to go and maybe Marc but I'd keep o'mahony and star. Who knows maybe Sheehan might call it a day too.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 23/09/2015 17:29:40    1791530

The Gooch could easily stay Philly only scored 1 point off him ;)
Seriously though he could easily do a job if used correctly.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 23/09/2015 18:35:39    1791557

Jaysus hermit,The Blind Ref??Ive drank around Ballybough quite a bit over the years but always gave that place a wide berth.What happened your original plan of Big Tree,O Caseys and Flannerys??

Of course Kerry will be back.Not sure ye will be back next year though.We may meet again in next years semi final.Im interested to see which players,if any,decide to call it a day.I wudn't be surprised if any of M O Se,A O Mahony,B Sheehan,P Galvin,Gooch,K Donaghy hang up the boots.I can't see many Dublin lads walking away.Maybe A Brogan.Thats about it.With E O Gara,G Brennan and P Mannion to come back in,Costelloe to hopefully carry his underage form to senior,and the likes of Lowndes,S Carthy,McHugh,J Small etc all pushing hard for a starting position,Dublin are in a very healthy place.Providing we keep our feet on the ground,and with Jim Gavin at the helm,i dont envisage any problem in this regard,i feel we will win that very rare back-to-back All Ireland.Early days for all that,so we'll dine out on this famous victory first and the winter will fly by.If it comes to pass,we will embrace yere challenge next year with gusto.Sam got a taste of the capital back in 2011 and he seems to like city living.Up the Dubs!!

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 23/09/2015 18:42:42    1791560