Paddy Heaney of the irish news!

[Hoof Hearted]

its been running everyday this week, its the bomber today

[cornafean]

thought this was a good piece yesterday, apologies if alredy posted in another thread

Absolute class. Thanks for posting it.

[T O Hare]

some great pieces by Heaney this week!!!!

[Over the Bar]

My opinion is that Carrickmores last 2 championship winning teams were not average teams and had it not been for Mickey Harte then we certainly would have had more county players

Yes you might have had more county players but Tyrone would have fewer Sam Maguires.  Some thick gulpins would also prefer it that the Tyrone panel did not have an Errigal man at the helm and no Errigal players on it, but I doubt if many in Tyrone would agree with them.

[mhacadoir]

who did he interview on monday? could anybody post the other pieces, that was a great piece he did there.

[feetofflames]

To be fair I think next week he is going to even things up by going for 5 days reporting holiday in Tyrone.  I think the initial itinery included Dromore, Ballygawley Carrickmore, Coalisland and Ardboe but I understand the itinery has been revised and now includes Dungaanon instead of Carrickmore, anybody else hear this. 

[5 Sams]

A very nice piece by Paddy again this week - those men in Kerry are legends and gentlemen as well.

Excellent reading I have to say but with all due respect to Paddy when you are interviewing guys like O'Connell and the Bomber the articles would write themselves...I'd say the skill is in deciding what to leave out when writing the article.

[Drumanee 1]

To be fair I think next week he is going to even things up by going for 5 days reporting holiday in Tyrone.  I think the initial itinery included Dromore, Ballygawley Carrickmore, Coalisland and Ardboe but I understand the itinery has been revised and now includes Dungaanon instead of Carrickmore, anybody else hear this. 

cant see paddy not going to carrickmore,sure his mother is from there and spent many a summer there watching the great carmen teams of the past

[bannside]

100% Five Sams. Some characters allright.

About ten tears ago I got a phone call from a good friend from Tralee who was heading up to a Tyrone V Kerry national league match in Dungannon.

The man was Bill Kirby who owned a famous pub in Rock St (supposedly where they have more All Ireland medals than loose change). His son was making his senior debut for Kerry that day, ("young Willim") and the proud father wanted me to meet him for a pint and a chat in a local hotel, and show him where the ground was. He mentioned he had a few good characters with him in the car.

We met in the Inn on the Park, and the crack was mighty, as it always was with Bill, between the horsey chat, the dogs, and football too obviously. His companions for the day were Ned Fitzgerald, Mick O Connell and a football journalist for the Kerryman, not sure if it was Wishie Fogarty or not.

Later we went to the ground together, and got a space along the wire on the far side of the ground, the five of us. At half time Mick O Connell wandered off on his own, "to stretch the legs" and next thing we saw him walking through a gate, onto the middle of the pitch where the subs were kicking around. O Connell proceeded to put approx 5 or 6 kicks over the bar from a full 40 yards, without missing any. He walked off the pitch, cool as you like, and came back to join his original company, for the second half, not a bother, as they say!

William Kirby made his debut that day, the start of a career that wielded three all -ireland medals at midfield. The wee lad I had known since he was about eight years old had grown up, and could now talk in the same currency as so many in his neighbourhood.

His Dad sadly passed away earlier this year, but if Paddy Heaney is in Tralee this week, he should call in with "young Willim", probably pulling pints in Kirbys brogue Inn. It wont be long before he meets the football characters of Tralee, who thankfully I have had the pleasure of meeting on many occasions. And if you do Paddy, tell Mary I miss the old boy.

Just tell them its some fella from Antrim, they`ll know straightaway.

[Kerry Mike]

6-16 to 3-10

And Diarmuid O'Connell would know these things.

Anyway excellent piece have been reading a few of them on the Kerry site this week. I will post them up here later.

[Kerry Mike]

Irish News Paddy Heaney

Myths and legends. The GAA is jam-packed with them, particularly when it comes to the business of winning Championships.

Popular folklore would have us believe that a Championship-winning team requires 15 superstars. Of course, people from places that haven't won that many trophies most often expound this theory.

Those in the know realise that nothing could be further from the truth. Fairly average Kerry footballers have been winning All-Ireland medals for the past 100 years.

The same phenomenon applies at club level. Once a parish gets a reputation for breeding winners, the path to glory becomes less rocky. Success can be infectious.

Players from a traditionally successful club will often adopt a poise, confidence, and even arrogance, that is notably absent from teams with no Championship pedigree.

There are some obvious examples in Ulster. Carrickmore spring to mind immediately. How the Carmen footballers have conspired to win their most recent Tyrone Championship titles beggars belief.

Although bereft of any county standard forwards, they've still been able to pick up the O'Neill Cup with routine regularity. The Carrickmore jersey has probably played as big a role in those victories as the men wearing it.

Bellaghy are another prime example. The Wolfe Tone's can win Derry Championships on auto-pilot. Last year they had a thoroughly ordinary team – and still came within a kick of the ball of winning the John McLaughlin Cup.

Clubs like Carrickmore and Bellaghy provide strong evidence that success owes as much to attitude as ability.

For the best example of success fostered in tradition and expectation, we need look no further than Kerry.

If there is a handy All-Ireland title up for grabs, they'll win it.

Sometimes the green and gold jersey is all that is required in Croke Park. Mayo men go weak at the knees when faced with it. Kerry did their almighty best to lose the 1997 All-Ireland final but Mayo still couldn't put them away. Kerry won more by default than by design.

During the last two years we watched Kerry pick up two All-Irelands without having to extend themselves in the showpiece game of the year. The All-Ireland finals of 2006 and 2007 were unmitigated disasters. They'll be remembered as the 'Kerry Cakewalk Years.' Mayo and Cork

capitulated and were crushed.

We shouldn't begrudge Kerry their 34th and 35th All-Ireland crowns. While they take full advantage of their easy route out of Munster, they maintain a consistency that's not matched by any other county.

By the same token, we shouldn't fall into the trap of believing all that 'Kingdom' codswallop that has clearly brainwashed the southern counties.

Kerry footballers are not born any better than the rest of us. If that were the case, they'd have won more than two All-Ireland minor titles during the past 28 years. (In the same

period, Tyrone, Down and Derry have all won three each).

The Kerry people can claim a great deal of the credit for the mythology and mystique that surrounds their teams. Listen to them closely and you'll realise that they rarely criticise their own players. And they'll certainly never disabuse you of the notion that the Kingdom produces a superior specimen of footballer.

We've been drip-fed a diet of stories that Kerry are the custodians of the beautiful game for so long that many no longer question it. They are also commonly regarded as the beholders of good sportsmanship and fair play.

Thankfully, we in the north are a more cynical lot and are less inclined to genuflect at the Kingdom's altar.

The begrudging outcry that emanated from some Kerry mouthpieces following the defeats to Armagh (2002) and Tyrone (2003) proved that they find defeat just as bitter and as unpleasant as the rest of us.

And the conduct of the current senior team has made a total mockery of any suggestion that the Kingdom's footballers are a more angelic bunch than their fellow countrymen.

Aidan O'Mahony's dive showed that some Kerry players are just as willing to cheat as their rivals. This is also a fairly undisciplined Kerry squad. They were missing two first team players at the weekend through suspension. Darragh Ó Sé tried to knock out Pearse O'Neill, while Paul Galvin got three months for knocking the book out of referee Paddy Russell's hand.

But then these Kerry players clearly have an issue with referees, as was evident when they

surrounded Jim White on Sunday.

This is not to say that Kerry are bigger sinners than anyone else. The point is that they are just as flawed as everyone else.

Yet, for all their misbehaviour and misdemeanours, this Kerry side can still be a joy to watch. It was utterly impossible not to admire their silky skills as they chalked up 1-21 during a monsoon against Galway.

We must also credit Kerry for finding the solution to the blanket defence and returning the tactical emphasis to attacking play.

Tyrone smothered Kerry in the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final by deploying an ultra-conservative defensive system.

Tyrone won 0-13 to 0-6. Mickey Harte will realise that it would be impossible to achieve a repeat of that result against a Kerry side containing the twin towers of Kieran Donaghy and Tommy Walsh.

If Tyrone only score 13 points in the final, they'll lose. We've moved swiftly from the era of the blanket defence to the blanket attack – and for this we must pay due homage to a Kerry side that has scored an average of 21 points in their last three games.

Despite the fact that they've won two All-Irelands on the trot and redesigned the template for Gaelic football, it is this Kerry's team major misfortune that question marks hang over their claims to greatness.

This uncertainty exists due to their facile victories against Mayo and Cork. The fact that they've yet to beat Tyrone has undermined their considerable achievements.

Their performances in this year's Championship suggests that they are a good team with a lot of great players. In contrast, Tyrone produce great teamwork with a lot of good players.

They are starkly contrasting teams and it should be a contest to savour. At long last, Kerry are going to face a battle in the All-Ireland final.

Donning the green and gold jersey will not be enough to lift the Sam Maguire Cup this year. Tyrone will not believe in the myths surrounding their opponents. But if Kerry succeed in winning three-in-a-row then this side will be rightly considered as legends of the game.

[Kerry Mike]

Kerry. It's the GAA's answer to Hollywood.

A place where legends become fact and where footballers have film star appeal.

From Mick O'Connell to Jack O'Shea, we've been brought up believing that the Kingdom is a factory for famous footballers, a county where all the forwards can kick with both feet and the

midfielders can touch the clouds.

But, dear reader, let me bring the Kerry footballers down to earth for one moment.

Having stopped off at a Division One league game between Castleisland Desmonds and Ardfert yesterday afternoon, I can confirm with some conviction that Kerry club football is every bit as rugged, mean-spirited and scrappy as it is elsewhere in the country.

Nevertheless, after listening to several hours of non-stop radio debate about recession, banks, property and budgets – the spectacle on offer was a welcome relief.

The rhythm of the place was wholly familiar. Men leaned over the steel barriers in scattered groups. Two lads sat with their legs dangling from a scoreboard. The management teams occupied opposite sidelines. It was still the first half so no-one was getting too excited.

The bulk of the crowd had gathered near the main stand, but opted to remain in the sunshine. There were Celtic tracksuits, Manchester United tops, three-quarter length shorts and a healthy whiff of cigarette smoke. It could have been anywhere in Ulster.

I got talking to Ger O'Mahony. He was from Ardfert, the visiting team.

Ger liked football, so did his family. His daughter is on the Kerry ladies' team.

"Football has got shock'n serious,'' said Ger, who was at his second game that day, having watched an under12 match earlier in the morning. He also planned to go home and take in the All-Ireland hurling final.

"They train three times a week and do a gym session as well,'' said Ger.

"Who does?" I asked. "The Ardfert seniors?"

"No. The Kerry ladies,'' said Ger...

The Ardfert seniors were going well. At the start of the second half, they led by four points.

Ger was talking me through the team. When I mentioned that one defender was very fast, he

immediately pointed me to a member of the forward line.

"The number 11 is a really good athlete. He can play too. He's a nephew of John McCarthy who played midfield for Kerry in 1975."

I nodded my head as I tried to filter the words of a statement that had been delivered in about half a second, while also trying to give the impression that I remembered John McCarthy.

Meanwhile, Ardfert's fortunes on the field had taken a turn for the worse. The Desmonds had slammed home two goals and were in

command. The Ardfert management team responded quickly. A white-bearded man who was dapperly dressed compared to his colleagues shouted a switch.

"You might know him,'' said Ger. "That's Martin Ferris."

"Martin Ferris, the TD,'' I said. "The very man,'' said Ger.

"Is he the manager?" I asked. "No," said Ger.

"Why then is he making the switch?"

"Sometimes he gets a bit carried away,'' answered Ger.

As if to prove Ger's points, Martin Ferris TD then stepped a few yards onto the pitch to give some important information to a half-forward whose man had won a breaking ball.

"Just do your f****** job and get in front of your f****** man,'' screamed Martin Ferris TD.

It wasn't what you'd call parliamentary language, but Martin's electorate didn't seem to mind.

Ger was completely unperturbed and he changed the topic to the All-Ireland final.

He told me that I should have been in Killarney earlier that morning because Paul Galvin was due to train with the Kerry side for the first time since his suspension expired on Saturday night.

Ger wants Kerry manager Pat O'Shea to start the game with Galvin and Darragh Ó Sé. He's quite confident that Kerry will win because he reckons "Tyrone aren't as good as they were a few years ago."

But the subject of the All-Ireland final didn't last long. A Castleisland Desmonds player dropped to the deck seeking treatment as the game entered the last few minutes.

Ger was not impressed.

"That's a thing that has come into Kerry football in the last few years.

"Players are going down to run down the clock when their team is in front. Twenty years ago that would never have happened. You only went down if you had to go down," he said.

"That's been part and parcel of Derry football for the past 20 years," I informed Ger, whose team lost to a Desmonds side that played the entire game with seven defenders.

"Most Kerry club teams play with just five forwards,'' revealed Ger.

I told him that it was much the same in the north.

It seems Kerry football has more in common with the northern game than some of their sons would have us believe.

[Kerry Mike]

Another Irish News article:

By way of explaining to Weeshie Fogarty why I was going to spend a week in the Kingdom, I said to him: "There is a fascination with Kerry football in the north."

"There is a fascination with Kerry football in Kerry,'' came the prompt response from the other end of the line.

Weeshie (short for Aloysius) is my Kerry contact.

I first encountered him four years ago when I was a guest on his award-winning radio programme, Terrace Talk.

Broadcast by Radio Kerry every Tuesday night, Terrace Talk is essential listening for any man, woman or child in Kerry that professes an interest in football.

Weeshie also has a column in The Kerryman newspaper. Mike Sheehy also has a column in The Kerryman, but the thoughts of the eight-time All-Ireland medallist can be found on the inside pages.

Weeshie's column is on the back page – and for good reason.

Here are a few extracts from Weeshie's last column about the All-Ireland semi-final replay. The sight of David Moran (son of Ogie Moran) coming onto the pitch and taking a vital catch reminded Weeshie of the old adage that "an ounce of breeding is worth a ton of feeding."

And the manner in which Darren O'Sullivan and Colm Cooper linked to score the match-winning goal into the "railway end'' prompted Weeshie to recall how "two other Killarney townies, Tadghie Lyne and Johnny Culloty had combined to rescue Kerry with the equalising goal against Cavan at this very same goal in 1955. Kerry won the replay."

The 14-year-old Weeshie was at that game in Croke Park and he's missed very few since. He was a goalkeeper and played minor, U21 and senior football with Kerry. The reserve 'keeper to Johnny Culloty, he was on the Kerry squad that won the All-Ireland title in 1969. A

detached retina ruined his career.

Although he has now established himself as a much-loved broadcaster and journalist, Weeshie made a late entry to the media game. He spent 32 years working as a psychiatric nurse in St Finnan's Hospital in his native Killarney.

You get the sense that football was a much-needed outlet for Weeshie. Anyone who loves football should meet him at least once.

His eyes twinkle at the mention of former greats. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of games and players. He has played with and against the likes of Mick O'Connell and Mick O'Dwyer. He is a treasure trove of anecdotes.

When I met him yesterday morning in his native Killarney, he told me about his latest project. He is compiling a team of the 15 classiest footballers ever to wear the Kerry jersey.

The key criteria are skill, balance and technique. I rhymed off a few names. Maurice Fitzgerald, Mick O'Connell, Colm Cooper, Mike Sheehy. I could see Weeshie nodding his head in agreement.

Then I said: "Spillane, Pat Spillane." Fortunately, I quickly corrected myself. "No, he was probably more about speed than skill."

"That's right Pid-ay,'' said a clearly delighted Weeshie, who reacted like a enthusiastic school teacher.

Weeshie then confirmed some of the other names. Johnny Culloty was the goalie, John O'Keefe was the full-back, O'Connell and Shanie Walsh were at midfield. Tómas Ó Sé was at wing-back.

I raised my eyebrows when Weeshie mentioned Ó Sé's name. "Tómas Ó Sé has scored 3-20 in Championship football for Kerry," came the firm and authoritative response. I thought better than to argue with a man who knows the scoring total of a wing-back.

After we'd polished off some tea and scones, Weeshie took me on a tour of his town.

Our first stop was Jimmy O'Brien's pub. The fact that it's painted green and gold is the first sign that it might be a football pub. The walls inside are a museum of information. There is a framed copy of Luke Kelly's memory card. A photograph of Mick O'Connell in full flight. Signed hurling sticks. Uileann pipes. A framed copy of a column that Con Houlihan had written for The Kerryman about digging turf.

Jimmy, the elderly owner, was the occupant. He was seated with his back to a wall, sorting out club lotto tickets that he sells for the

Gneeveguilla club. Dr Croke's and Killarney Legion are the main clubs in Killarney, but Jimmy sells them for Ambrose O'Donovan who is one of his customers.

Tom Long, another All-Ireland medallist, is also a regular.

The next spot on the tour was Tatler Jack's. It's owned by Eddie O'Sullivan who was a selector to three different Kerry managers. His son is the vice-chairman of the Kerry county board, while his son-in-law is Pat O'Shea, the current manager of the senior football team.

Eddie was brushing the front step when we approached. Paul Galvin was the main topic. He was due to train with the seniors that night. As we talked, a young fella in a suit walked past.

"That's Pat Corridan,'' said Eddie to me, "He's on the Kerry panel."

I checked a programme. He was No.30 for the last game. Eddie must have recognised him by the back of his head.

From Tatler Jack's, we nipped down an alleyway which led us to an estate agent shop bearing the name of Tom Spillane, who just has the three All-Ireland medals.

"Colm Cooper doesn't live far from here either," noted Weeshie as we headed to meet Donie Sheehan, the selector who discovered 'the Bomber' Liston.

Donie had nipped out to his chemist shop, but Weeshie told the story: "Donie spotted 'the Bomber' at a trial match. He said 'the Bomber' was awful slow but he knew that O'Dwyer would be able to make a footballer out of him."

We finished our walk of the town back at Weeshie's house. He lives a short distance from the hospital where he worked, and the Kerry

Legion ground where he played.

Johnny Culloty, the man who kept him out of the Kerry team, and who captained the county to All-Ireland victory in 1969 lives four doors away.

The O'Shea family live next door to the Fogartys. "Four boys out of that house won All-Ireland medals with Dr Croke's in 1992," said the proud neighbour.

Weeshie's wife, Joan has just returned from a pilgrimage to Lourdes. She went with Johnny Culloty's wife.

"The Bishop wanted to know why you and Johnny weren't there,'' said Joan.

"Bishop Murphy would have loved the two of them there,'' said Joan before explaining that the religious leader is "a fierce man for the

football".

Before leaving, Weeshie arranged to pick me up later that evening as I was going to be a guest on his Terrace Talk show. It's the ultimate honour for any non-Kerry citizen.

In the meantime, Weeshie has to prepare a talk that he will give to the Kerryman's Association in Dublin tomorrow morning.

The topic is: "The Secret of Kerry Football."

Anyone who takes a dander around Killarney in the company of Weeshie Fogarty will find the secret staring them in the face.

There is no secret. It's called obsession.

[Kerry Mike]

In his time as Kingdom manager Jack O'Connor delivered two All-Ireland titles – 2004 and 2006 – and was beaten in the 2005 final by Tyrone.

He's since stepped off the inter-county carousel and is currently managing Kerin O'Rahilly's of Tralee.

He misses the buzz of the big days.

Who wouldn't? And yet, he can't see himself ever returning to it, having already ruled out a crack at the Dublin job.

O'Connor appears to have mellowed since making way for Pat O'Shea in 2007.

Life isn't so manic. He no longer has to be in the zone, 24/7.

It's not an exaggeration to say that he got his life back when he stepped down as Kerry boss.

Nowadays, there's an easiness around him that perhaps wasn't there when dealing with the media as senior manager of Kerry football.

Now, a few years down the road, he laughs when you mention some of the uncomplimentary things he said about northern commentators.

"Ah, sure look," he says. "I didn't mean any insult to anybody in the north.

"The only thing I would say about it is that the problem was with northern commentators – and certainly not the managers or players.

"Some of the commentators up there didn't quite give Kerry the credit they deserved [for winning the 2004 and '06 All-Ireland titles, or the '07 one for that matter)."

Indeed, Mickey Harte made precisely the same point when he pondered the prospect of facing Kerry in this year's All-Ireland final.

O'Connor explains: "If Tyrone and Armagh had won 10 All-Irelands apiece and they didn't beat Kerry, we'd never say: 'Ah, but you never beat Kerry'. That stuff gets on my nerves.

"Some people were kind of saying that Kerry can only win soft All-Irelands. Maybe any criticism I made at the time was in reaction to that. I've huge respect for people like Mickey Harte and the job he's done in Tyrone.

"Tyrone has an awful lot to be thankful to Mickey Harte for and I still don't think he's got the credit he deserves for what he's done up there."

In 2003, the phenomenon of Tyrone was a wake-up call that, some would say, wasn't heeded until three years later.

"I thought we'd been able to handle Tyrone in either '04 or '06. The reason for that was in '04 Johnny Crowley was awesome in that final [against Mayo] as a target man.

"I think Kerry has to have a real ball-winner in the full-forward line, a target man, if you like, to play their most effective football.

"Now, Johnny Crowley retired in '05 and obviously Kieran Donaghy was on the panel, but wasn't ready and, at that time, was seen as a midfielder. So I just felt we were lacking that kind of ball-winner in the '05 final."

He recalls: "The facts speak for themselves: we kicked something like 24 balls into the full-forward line against Tyrone and only won nine of them – and there's no better team than Tyrone to beat you on the counter-attack.

"I took over the Kerry team in 2003 a couple of months after the team lost to Tyrone in the All-Ireland semi-final where they had basically smothered Kerry," O'Connor recalls.

"We were only allowed to kick six points in that '03 semi-final.

"Looking at the games, I just felt Kerry had to start moving the ball a whole lot quicker because if you hesitate on the ball against Tyrone and, given their hunger and the way they tackle, they'd eat you up.

"Fellas needed to come out of defence with real pace and purpose and move the ball quickly. Now, if you're moving lateral or not coming out with good support play you're in trouble.

"I thought we did that reasonably well in 2004. But we came up against Tyrone in the 2005 final and I went away after that thinking: 'Jeez, we're going to have to take it to another level'."

Ironically, Kerry shaded the midfield battle in that '05 final, but O'Connor noted the mountain of scores the Red Hands fashioned from turnovers.

He also marvelled at the scoring economy of Tyrone's front six in Croke Park that day.

"Canavan, O'Neill, Dooher and McGuigan were at the height of their powers, and, on top of that, you had Owen Mulligan who got man-of-the-match in the final and Ryan Mellon kicked a couple.

"You know, you always have little regrets, but Tyrone deserved to win that final. They were awesome.

"And yet, I thought we were going really well going into that final. We'd beaten Cork by something like 13 points in the semi-final and we thought we were ready, but we came up against a real machine that day."

Kerry's style had to change and quickly.

Kieran Donaghy, a raw midfielder, was thrown in on the edge of the square for the Kingdom's first All-Ireland Qualifier against Longford. And the rest, as they say, is history.

"In 2006, we had changed our style," says O'Connor.

"We were kicking the ball and keeping our half-forward line further up the pitch.

"I felt we had a really good system by the end of 2006. I felt whatever team we'd come up against they wouldn't be able to use the

swarming defence against us because we were moving the ball with pace and purpose.

"For instance, if you look at the goal Donaghy got against Armagh in the 2006 All-Ireland quarter-final, that ball from Sean O'Sullivan was a great floating, diagonal ball into the edge of the square.

"No matter how quickly guys get back into defence, if that ball goes in properly and you've got a man like Donaghy in there, then it's very hard to defend against.

"I felt if we'd have met Tyrone in '06, with the way Donaghy was going, I feel we would have been able to handle them."

The eagerly-awaited sequel with Tyrone never materialised.

The Red Hands slipped up against Laois in the Qualifiers, while Jack O'Connor's Kerry plundered their way through the back door before beating Mayo again in the '06

decider.

Despite the fact that Tyrone weren't good enough to make the '06 final as well as factoring in Kerry's convincing win over Armagh in the All-Ireland quarter-finals, there were cries from the north that suggested Jack's boys only won handy All-Irelands.

The claim was akin to a battered and bruised Jake LaMotta goading his conqueror and boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson for not being able to floor him after one of their many memorable contests during the forties.

"Well, I'll tell you now," says O'Connor. "The two All-Irelands that Kerry won when I was involved as manager, it didn't bother me unduly who we played in the final.

"Right now, one commentator in particular has been making the point that this Kerry team is not a great team and that they haven't beaten great teams in finals.

"But do you have to beat a great team in a final to be regarded as a great team?

"You could beat one on the way to a final.

"We got tremendous satisfaction out of turning things around in '06 and beating Armagh in the quarter-final.

"The Armagh that we played in '06 was, in my book, a great team that in fact should have won a second All-Ireland.

"I tried to pick up a lot of things from Armagh. They played that good, diagonal ball into their

full-forward line and showed great kicking out of defence.

"They had a fantastic system of play and I'd be big into trying to get a team to play to a particular system. I thought Armagh's was an awesome system.

"In the first half, the Armagh machine was functioning at its peak and we were just hanging on by our finger-tips. But Donaghy's goal just after half-time turned that game�"

Much has been made of the fact that Kerry's dominance this decade doesn't include the scalp of the Red Hands. Neither does O'Connor

discount the notion that Pat O'Shea's players will be extra-motivated because it's Tyrone they're playing on September 21.

"I know people are making a huge deal of it [playing Tyrone], and maybe there is a huge incentive for the Kerry players to beat Tyrone," admits O'Connor.

"If you look at it, Tyrone is the only side to have beaten Kerry since '03. If you took away the '05 final Kerry would now be going for five-in-a-row.

"Tyrone stopped Kerry winning two-in-a-row in '05 and they're trying to stop the three-in-a-row effort in '08, so there are big incentives for Tyrone as well.

"I suppose the Kerry players would like to beat Tyrone in an All-Ireland final because they are basically the only team that this group of players hasn't beaten in Championship.

O'Connor fancies his native county to come out on top in this year's All-Ireland duel with Mickey Harte's Tyrone team.

He believes that Kerry now possess the players especially in the full-forward line to claim their third successive Sam Maguire.

"I'd say, man-for-man, Kerry have possibly the better individuals, but the big challenge is: can they break down that Tyrone system that has been working well for so many years?"

The Red Hands are also buoyed by the astonishing return of Stephen O'Neill to the inter-county stage after quitting last year. It has been reported that the 28-year-old was persuaded to come back to the fold without having played a game.

The finer detail of O'Neill's comeback may well become clearer in the weeks and months ahead, but O'Connor isn't exactly sure what dynamic O'Neill's presence will bring to the Tyrone team and, indeed, to this final.

O'Connor, however, can relate somewhat to parachuting a star player into a big game. Whatever brittle consensus was formed among his squad, O'Connor decided to field Tadhg Kennelly in an U21 All-Ireland semi-final against Galway in 2002.

"Tadhg was home from Australia on holidays and we decided to use him as an impact sub. We didn't win the game, but his performance

suggested that it was the right thing to do, in fact many people thought he should have been used in the senior final against Armagh that year," O'Connor reasons.

"But it's very hard to talk from a distance about what effect O'Neill will have on the workings of the panel. But look, it's very simple.

"The only ones who may have a problem are people who wouldn't be on the first XV and would feel that his arrival will jeopardize their chances of coming on."

He adds: "At the end of the day, everybody is selfish and players will think of themselves. No matter what they say in public, they'll be feeling that in private.

"Stephen O'Neill was a great player. I don't know if he's still a great player because I haven't seen him in action for a while.

"In 2005, that man was a scoring machine.

"If O'Neill comes on and they don't win the All-Ireland, then obviously there are going to be repercussions. That's the chance you take."

Of course, Gaelic football is ruthless psychological warfare.

Perhaps O'Neill's re-introduction is an attempt to offset the imminent returns of Paul Galvin and Darragh O Se to the Kerry team ahead of their face-off with the Ulstermen.

Galvin hasn't kicked a ball since he slapped Paddy Russell's notebook out of his hands during their provincial opener with Clare, but Pat O'Shea is bound to use his sin-binned captain either from the start or at the earliest possible juncture in this month's All-Ireland decider.

"I know Paul Galvin has been working exceptionally hard and I know how much he's been hurt over the suspension," reflects O'Connor. "But he'll be an absolutely massive boost for Kerry whether he starts or comes on. It'll lift the Kerry crowd the same way in which Canavan lifted the Tyrone crowd in the '03 final.

"And Darragh is also huge for Kerry. For them to get over Cork without him was huge. I think they missed him in the second half because [Nicholas] Murphy took over..."

There's a small part of O'Connor that likes the dust to be shaken off those years of 2004-2006 when he managed Kerry. He remembers every ball that was kicked, every stat and every crunching tackle received and delivered.

But there's another part of him that's moved on. It's hard to tell if O'Connor got the credit he deserved as senior manager because everything in Kerry moves on. There's always another All-Ireland waiting out there for them.

"We won the '06 final and I brought the cup back to my own club Pearses, Dromid and I thought to myself: 'Do you know something, it's not going to get much better than this'.

"So I decided to take a break. I was just physically and mentally very tired as well after around 15 years involved with Kerry teams.

"As regards this final, Kerry players will have a massive incentive.

"When you get beaten by a team in the All-Ireland final you want to get back and redress the situation as quickly as possible."

As it turns out, Kerry have had to wait three long years....
   

[armaghniac]

"If Tyrone and Armagh had won 10 All-Irelands apiece and they didn't beat Kerry, we'd never say: 'Ah, but you never beat Kerry'.

Bollix.

"We got tremendous satisfaction out of turning things around in '06 and beating Armagh in the quarter-final.
.............
"In the first half, the Armagh machine was functioning at its peak and we were just hanging on by our finger-tips. But Donaghy's goal just after half-time turned that game"

This is why Tyrone should be concerned. When the pressure came on against a team that had got one over on them they produced the best football seen all year to beat Armagh.Kerry motivation should not be doubted.