Peter Kelly’s achievement in winning an All Star award is a significant boost for both the full back and his Lucan Sarsfields club in advance of their first ever county final on Sunday.
Kelly was one of three Dublin players honoured – a record hurling haul for the county – joining county team-mates team-mates Liam Rushe and Danny Sutcliffe.
Lucan will lock horns with powerful Ballyboden St Enda’s at Parnell Park when Kelly will be up against many of his county colleagues – not least full forward Paul Ryan.
Sean McCaffrey is a long-term Lucan mentor and father of Kelly’s club and county team-mate Johnny McCaffrey and indeed his brother Matt (who lines out at corner back, alongside Kelly).
“Peter winning an All Star is a huge boost for the club,” says McCaffrey, “especially given the weekend that’s in it. Peter is one of those players that every single youngster in the club would look up to, so this can only inspire more of them to bigger and better things.”
McCaffrey spent five seasons in charge of Lucan, before Damien Fox, from Tullamore, took over last year, and says Sunday's final is big challenge, even with an All Star quality player such as Kelly. Lucan have been denied a final spot on a couple of occasions in the past by Ballyboden, who are looking to regain the title lost to Kilmacud Crokes last year, after winning five in succession from 2007-2011.
Any hangover
But Kelly won't be still nursing any hangover from this evening's All Star banquet.
“No way. I know quite a few of them were at a wedding last Friday, and were in bed by midnight, even though they were all staying at the same hotel . . . Peter is a very sensible guy and I’d expect he’ll be slipping away from the awards before 11 o’clock.”
The timing of the banquet may be awkward from Kelly’s perspective but he is the first Dublin hurler to be rewarded with an All Star in the full back line.
Goalkeeper Gary Maguire was honoured in 2011, along with Liam Rushe, when named at midfield, and before that Dublin’s only other All Star awards went to midfielder Alan McCrabbe (in 2009) and forwards Brian McMahon (in 1990) and Mick Bermingham (in the inaugural All Star year, 1971).
Ironically Kelly only ended up playing in the full back line by accident, or as cover for the so-called natural defender.
“I’d never have said Peter Kelly was a born defender. It was always a bit of a mystery to us, what might be his best position. But to give Anthony Daly his dues he first put Peter into the full back position and persisted with him there, even if it was a case of covering for injury, especially when Tomás Brady was out,” adds McCaffrey.
"Before that he would have always played for the club around midfield, or sometimes at half back . . But he's the kind of player who could play anywhere, because he's very laid back about it. But he's also as hard as nails. The Peter Kelly that goes out onto the field to play is much different to the one off the field."
Was switched
Now age 24, Kelly was first utilised in the Dublin half-forward line in 2010, but the following summer, when Tomás Brady was injured he was switched to full back to mark Joe Canning in the Leinster semi-final against Galway – and the rest is All Star history.
The 2013 football All Star awards will be announced live at this evening’s banquet (from 7pm), with reigning champions (12 nominations) in certain to lead the way.
