2011
Dublin 1-12 Kerry 1-11 (2011 All-Ireland final)
‘THE Jacks are back’ proclaimed a banner on Hill 16 and after a nail-biting encounter with their old rivals, Sam Maguire would again take up a year’s residence in the capital for the first time since 1995.
It could all have been so different though as Kerry were still four points to the good when Dublin sub, Kevin McManaman netted with seven minutes of normal time remaining. Kerry’s Colm Cooper, fed by Darran O’Sullivan, had earlier scored a sublime goal for the Kingdom.
And, even though Dublin led at half-time, with the Brogan brothers, Alan and Bernard helping themselves to two points each, it was Kerry who seemed destined to be heading for yet another success as the game entered the closing stages.
But the Dublin team fashioned by manager, Pat Gilroy was made of stern stuff and in a rousing finale, Stephen Cluxton kicked the winning point from a free in stoppage time to become the first goalkeeper ever to score an All-Ireland final winner.
There were delirious scenes in a packed Croke Park at the finish as Cluxton lifted the famous old cup and Dublin’s 23rd title.
2009
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-Final 2009
Kerry 1-24 Dublin 1-7
IT had been far from a vintage year for the Kingdom until this absolute destruction of Dublin on a bank holiday Monday in August. Jack O’Connor’s men had lost the Munster final replay to Cork and had only just avoided qualifier defeats to Longford, Sligo and Leitrim. They therefore pitched up at Croke Park as underdogs to a Dublin side who had been relatively untroubled to claim the Leinster Championship for a fifth successive year.
But the odds were upset in spectacular and early fashion. Within one minute of the throw-in, Kerry centre-back Mike McCarthy was rampaging up the field to slip the ball to Colm Cooper who finished underneath Stephen Cluxton.
Dublin, usually so fast themselves out of the blocks, were rocked whilst the Kingdom never looked back and played remorselessly throughout. Cooper finished with 1-7, whilst Declan O’Sullivan, who kicked three points from play, had one of his best ever days in the green and gold. Darragh O’Se was also imperious at midfield.
Only Alan Brogan, who also finished with three from play, performed up to standard on a day when Dublin could not live with Kerry’s hunger and quality all over the field.
1977
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final 1977
Dublin 3-12 Kerry 1-13
THIS game is regarded as one of the greatest games of Gaelic football ever played, being contested by two teams who had brought unprecedented levels of fitness and a new approach to coaching into the sport.
Dublin had beaten Kerry in the previous year’s All-Ireland final and were widely tipped to make it back-to-back titles. With their legendary manager, Kevin Heffernan having stepped down, captain Tony Hanahoe, assumed the roles of manager and coach as well as being chief playmaker on the field of play.
In front of almost 60,000 spectators, the two teams served up a match characterised by electrifying pace and quality. Newcomers to the Kerry ranks included Sean Walsh, Jack O’Shea and Barry Walsh and it was Sean Walsh’s goal that separated the sides at half-time.
Hanahoe and his selectors brought on Bernard Brogan at midfield for the second period in a switch that would prove highly significant as both he and Brian Mullins got to grips with Jack O’Shea and Paidi O’Se in a breathless battle. And centre stage was Hanahoe, who had a hand in all three goals for Dublin after the break, setting up Brogan for the third and scoring the last point of the game himself.
2013
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final 2013
Dublin 3-18 Kerry 3-11
THIS was another stone cold classic tussle between the royal and navy blue and the green and gold. Kerry hit their rivals for three first half goals, two from James O’Donoghue and one from Donnchadh Walsh. A Dubs major from Paul Mannion, however meant that Jim Gavin’s men went in just two points in arrears.
In the second half, both sides had periods of being on top. Dublin, playing with an orthodox defensive set up, assigned Cian O’Sullivan to man mark the ever threatening Colm Cooper but Kerry went further ahead with two Paul Galvin points and a Cooper free.
Dublin battled away though as a Bernard Brogan point brought them level and a brilliant Diarmuid Connolly effort into Hill 16 edged them in front.
Kerry upped their game again, having conceded five in a row, and went level twice more through Cooper and O’Donoghue as the action swung from end to end. They then led again in the 63rd minute when Darran O’Sullivan pointed from a tight angle.
But it was the Dubs who finished the stronger and the Kingdom could not withstand a devastating closing salvo of 2-2. Kevin McManamon scored a memorable solo goal in the 70th minute before Eoghan O’Gara smashed the ball home off the crossbar in jury time.
1955
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final 1955
THIS was a final pairing which pitted the city slickers against the Munster men for the fifth time. The previous meeting was in 1924 when Kerry edged a low scoring encounter, 0-4 to 0-3. Not only were the teams from different parts of the country, they also brought differing styles to Croke Park. Kerry played a more traditional game based on high fielding and long kicking whilst Dublin favoured a more modern shorter game with more passing and roving players, exemplified by, in particular, future manager Kevin Heffernan.
Dublin were favourites and 87,102 people packed Croke Park to see what turned out to be an intriguing battle.
As it transpired, the old order prevailed. Kerry’s supremacy in the air gave them more possession and they led at the break by two points. Their dominance continued on the resumption and as the game entered the closing stages, they led by six.
Dublin refused to give in and perhaps the highlight of the second half was a goal scored by Ollie Freaney from a 14 yard free. The St Vincent’s man drove the ball home through a line of Kerry players to make the score 0-12 to 1-6. And despite Dublin pressing hard, the Kingdom held on to claim their 18th title.
