Kerry Gold: going for the double

Evanne Ni Chuilinn talks to Kerry half-back, Aidan O'Mahony about Kerry's hard-fought battle to retain the Sam Maguire and win an elusive double not achieved since their All Ireland opponents, Cork, did it in 1989 and 1990.

A unique All Ireland Final awaits Gaelic Football fans on the 16 September, and although it will be an all Munster affair, the fixture hasn't fallen short in whetting the appetite of a sports mad nation. This September will mark the first time ever that Cork and Kerry have met on the last day of the GAA season, and for Kerry centre-back, Aidan O'Mahony, growing up on the border between the two counties has added more than a smidgen of spice to the contest.

“The rivalry between Cork and Kerry wouldn't be bitter but it's massive. It goes way back the years, and for me, coming from the border it really is huge. You'd have a few Cork people living in my town, Rathmore, and then Ballydesmond would be split aswell, half Cork, half Kerry. The craic is mighty though! We'd be delighted with the bit of banter, sure you can't beat that kind of build up to an All Ireland”.

And the pre-match hype to this years' final hasn't been found wanting. “Nothing could have prepared us for the last day against Dublin. I'm playing Senior Intercounty football with Kerry since 2004, but no amount of experience on or off the field could have equipped you for that blue Hill. The roar of the crowd all over Croke Park was ferocious, and to be honest, towards the end of the game Dublin's support nearly drove them over the line. I actually think we fell under the radar that day, because a lot of people wrote us off after the Monaghan game, and the Dubs were handed the favourites tag.”

And there was every reason to favour the Dubs. Paul Caffrey's side had orchestrated a comfortable three point win over a much fancied Derry side, while Kerry needed a late winner to avoid the draw against Séamus McEneaney's charges. Kerry manager Pat O'Shea was explicitly content with the result against Monaghan. After all, a Championship win was a Championship win, and finally, after a six week break, his players had a competitive game under their belts.

But O'Mahony concedes that there was more than a little bit of luck involved on the day. “We were very fortunate to come away with that win. We knew it'd be a tough game, but we just didn't reach the right form on the day. Sure, we hadn't played in six weeks, but credit has to be given to Monaghan.  They played clever football, they dropped an extra man back, and we found it very difficult to break down that kind of defence. I suppose our experience shone through in the finish, and just about got us over the line.”
This year, the Kingdom has the opportunity to put back to back titles together, a feat not achieved since Cork produced the goods in 1989 and 1990. Given that the great teams of recent years, Armagh in 2003, and the Kerry team of 2005, couldn't complete the elusive double, taking the Sam Maguire back to Killarney on Monday 17 September would be a considerable accomplishment.  

“I'm trying not to think about the two-in-a-row to be honest, but it's like the elephant in a small room! What really adds to the occasion is that it's Cork we have to get passed – they were the last team to do it, so we'll be giving it full throttle to inherit that honour!”

So what of the opposition? Cork, under Billy Morgan, have illustrated that they have scoring prowess aplenty, and wearing the green and gold number six jersey, means that O'Mahony will be right in the thick of the action.  “In the Munster Final, we only beat them by two points, and last year they beat us, so we're under no illusions as to the seriousness of this match.  Watching the Meath game now the last day, they looked very physical up front. They brought Cussen out, and it worked to their advantage.

People forget that there's more than James Masters in the forwards, and they showed that against Meath.  Daniel Goulding came on, and they had three or four big men around the middle. Cork are a very good running team, and they'll be very confident having beaten Meath, who were fancied to go all the way this year.”

The confidence to go all the way is palpable down in Kerry, and it's not exactly sparse in Cork either. How the teams deal with the occasion will, as always, be crucial. Both sides are capable of a win, but it may come down to who can play the more controlled, focused football for longest. There's always the suggestion though, that nerves are more difficult to be in command of than any football on the third Sunday in September.

“The nerves do start to creep in when you're behind the Garda escort, driving through the streets of Dublin, getting closer and closer to Croke Park. You always think in the morning that you'll be grand, but it's a different story in that dressing room before the match. You can hear the crowd from in there, and when you finally take a walk around the field it really hits home.”

So how will Aidan O'Mahony keep a reign on his anxiety?  “Well, when you get to an All Ireland Final, you want to take advantage of it. My motivation this year is the double, and I know this is a cliché, but it's all on the day. We won't be taking anything for granted, we have a job to do, and hopefully we'll get the right result.  

The only sure thing is that myself and Tom O'Sullivan will have to move out of Rathmore altogether if we lose!”