Unified green and gold axis seems off colour to a Kerryman in pre All-Ireland final Donegal
The standard one is that some day in the distant future, they will push a glossy brochure into your hand advertising the comforts of the Mystic Rose Nursing Home, before loading you into a car to see those facilities up close and personal.
Well, that used to be it up until last weekend, when it was brutally displaced by a new reality we really did not see coming.
Flushed of face and hoarse of voice after a day well spent in Dublin's Big House, the first born comes bursting through the door in the wee hours not just hollering joy, but without taking breath trash talking David Clifford with the kind of venomous intent that would not just have left Ricey McMenamin blushing but desperate to bathe in holy water to cleanse.
David Clifford: Undue trash talking. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
We never thought it would end like this.
Donegal was sold to us on a glossy brochure, too, entitled Home from Home.
It informed us that the distance between the deep south and the far north west was immaterial. Landscape and not kilometres shape people. Kerry and Donegal was the same patch of ground which just happened to be separated at birth, small farmers land, big hills, sea views, turf, emigration, green and gold football, only the lingo separated us.
Take away their 'aye' and our 'yerrah' and we were one and kind of the same.
Advertisement
Never be fooled by that sales pitch, because whatever little cracks do exist become chasms when exposed to the red hot heat levels an All-Ireland final generates.
Of course, we have been here before in 2014, but it was different back then because things were more malleable and manageable.
We found a perfect compromise, they would be dressed in the Donegal uniform for the first half, Kerry's for the second. It was the perfect nod to both identities, but came with the considerable bonus of a happy ending to ensure that there would be no legacy of mental scarring. No maybe about it; it was our finest parenting hour.
And in those pre All-Ireland final weeks when Donegal were not involved, they would be dressed in the other shade of green and gold while parading around the Diamond in Donegal Town to a hummed Artane Boy's tune.
It was a trick picked up from the odd summer when Cork holiday makers, in the event of beating Kerry, would dress their children from head to toe in red and white at 10am Mass, before marching them up the aisle twice for Holy Communion, just to be sure, to be sure.
Beyond the homestead, though, the reality of being different tribes in similar colours manifested in ways that we simply could not comprehend.
They would spend their whole summers locked literally – these were pre flowing football FRC times – in a wrestle to the death inside Ulster, but when they were banished from the stage, they invested their goodwill without any hint of betrayal or shame fully behind whatever Ulster team was still left standing, despite having weeks earlier been their sworn enemies.
Offer them a choice of an angry red hand that may well have slapped them into submission or a friendly green and gold one, and guess which one they would clasp?
It boggled the mind because we came from a place where the only support ever extended to Cork was limited only in the event of them ever following through on their promise to seek a referendum to declare an Independent People's Republic, in which instance we were committed to hitting the paving stones to canvas for it.
We tried to reason with them. We peddled the line that together as a unified green and gold axis, we would all be better served.
We could help Donegal exploit their huge tourism potential by showing them the knack of greasing a coach driver's hand, we could share our resources and corner the bagged turf export market to China and, together in football, we could be a superpower. Sure, haven't we 40 All-Irelands between us . . .
But they were not for listening. Instead they trusted in God or Jim – it was always hard to tell the difference – and in the return of a man who might as well be the son of God in Michael Murphy and they would keep their faith.
Acts of faith: Jim McGuinness and Michael Murphy. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
And that is why we are where we are, isolated and peering out the window fearing a changed future and regretting the not too distant past.
There is a little oasis in the South Donegal village of Laghey which we frequent regularly and in the immediate aftermath of that 2014 final, the host insisted that we should visit so his locals could get it all out of the way and imbibe in peace.
We took him up on the offer, offering words of consolation which we fear may have been interpreted differently.
We feel there is a reckoning coming and it may well be that we will not be calling to Laghey again until such time as the Seven Arches is repurposed into a health and well being centre.
We could stay at home, but those comforts are sparse in nature now that it has become a base for the Tir Conaill Ultras.
The only comfort now may well be that brochure to a place where the misery will be nursed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Daily Mirror
14 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Galway Races Monday tips: Robbie Power's selections for day 1 at Ballybrit
is fancied to land the big one on the opening evening at Galway - one of the great racing weeks of the year. This seven-year-old was a very good winner at Killarney the last time, Andrew Slattery's horses are in flying form and I'd say the Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap (6.40) has been the plan for a while. He won well last time out when beating Mont St Michel by two and a half lengths and was second to previous Cheltenham Festival bumper winner A Dream To Share the time before that. He sets a high standard of form, I think this stiff track will suit him and he is my selection for what is always a very competitive race. Meanwhile, it's very interesting that Willie Mullins pitches Davy Crockett straight into a novice hurdle instead of going for a maiden hurdle. He was a very impressive winner of a bumper in Punchestown back in June and he should take plenty of beating in today's opener, the Galway Bay Hotel & The Galmont Hotel Novice at 5.10. But Eternal Echo for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy sets a decent standard. He was a good winner at Cork the last time on his first start over hurdles. It looks like a race between those two, but preference is for Davy Crockett, with Mark Walsh onboard in the JP McManus colours. Willie Mullins and jockey Mark Walsh (Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy) Willie Mullins is also responsible for the favourite in the second race, the Iggy Daly Easyfix Handicap Hurdle at 5.40, with Rakki, but his form leaves a bit to be desired. However, it is interesting that Paul Townend takes the ride. It's not usual that Paul would take a ride in a 0-110 handicap hurdle, so you'd have to take huge note of that. He's obviously showing good signs at home. But the top weight in this, Tell Us This for Gavin Cromwell, is interesting, with jockey Eoin Staples claiming a valuable seven pounds. He was a good winner 14 days ago at Downpatrick and sets a decent standard. A seven-furlong maiden comes next at 6.10 and Constitution River looks like he'll be very hard to beat for Aidan O'Brien and Wayne Lordan. It was a very good run when he finished second on his debut at Newmarket earlier this month. He handled the undulations of Newmarket quite well so I can't see Galway posing a problem. But I would be keeping an eye out for any market moves for Dermot Weld's Masaban, who Chris Hayes partners on his debut. Andrew Slattery looks to have another good chance in the Clayton Hotel Galway Handicap at 7.15 with Highbury See See, who won at Gowran Park last month. Andrew Slattery (Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy) Joseph O'Brien holds a strong hand in the GRA Chocolates Handicap at 7.50 with Bear Creek and Starford, but Bear Creek looks to be the one with Dylan Browne McMonagle taking the ride after partnering him to victory at Down Royal 10 days ago. And I'm going to side with Faith Of Empires in the final race of the day, the Monami Construction INH Flat Race at 8.20. Emmet Mullins and the Fee colours are very dangerous connections at this meeting and they run this son of Authorised in his debut here. He was a non-runner back at the Punchestown Festival when he didn't get in a reserve and I'd say this race has been the goal ever since. Tip of the day - Royal Hollow 6.40


Irish Examiner
14 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Kerry's embrace of new rules helped them to collect 29th All-Ireland SFC title
All-Ireland SFC final: Kerry 1-26 (1-5-16) Donegal 0-19 (0-0-19) This, we should have seen coming. Kerry may be hierarchy but when it comes to new rules, they have been fleet of foot to embrace them. Fifty years ago, they won an All-Ireland with the allowance of the open hand-pass among other tweaks. When all hand-pass scores were banned a handful of years later, they sucked it in and were champions again. Their jubilee team celebrated before this final won in a year where substitutes were increased from three to five. Paul Geaney and Paul Murphy were around in 2014 when they last beat Donegal in a final to cap a season when the black card was introduced. You can have all your Jack O'Connor league All-Ireland double, lucky Hill 16 side dressing room and Kerry playing in blue piseogs but when the parameters of the games has shifted, so have they. Until they arrived in Croke Park, they mightn't have been setting the world alight with two-pointers but Armagh knew all about it last month and here they outscored Donegal five orange flags to none. 'We played eight games in nine weeks in the league in bad conditions,' opened the ageless O'Connor about why they took time to warm to the new rule. 'There wasn't much time now to be working on two pointers. We're basically recovering and doing a bit of fitness work and basic stuff during the league. 'So as soon as the league was over, we went to the training camp, we started working at it then because there was a bit of an art in getting the right shooters on the ball at the right angles and coming on the right cuts and stuff. 'So it was around then that we started working on it and we didn't see a big need to work on it in the league because, first of all we didn't have time to do it, and second of all we were scoring goals which were kind of camouflaging the fact that we weren't getting two points or so. Simple enough, simple as that.' Donegal didn't look capable of scoring them and trying to claw back a seven-point half-time deficit without them their task was going to be onerous. Wedded to the system, they didn't help themselves either when most of Donegal was screaming out for Paudie Clifford to be shadowed. In performance and tactics, Kerry outclassed Donegal. Gavin White was a supreme leader, Paudie Clifford may as well have held a baton in his hand such was his influence and with yet another handsome haul David Clifford is line for a third footballer of the year award. Hugh McFadden had been withdrawn from the Donegal starting team in the hour before the game. Caolan McGonagle was expected to start but probably not at the expense of the Killybegs man. McGonagle was his team's second scorer but he had a slack enough first half and he wasn't alone in this Donegal team who seemed shellshocked by the intensity of Kerry's beginning. White won the toss and chose to enjoy the breeze into the Davin Stand in the first half and he led by example when he blitzed onto the ball from the throw-in and fed Dylan Geaney for the first score after just 11 seconds. Oisín Gallen responded in the second minute but Kerry picked off the next couple of points. Seán O'Brien punched a ball to the edge of the square over the bar then Kerry won the resultant kick-out and White cut in from the wing to fist over another point. After McGonagle's point, White repeated the trick only this time with his foot and soon enough Donegal were shifting Ciarán Moore from Joe O'Connor's side to pick up White when he came forward. Donegal's problems extended beyond White, though. Paudie Clifford was orchestrating so much and while Finnbarr Roarty was pushed out onto him his marking was surprisingly loose. The elder Clifford opened his account in the eighth minute, one of four Kerry scores without response. David Clifford thumped over his first of three opening-half two-pointers in the ninth minute after a McColgan error. He raised another orange flag three minutes later and then O'Brien doubled his contribution. Donegal were reeling but Gallen offered some respite with a point but Clifford was fouled outside the arc by Brendan McCole and Seán O'Shea applied the punishment to stretch Kerry's lead to eight in the 15th minute. O'Brien was everywhere and made a big block on a Roarty point attempt before Clifford's tally grew to five following a McGonagle error. When Michael Murphy kicked a free against the post and a goal move involving him and Ryan McHugh was overcooked, it seemed too much was going awry for the Ulster champions. However, Gallen was on hand to make sure that attack counted for something in the form of a 22nd minute point and the following three scores were Donegal ones, two from Murphy, as the gap collapsed to four. Ending eight minutes without a score, a O'Shea free for a dubious Roarty foul on Paudie Clifford followed by Geaney's second steadied Kerry only for those scores to be cancelled out by Conor and Shane O'Donnell. However, Kerry killed the clock sufficiently enough at the end of the half to tee up David Clifford for a crowd-rousing third two-pointer. He clenched his fist to the Kerry following as he wheeled around to head to the dressing room having put his side 0-17 to 0-10 up. McFadden's introduction along with Jason McGee's earlier made a contest of Kerry's kick-out and was key to Donegal getting back within four points midway through the second half. That and Michael Murphy's boot, four converted frees in the third quarter. White's third point made it a five-point game in the 54th minute although he appeared to overcarry. McGee was infringed upon for Murphy's fifth free of the half and Murphy slotted it over. A couple of two-point free opportunities came Kerry's way within three minutes. Shane Ryan slipped for the first won by Paudie Clifford but when Paudie claimed another one Seán O'Shea drew it over and Kerry were six to the good. That became seven when a Donegal kick-out was pounced on and Paudie Clifford applied the finishing touch with his fist. David Clifford brought his total to nine and it was appropriate that another star of the season, Joe O'Connor, applied the coup de grace with a final-minute goal. If this was his namesake Jack's last gift to Kerry as manager, it was a beautiful one. The old dog learning new tricks and teaching them too. Scorers for Kerry: D. Clifford (0-9, 3 tps); S. O'Shea (0-6, 2 tp frees, 1 free); D. Geaney, G. White, P. Clifford (0-3 each); J. O'Connor (1-0); S. O'Brien (0-2). Scorers for Donegal: M. Murphy (0-8, 6 frees); C. O'Donnell (0-4); O. Gallen (0-3); S. O'Donnell (0-2); C. McConagle, D. Ó Baoill (0-1 each). KERRY: S. Ryan; P. Murphy, J. Foley, D. Casey; B. Ó Beaglaoich, G. White (c), M. Breen; S. O'Brien, M. O'Shea; J. O'Connor, S. O'Shea, G. O'Sullivan; D. Clifford, P. Clifford, D. Geaney. Subs for Kerry: D. O'Connor for S. O'Brien (50); K. Spillane for D. Geaney (54); E. Looney for B. Ó Beaglaoich (63); T. Morley for M. Breen (65); M. Burns for G. O'Sullivan (69). DONEGAL: S. Patton; C. McColgan, F. Roarty, B. McCole; E. Gallagher, P. Mogan, C. Moore; C. McGonagle, M. Langan; R. McHugh, C. Thompson, S. O'Donnell; C. O'Donnell, M. Murphy, O. Gallen. Subs for Donegal: D. Ó Baoill for C. Thompson (inj 23); H. McFadden for C. McColgan (h-t); J. McGee for R. McHugh (inj 40); P. McBrearty for O. Gallen (50); J. Brennan for E. Gallagher (58). Referee: B. Cawley (Kildare).


Irish Examiner
14 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
'We have to right the wrongs of last year' - Galway out to go one better against Cork in finale
Galway 1-18 Tipperary 1-11 Galway's redemption road became less and less certain for passengers lost over the course of the season. All-Star full-back Roisín Black was travelling when the year threw in. A knee injury upon her return meant Saturday was her first start of 2025. The rest of the Galway spine that pushed Cork to almost breaking-point in last year's final classic was ravaged and has not returned. The cruciate curse took captive centre-back Áine Keane and centre-forward Niamh McPeake. Also unavailable are Niamh Hanniffy and the legendary Niamh Kilkenny. Factor in too Orlaith McGrath stepping away. And yet what you had on Saturday was a much more comfortable semi-final win than when these counties collided at this same stage 12 months ago. What you also had were muted and measured Galway celebrations that spoke to this semi-final, even for all those passengers lost, being nothing more than a means to an end. There was none of the shouting and roaring and jumping of 12 months ago. Galway's 2024 was so patchy that they maybe didn't realise they were capable of reaching Cork's level until they stood level with them coming down the stretch in the All-Ireland final. They're heading back to Croker and they believe. 'I hope so,' replied Galway manager Cathal Murray when asked if Saturday was clear evidence of his team being further down the road compared to last summer. 'It's a different feeling compared to last year when we weren't going well coming into the semi-final and were behind for most of that semi-final. Today, we were on top for most of the game. 'Losing the final last year was really hard. That was the goal all year to get back there. We are not being euphoric about getting there because we don't want to lose another one. We have to right the wrongs of last year. 'We were missing five all year, so this team has shown huge resilience to even get this far. To put in a performance like that with players who weren't on the team last year but have really, really stepped up to the plate, that is massive for the group.' All-Ireland winning defenders Shauna Healy and Emma Helebert were both absent last year. Their return has strengthened a rearguard unit that held Tipp scoreless from play for the opening 26 minutes and limited them to 1-3 from play in total. Within that rearguard, Dervla Higgins forced and feasted on turnovers. Rachael Hanniffy executed a superb man-marking job on Grace O'Brien. Ciara Hickey has built on her breakthrough All-Ireland final performance and is now the commanding figure in the half-back line. Further forward, newcomers Mairead Dillon and Caoimhe Kelly sniped a pair each. Chisel the game down to its core, though, and it was Galway's leaders that continued them on redemption road. When Tipp seized on the Karen Kennedy gift-wrapped goal and shot the last four points of the half to turn an 0-8 to 0-2 deficit into a 0-9 to 1-6 interval stalemate, it was the most dependable names in maroon who reasserted western dominance upon the restart. Niamh Mallon was fouled within seconds, Carrie Dolan converted. A brief word on the latter would be to say that moving her inside didn't work and shouldn't be persisted with. Their 38th minute goal was fashioned by Ailish O'Reilly and finished by Mallon. O'Reilly contributed three second-half points herself. Aoife Donohue popped up everywhere. For Tipp, more semi-final torture. A seventh last-four defeat in eight seasons. This latest semi-final rejection, mind, carried none of the one-point heartbreak they endured the past two years. Their fitness was inferior to their opponents, so too was their decision-making and sharpness in possession. Galway's redemption road has reached Croker. They knew it would be Cork waiting for them. We all did. Their conditioning and their bench contributors are about to be scrutinised like never before. Galway lived with Cork last August, the task now is to outlast the three-in-a-row chasing champions. Scorers for Galway: C Dolan (0-6, 0-5 frees); N Mallon (1-2); A O'Reilly (0-5); M Dillon, C Kelly (0-2 each); A Donohue (0-1). Scorers for Tipperary: G O'Brien (0-7, 0-7 frees); K Kennedy (1-1); E Heffernan (free), C Hennessy, J Kelly (0-1 each). GALWAY: Sarah Healy; Shauna Healy, R Black, R Hannify; E Helebert, C Hickey, D Higgins; A Starr, O Rabbitte; N Mallon, M Dillon, A Donohue; C Dolan, A O'Reilly, C Kelly. SUBS: S Gardiner for Helebert (42); S Rabbitte for Dillon, A Hesnan for Healy (both 52); N Niland for Kelly, J Hughes for O Rabbitte (both 61). TIPPERARY: L Leeane; E Loughman, J Bourke, K Blair; C Maher, S Corcoran, C McCarthy; M Eviston, K Kennedy; C McIntyre, C Hennessy, E Heffernan; G O'Brien, R Howard, M Burke. SUBS: E Carey for Blair (20 mins, inj); J Kelly for Burke (44); A McGrath for Maher (60). REFEREE: J Heffernan (Wexford).