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Peter Sweeney

Peter Sweeney's Blog

Peter Sweeney is the Gaelic Games Correspondent with the Irish Daily Star Newspaper. He is a regular on television and radio and even though he isn't any good he still tries to play Gaelic football.

  • 12 Sep 2011

    Dublin V Kerry, The Final

    IT’S the dream All-Ireland final, the one the GAA has been waiting for since 1985. Tickets are to be treasured like rare jewels and if Croke Park held 150,000 people it’d be full when Dublin take on Kerry next Sunday. read more

    IT’S the dream All-Ireland final, the one the GAA has been waiting for since 1985.

    Tickets are to be treasured like rare jewels and if Croke Park held 150,000 people it’d be full when Dublin take on Kerry next Sunday.

    With the Premiership back in full swing and the Rugby World Cup up and running Gaelic football could struggle for oxygen. But there’s no danger of anyone ignoring this All-Ireland final.

    People talk about the rivalry between these two counties, but in truth that’s based on a brief period, often viewed through rose-tinted glasses, around 30 years ago.

    The Dubs, as will be often quoted this week, haven’t beaten the Kingdom since Elvis Presley was alive. They have only played four times in Championship football in the past 25 years, with Kerry winning three and drawing the other.

    This final pairing does hold a special mystique though. The most successful county in football history taking on the capital. It’s the classic city-country coming together.

    So, what’s going to happen? Well, that’s not an easy one to answer because this is one of the toughest All-Ireland finals to call in recent years.

    Without doubt Kerry are worthy favourites. They are the team that has been there and done that.

    Most of Jack O’Connor’s team have pocketfuls of All-Ireland medals and many of his men have played in six-plus deciders.

    Not a single Dub has ever played on the biggest stage, which is hardly surprising since their last appearance in the Sam Maguire decider was all of 16 years ago.

    Dublin will find it easier, a little bit at least, to create space and attack than they did against the massed ranks of Donegal defenders in last month’s All-Ireland semi-final.

    But they’ll also be facing a team capable of racking up significantly more than the miserable six points that the Ulster Champions managed in more than 70 minutes of football.

    Dublin are set up very differently from the side that bombed against Kerry in the 2009 All-Ireland quarter-final, which ended in a joint-record 17-point defeat, and they don’t look like a team who will be heavily beaten by any team.

    So this is setting up to be a tight game. Kerry definitely have the better forwards, but Dublin have a better defence. Midfield might not be an issue given the tactics that are being applied to kick-outs these days.

    These are two well-matched sides, but the Kingdom have the better individuals. That looks like being the difference on the day.

Home Away Date Time Venue
Donegal Cork 04.03.2012 2:30  
Down Kerry 04.03.2012 2:30  
Westmeath Galway 04.03.2012 2:30  
Louth Tyrone 04.03.2012 2:30  

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Home Score Away Score Date Venue
London 0-09 Fermanagh 2-15 19.02  
Tipperary 0-13 Antrim 1-13 12.02  
Limerick 1-13 London 1-07 12.02  
Fermanagh 0-11 Clare 0-08 12.02  

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