The dust is settling on an All-Ireland final defined by the outstanding performances of David Clifford and Shane Walsh. I cannot remember two players reaching that transcendent level in the same final. Those of us present realised early on we were watching something special: a duel. And the way they both moved through the congested defences: their elegance and finesse and touch – for two big men – was a joy to behold.
But you have to ask who will remember what about the final? How Pádraic Joyce remembers the final may be different to neutrals. In fact, for him, it all may be distilled to “that moment”.
Let’s go to the 66th minute. Galway had moved from two points down to 0-16 each and Cillian McDaid’s equalising score was from the top rank. And Galway were hustling and working their socks off and there was such a roar when they forced a turnover and John Daly had the ball.
The Galway crowd are not always the most vociferous, but I don’t remember hearing a sound like that for a turnover before. There was a rush of anticipation. There was 65.57 gone when Daly slipped in possession of the ball. He regathered his footing and looked to get out with the ball. A second later – 65.58, Killian Spillane came in to tackle him.
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And in that second Killian had his hand on his opponent’s back. Daly is still trying to get out with the ball at 65.59 and Killian still has his hand on Daly’s back and his other hand across his chest-upper chest. And he leaves it in there. That is the moment where the free should have been given – to Galway. That is the moment when both hands of the defender were on the player with the ball. It is a two-hand tackle.
There is no rule for interpretation here. It should have been called as a foul and it was not given. Fractions of a second after that, at 66.01, Daly realises he isn’t getting the free and he grabs Killian’s hand – which is still across his upper chest – to try and get the free. Crucially, now Killian has his other hand off the defender’s back and raised to illustrate that he is doing everything right. It is then that the free is given to Kerry.
This is there for everyone to see. Go back and look at it. That moment is there to be seen. It is a foul – for Galway. But the pendulum swung. Look at how Killian and the other Kerry players celebrate that free-in. They had clawed back that lost momentum. What would have happened if Galway had broken up the field and executed a third successive score? We will never know. Instead, Galway did all the work to manufacture the momentum and when that free was called, it was Kerry who derived the benefit.
It was an unbelievable sequence. And it sucked the life out of the stadium too. It took a few seconds for people to understand what had happened. And what a desperate punishment for Daly to have to accept. He has to live with this. When have we last seen a defender in possession called for a foul that leads to a scoring free? I don’t recall that happening before.
It was a disproportionate punishment and it had profound effect on the outcome of the All-Ireland final. Seán Hurson got the call right if you are only looking at the second part of the tackle. But if you look at the entire incident, then the only conclusion is free out. There has been a degree of lazy punditry and analysis about the incident, in my opinion.
The forward movement of the player is crucial here, too. Daly has possession. He wants to get out with the ball. He wants away from the Kerry player. He is waiting for the whistle.
And David Clifford’s free turned the game in Kerry’s favour. The context of the game was that this was a very tough engagement. Three minutes left and Galway buoyed by a turnover. It killed Galway’s energy – on the field and in the stands. The did not score again. Kerry struck 0-4, two from frees.
Beyond that controversy, it was a terrific contest. I felt all along that a kicking team would win the All-Ireland. Kerry, Galway and Dublin led the way in this. And it will have implications for what goes on in coaching sessions all over Ireland. Their kicking ambition will move the needle.
Kerry have achieved their objective and faced down extreme questions from Dublin and Galway. All the plaudits will go to David Clifford and rightly so. However, his brother Paudie has been exceptional. To me, he really carries all the qualities of Kerry – the tenacity and energy and smartness.
Seán Ó Sé brings star quality. But most importantly, they have found a lot of gains in troubling areas. Shane Ryan has taken a leap forward in goal. The entire full-back line was excellent all year and answered all questions. Tom O’Sullivan came in on Sunday as third favourite for player of the year: shadowing Walsh last Sunday was an impossible task.
Gavin White, too, has been a crucial part in taking the fight to the opposition. And their composure in the final third when they needed to keep the ball and work those late scores was of a very high level. They conceded one goal in the championship and that reflects the new defensive structure.
They are defensive. Sometimes Kerry played with one up and other times with nobody up at all. I couldn’t help but think of Jack O’Connor, in a documentary in 2012, saying if a Kerry team played like that, he’d get ‘bata agus bóthar’. Well, all I could see on Sunday was people getting thrown into the air and adulation.
The reality is, the game does not change. It is just the perception of how people see things. Talented forwards can paper over the reality of how a team sets up. If Kerry didn’t have those silky players who light up the scoreboard, they would be open to the charge of ultra-defensiveness also. And there is nothing wrong with that. But Kerry have moved with the game.
They saw what the underdogs introduced to get the upper hand – sweepers and blanket defence. They didn’t like it. But then they figured: Well, we are going to use it and then do what we always did up front. It is pragmatism. We are back on top. And it is not about bata agus bóthar. It is about being back on top.
So where does that leave the game in 2023? It is a huge year for Dublin. They have to respond or else watch Kerry lay the law down for the years ahead.
Then you go to Ulster where there are five counties with stuff to figure out. I think Tyrone now have to assess where they are at. It is their All-Ireland that has been surrendered here. A long winter of running and atonement beckons. Derry have had an amazing season. Can they go back-to-back in the reconfigured Ulster championship? The reality for Armagh is that they need to win Ulster, regardless of whether it is perceived as meaning as much. And in Donegal, the next managerial appointment is vital. We saw a glimpse of the real Donegal in the first 25 minutes against Armagh. That is what they need to chase after. And Monaghan will come back to defy odds.
Elsewhere, Galway are now in a very promising position and Mayo’s ability to bounce back has been well documented. So it bodes well. The Tailteann Cup was a real success. The games were enjoyable. The final had a brilliant energy and it felt like a proper occasion. And it gives teams hope and something tangible to play for.
So Sam is back in Kerry. They don’t like to give it up easily. And even as Kerry celebrate, they will know that the other contenders have already begun plotting for 2023. In life, as in sport, nothing is neutral.
