Kerry v Tyrone: Five great clashes down the years

Kingdom have had upper hand in recent times after several struggles against Harte’s men

Tyrone’s blanket defence stifles the life out of Kerry in the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Tyrone’s blanket defence stifles the life out of Kerry in the 2003 All-Ireland semi-final. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

2015 All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park

Kerry 0-18 Tyrone 1-11

Kerry were All-Ireland champions, Tyrone were starting from the ground floor but pushed them all the way. Johnny Buckley scored four points from play and a Peter Harte penalty kept Tyrone in touch. But Mickey Harte’s young side missed too many chances and Kerry saw it out.

Tyrone’s Ronan McNamee challenges Kerry’s Colm Cooper in the 2015 All-Ireland semi-final. Photograph: Donall Farmer/Inpho
Tyrone’s Ronan McNamee challenges Kerry’s Colm Cooper in the 2015 All-Ireland semi-final. Photograph: Donall Farmer/Inpho

KERRY: B Kealy; M Ó Sé, P Crowley, S Enright; P Murphy, J Lyne, K Young; A Maher (0-1), D Moran; S O'Brien (0-2), J Buckley (0-3), D Walsh (0-1); C Cooper (0-2, one free), K Donaghy (0-1), J O'Donoghue (0-4, three frees, 0-1 45). Subs: F Fitzgerald for Ó Sé (black card, 17 mins), P Geaney (0-3, one free) for Donaghy (half-time), B Sheehan for Moran (55 mins), Darran O'Sullivan for O'Brien (60 mins), A O'Mahony for Crowley (62 mins), B J Keane (0-1) for Walsh (70 mins).

TYRONE: N Morgan (0-1, free); R McNamee, Joe McMahon, C McCarron; T McCann, R McNabb (0-1), A McCrory; C Cavanagh (0-1), M Donnelly (0-1); M Bradley (0-2), P Harte (1-0, pen), C Meyler; D McCurry (0-3, one free), S Cavanagh, C McAliskey (0-2). Subs: P McNulty for Meyler (47 mins), B Tierney for McCrory (55 mins), C Clarke for McNamee (black card, 55 mins), R O'Neill for McCurry (66 mins).

Kerry’s Kieran Donaghy celebrates scoring a point against Tyrone in 2012. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Kerry’s Kieran Donaghy celebrates scoring a point against Tyrone in 2012. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

2012 All-Ireland qualifier, Fitzgerald Stadium

Kerry 1-16 Tyrone 1-6

Old soldiers fighting an old war when they ought to have known better. A day of wall-to-wall crankiness in Killarney, 16 yellow cards and a red for Brian McGuigan. Colm Cooper and Declan O’Sullivan ran the show, Kieran Donaghy’s goal sealed a facile win.

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KERRY: B Kealy; M Ó Sé, A O'Mahony, S Enright; T Ó Sé, E Brosnan, K Young; A Maher, B Sheehan (0-3, all frees); P Galvin (0-1), Declan O'Sullivan (0-3), D Walsh; J O'Donoghue (0-2), C Cooper (0-5, 0-1 free), K Donaghy (1-1). Subs: Darran O'Sullivan for Walsh (49 mins), P Crowley for Enright (65 mins), K O'Leary for O'Donoghue, P Curtin (0-1) for Declan O'Sullivan (both 66 mins), B Maguire for Young (67 mins).

TYRONE: P McConnell; A McCrory, C Clarke (0-1), D Carlin; R McNamee, C Gormley (1-0), Seán O'Neill (0-1); Joe McMahon, C Cavanagh (0-1); Mattie Donnelly, Mark Donnelly, P Harte; M Penrose (0-1, free), O Mulligan, D McCurry (0-1). Subs: R McMenamin for Carlin (11 mins), D McCaul for McNamee (25 mins), A Cassidy (0-1) for Mattie Donnelly (34 mins), Stephen O'Neill for Penrose (46 mins), B McGuigan for McCurry (56 mins).

Tyrone’s Tommy McGuigan celebrates scoring a goal against Kerry in the 2008 final. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Tyrone’s Tommy McGuigan celebrates scoring a goal against Kerry in the 2008 final. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

2008 All-Ireland final, Croke Park

Tyrone 1-15 Kerry 0-14

Mickey Harte dropped the McMahon brothers into the full-back line to mark the twin-tower attack of Donaghy and Tommy Walsh out of it. A scrappy final, decided by a Tommy McGuigan goal and remembered for Brian Dooher’s immortal point from the ends of the Earth.

KERRY: D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T Sullivan, P Reidy; T Ó Sé (0-1), A O'Mahony, K Young; D Ó Sé (0-1), S Scanlon; B Sheehan (0-2, two frees), Declan O'Sullivan (0-2), E Brosnan; C Cooper (0-6, three frees), K Donaghy, T Walsh (0-1). Subs: Darran O'Sullivan (0-1) for E Brosnan (42 mins), T Griffin for S Scanlon (50 mins), P Galvin for Walsh (58 mins), D Moran for B Sheehan (66 mins).

TYRONE: P McConnell; Joe McMahon, Justin McMahon, C Gormley; D Harte (0-1), P Jordan, R McMenamin; C Holmes, E McGinley (0-1); B Dooher (0-2), R Mellon (0-1), M Penrose (0-1); T McGuigan (1-1, one free), S Cavanagh (0-5), C McCullagh (0-1, free). Subs: S O'Neill for McCullagh (21 mins), K Hughes (0-1) for Holmes (half-time), B McGuigan for Penrose (50 mins), O Mulligan for Mellon (56 mins), C Cavanagh (0-1) for T McGuigan (66 mins)

Kerry’s Declan O’Sullivan takes on Tyrone’s Stephen O’Neill in the 2005 final. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Kerry’s Declan O’Sullivan takes on Tyrone’s Stephen O’Neill in the 2005 final. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

2005 All-Ireland final, Croke Park

Tyrone 1-16 Kerry 2-10

One of the great All-Ireland finals. Peter Canavan’s goal just before half-time was an adornment to the sport. Tomás Ó Sé got up to keep Kerry in it with one of his own. Brian McGuigan and Stephen O’Neill were majestic and saw Tyrone home.

TYRONE: P McConnell; M McGee, Justin McMahon, R McMenamin; D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan (0-1); E McGinley, S Cavanagh; B Dooher (0-1), B McGuigan (0-3), R Mellon (0-2); P Canavan (1-1), S O'Neill (0-4, two frees), O Mulligan (0-4, two frees). Subs: C Holmes for P Canavan (half-time), C Lawn for McMahon (48 mins), P Canavan for McGinley (55 mins). Yellow cards: Dooher (19 mins), McMahon (42 mins), McGuigan (67 mins), O'Neill (70 mins), Cavanagh (72 mins).

KERRY: D Murphy; M McCarthy, A O'Mahony, T O'Sullivan (1-0); T Ó Sé, M Ó Sé, S Moynihan; D Ó Sé (0-2), W Kirby; L Hassett, E Brosnan (0-2), P Galvin; C Cooper (0-5), Declan O'Sullivan (capt), D Ó Cinnéide (1-1). Subs: MF Russell for Hassett (44 mins), Darran O'Sullivan for Ó Cinnéide (61 mins), B Sheehan for Galvin (68 mins), E Fitzmaurice for Moynihan (68 mins).

2003 All-Ireland semi-final, Croke Park

Tyrone 0-13 Kerry 0-6

The day Tyrone arrived like a meteor. They played with an almost out-of-body intensity that had Seamus Moynihan saying it was like Times Square out there. Kerry couldn’t live with it and Pat Spillane whined feebly about Puke Football that night.

TYRONE: J Devine; C Gourley, C McAnallen, R McMenamin (0-1); C Gormley, G Devlin, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh (0-1); B Dooher (0-1), B McGuigan (0-2), G Cavlan; E McGinley (0-1), P Canavan (0-1 free), O Mulligan (0-3, all frees). Subs: S O'Neill (0-3, one free) for Canavan (14 mins), C Holmes for McGinley (65 mins).

KERRY: D O'Keeffe; T O'Sullivan, S Moynihan, M McCarthy; E Fitzmaurice, T Ó Sé, J Sheehan; D Ó Sé, E Brosnan; S O'Sullivan, D Ó Cinnéide (0-1 free), L Hassett; MF Russell, Declan O'Sullivan (0-1), C Cooper (0-1). Subs: M Ó Sé (0-1) for Sheehan (33 mins), J Crowley for S O'Sullivan (35 mins), S Scanlon for Russell (half-time), D Quill (0-2, both frees) for O Cinnéide (53 mins), A Mac Gearailt for Hassett (70 mins).

Malachy Clerkin

Malachy Clerkin

Malachy Clerkin is a sports writer with The Irish Times