Way back in July 1990 as dozens of Kerry fans started heading for the exits in Páirc Uí Chaoimh with Billy Morgan's charges continuing to clock up the scores in a 15-point victory, one Cork wit shouted, "Lock the gates, make 'em watch it." Barry Roche, Southern Correspondent in Ballydesmond, Co Cork, reports.
Rumour has that it was a Ballydesmond man who led the call and, in truth, one could hardly blame him. Perched in the extreme northwest corner of Cork, the Rebel inhabitants of what was once King Williamstown are in the front line in enduring Kerry success.
While there are other Cork communities from Beara all the way up to Ballyvourney and beyond on Cork's western front who have to watch Kerry's near annual and usually successful procession to Croke Park, Ballydesmond is perhaps unique.
Why? Because, the parish of some 700 or so souls actually straddles the county boundary with the fledgling Blackwater at the western edge of the village providing the demarcation line in county loyalties but not in parish or club loyalties.
"Three townlands of Ballydesmond are in Kerry," explains Ballydesmond GAA club chairman Seán Cronin "Knocknaboul, Doctor's Hill and Ballinahulla and they provide about half of the club's junior football team."
Seán himself lives in Knocknaboul and thus will be shouting for Kerry but this year the matter is complicated by the fact that lining out for Cork is one of their own, Ballydesmond's Donnacha O'Connor.
"We're in a no-win situation," said Seán, "obviously we'd like to see Kerry win but at the same time we wouldn't like to see Donnacha lose. If Kerry lose, we'll never hear the end of it but if Kerry win, we'll probably be fairly low-key because we'll all be feeling for Donnacha."
Such divided loyalties are evident in Ballydesmond village itself. Red and white bunting criss-crosses the main street but it seems every second house alternates between red and white flags and green and gold flags with some diplomatically sporting both colours.
The brilliantly painted green and gold Ford Fiesta parked at the western end of the village "but still in Co Cork" - is matched by a red and white banger smack dab in the centre of the village with billboards throughout the village wishing "Best of Luck to Donnacha".
Donnacha O'Connor's own pedigree reflects the complex nature of Ballydesmond loyalties with his Kerry-born father Dan, who runs a pub and lives in the heart of the village, shouting for Cork. "I'm from Doctor's Hill about two and a half miles out the road so I suppose I'm the blow-in here as my wife, Noreen, is from the village. I'm a Kerryman but yerrah it's straightforward enough with Donnacha playing - I'll be hoping for a Cork win," said Dan.
But supporting the Kingdom can be a lonely job in a family of Rebels. Would the rest of the family cheer on the Kingdom if Cork were not involved ? "If Kerry were playing Honduras, they'd be shouting for Honduras!" smiled Dan ruefully.
Fellow Kerryman, accountant William Sheehan, shares Dan's sentiments. He feels for Donnacha but he is dreading the slagging if Morgan's men dethrone the champions in the first-ever all-Munster decider for the Sam Maguire.