Gaelic football’s ‘big two’ seem set for final showdown
“Don’t fret in the slightest. Once the draw keeps them apart, we will be watching another Dublin v Kerry final live just after midnight in Melbourne on Monday, July 31, and ye will have every chance of winning it.”
This was yours truly’s firm prediction to my long-time metropolitan lady friend moments after the final whistle had blown in Croke Park on April 30 after Dessie Farrell’s troops had eked out a far-from-impressive Delaney Cup semi-final win against an ordinary Kildare outfit.
My partner and her family, avid supporters of the sky blue and navy-clad outfit for decades, were concerned that the Dubs’ heady days were coming to an end, with a 41-year-old ‘keeper and several 30-plus outfield players on view, after a most un-Dublin-like display featuring many of the ills – and they are many – in the modern game.
Regardless of how the All-Ireland senior semi-finals pan out next Saturday and Sunday, it has been a very good 2023 for both Derry and Monaghan football, the pair of then having contested the Tom Markham Cup final two days ago - did Larry McCarthy call it ‘Tom Markey Cup’? – with Derry emerging as winners.
I hope that I have a few readers in the Lake County, but certainly none in the Farney or Oak Leaf counties. I never intend to offend any individual or any county – I am dreadfully sensitive to Westmeath being criticized unfairly by outsiders – but my prediction looks extremely likely to come through, even ahead of next weekend’s two semi-finals in Jones’ Road.
Honestly, I don’t think the prediction was anything other than what the charming Basil Fawlty said to his beleaguered wife one time: “Our next Mastermind contestant is Sybil Fawlty from Torquay whose specialized topic is, ‘The Bleedin’ Obvious’!”
Like most Gaels, I get many predictions wrong. Indeed, my latest ‘gift’ to the well-heeled bookmaking fraternity was 20 hard-earned euro placed on Galway hurlers last Thursday at 5/1 to win the All-Ireland. John Kiely’s understrength side made short shrift of that docket last Saturday evening!
But I have always felt deep down that Gaelic football’s ‘big two’ were only going through the gears until the ‘real’ championship began with good old knockout football. This used to be early August, but is now early July. The merits, or otherwise, of same are for another column.
This view was copper-fastened in Kingspan Breffni Park last month when the Dubs mauled Sligo in the curtain-raiser to Westmeath’s heartbreaking draw (I nearly typed ‘loss’, as it felt like it) with Tyrone. If Dessie Dolan’s men faced the men in white and black, Westmeath would be narrow favourites to win, but the Dubs destroyed them.
And in no way taking from the heroic effort against the Red Hand County in the second game, Westmeath’ would be extremely unlikely to give Kerry a close game, which convinced me that Tyrone would be well beaten by the Kingdom – which they were.
A quick chat with Sean Doherty last Sunday week outside the hostelry he invariably frequents after Dublin play in Croke Park made me feel old. I ended up telling anybody under the age of 60 nearby that when the legendary full back held aloft the Sam Maguire Cup in September 1974 (on display beside the pub for photo ops in lieu of a small donation to the very worthwhile Barretstown charity) how far off the mark Kevin Heffernan’s charges were deemed to be at the start of the championship 49 years ago. The aforementioned bookies, not known for their generosity, would have told a punter to name his odds on Dublin winning Sam in April that year!
Dublin have never looked back since, despite two relatively long stretches without Sam (1984 to 1994 inclusive, and 1996 to 2010 inclusive). Their longstanding rivalry with Kerry is legendary, with the men in green and gold dominant until the Bryan Cullen-led metropolitans won their 23rd crown in 2011 by beating their arch-rivals in the final (Stephen Cluxton’s ice-cool winning free etc).
The latter, of course, held aloft Sam seven times since. Now there’s a record that will never be broken, a la the late, great Teddy McCarthy’s All-Ireland double in 1990.The Parnells legend may well be in the background (his favourite spot!) again on the steps of the Hogan Stand on July 30, with the imperious James McCarthy looking like he has every chance of leading his county to a 31st title.
For all their greatness in the ‘tennies’ and the first year of the Covid-roaring ‘twenties’, Dublin still trail Kerry by a significant eight titles (30 to 38). To put this in perspective, the other 17 counties who have been lucky enough to have won the All-Ireland have 67 wins between them.
The Kingdom’s 38th came just 11 months ago against Galway (the Tribesmen were a major disappointment this year) after a one-point win in a semi-final epic against Dublin (Seanie O’Shea’s winning free even bettering the aforementioned Cluxton kick).
Both of the ‘big two’ look in better shape than last year, with Dublin’s improvement arguably the greater due to the return of Cluxton (after a typically mysterious mini-retirement of sorts), Con O’Callaghan (now injury-free), and the nailing down of a spot by Colm Basquel (whose appearances for Ballyboden St Enda’s against Westmeath champions invariably had us hacks asking: ‘Now, why is he not on the Dublin team?’).
For Kerry, Diarmuid O’Connor’s midfield tour de force against a most un-Tyrone-like Tyrone was an eye-opener, while David Clifford is simply the best talent we have seen in the code in a long, long time. Maybe even ever?
And, of course, if by some chance Dublin and/or Kerry lose their semis, any Monaghan and/or Derry fans wishing to join an ever-lengthening queue to say, ‘shows how much you know about football, Buckley’, will have to wait for over three weeks, as Buckley will be en route to Australia, please God, to support the Girls in Green!