There are many ways to describe the motivation necessary to win an All-Ireland, usually along the lines of playing as if your life depended on it. Kerry, as it turned out, had that and more - relentless motivation running in their veins, firing them up like some personal vendetta, as if avenging the death of a brother.

"We'd rakes of motivation," says manager Jack O'Connor, his back pressed so hard to the wall of the Kerry dressingroom you'd think he was stuck to it. "We seriously wanted Séamus Moynihan and Darragh Ó Sé to win a fourth medal, honest to God. And people don't realise the Gooch only has one medal as well, and he deserves more than that.

"And I was seriously motivated myself. Being an underdog all my life, and written off by a lot of people. And while we knew we were getting a lot of stick during the year, we felt deep down we were very together. And believe it or not, the criticism actually helped us. We used that to our benefit."

For once it seems O'Connor is letting his guard down, his trademark coolness overcome with the emotion of winning back the All-Ireland title he lost last year. They say there's nothing like the first time but O'Connor destroys that theory straight up.

"This is 20 times more satisfying than 2004. I mean we took a lot of heat during the year, written off at different times. And I did think a share of that criticism was unfair. For some reason I seemed to be the target of a lot of it. But the best way to answer your critics is on the pitch. And I know we were waiting one year, but I think that was hurting us a lot more than Mayo's 55 years. I don't mind if they win it next year, though."

O'Connor then starts the tributes to his troops - whose morale was severely tested over the summer but ended up stronger than ever.

Kieran Donaghy? "For that man to perform with all the heat on him was fantastic. And I'd say he is the biggest single reason we've turned around our season."

Declan O'Sullivan? "I'd great faith in that young lad. But I know the strength of his character. There's good breeding in him."

And Moynihan? "Above everyone else here I'm more delighted for that man. He left this place last year and his heart was broken. What that man does for a team knows no limits. He's the heart of a lion, and has to go down as one of the all-time greats of Kerry football."

But what about his own future - will O'Connor be back next year? "Jesus lads, give us a small bit of time to think about it."

Moynihan had walked off Croke Park with sweat dripping from every pore - and there's a strong feeling it may have been for the last time. Later, showered but still sweating, he deflects the same question about his future. "Sure I'll enjoy this one for a couple of days," he says. "I just know myself and Darragh Ó Sé said our target at the start of the year was to win an All-Ireland. We've done that, but we'll cross that next bridge when it comes.

"This is a massive release of pressure though, as Brian Cody said. Things hadn't gone right for us at the start of the year, so to turn that around is a very special feeling. In fairness the Munster championship didn't go our way, but it gave us the kick up the backside we needed. And we learnt a lot about ourselves. But my heart goes out to Mayo. I know what it's like to be inside their dressingroom. It's a rotten feeling and you want the ground to open up.

"But I think we came up with a great team performance. We never came off the field as bitterly disappointed as last year. It took us a long time to get over. We got a fantastic start out there, then sat back a bit. Mayo got their three goals, and that was the strangest thing I've ever experienced in a football game. If that happened in the second half we'd have been in dire straits. We were able to regroup, said a few tough words at half-time. We were very disappointed, and it was like a losing dressingroom. We were very upset with ourselves, and just said we were going to win it whatever it takes."

Talk of motivation floats throughout the Kerry dressingroom. Colm Cooper definitely had it and so too did captain Declan O'Sullivan - two players whose form was the subject of some hard questions earlier in the summer.

"Well they say your first All-Ireland is always very sweet," says Cooper, "but maybe this one is a little sweeter, just because of the year we've had. It was a real roller-coaster, and to come through in the end the way we did is very special."

O'Sullivan has never looked as happy: "I was just saying to the lads there what a difference a year makes. We appreciate all the more after losing last year. It's big days like this when teams have to stand up. It was a great team performance, you'd struggle to find anyone here who didn't play up to scratch. Our forwards seem to love Croke Park. I just stayed away from the criticism. I just trained hard, showed a bit of form at training, and got selected."

And last word to midfielder Tommy Griffin, who some had criticised at just making the starting line-up ahead of Eoin Brosnan: "When I got the chance I was determined to take it. And I think the unity we showed won it for us in the end.

"And you know this is not the same Kerry team that's won 34 All-Irelands. None of us have 34 All-Ireland medals here. Mayo may have been waiting 55 years, but we were waiting one year. And that was long enough for us down in Kerry."