KERRY secured their 39th All-Ireland Senior Football Championship on Sunday with a scintillating 1-26 to 0-19 victory over Donegal at Croke Park, overwhelming the Ulster champions with a performance that mixed surgical precision and old-school grit.
Written off by many after a shaky start to the campaign — including a group-stage defeat to Meath — the Kingdom saved their best football for when it mattered most. In front of a sell-out crowd of 82,300, they produced a clinical, fast-paced display that left Donegal chasing shadows for much of the match.
The tone was set from the throw-in. Gavin White, inspirational throughout, burst onto the break and tore into Donegal’s half before laying off for Dylan Geaney to clip over the opening score. It was the first of 13 Kerry points in the opening 20 minutes, during which they completely dominated midfield and exposed Donegal’s much-vaunted zonal defence.
By the 15-minute mark, Kerry were 0-12 to 0-4 ahead, helped by two-point frees from Seán O’Shea and a brace of long-range efforts from David Clifford, who would finish the day with 0-9. White ended with 0-3 himself, while Joe O’Connor — indestructible in midfield — was central to Kerry’s engine room.
Donegal, meanwhile, looked a pale imitation of the efficient, tactically disciplined outfit that had reached the final. While Michael Murphy and Caolan McGonagle chipped in with scores to stem the early tide, Kerry continued to carve them open at will. The Clifford brothers — Paudie and David — orchestrated play with telepathic understanding, and Sean O’Brien’s fisted point pushed Kerry nine clear approaching the interval.
A fourth two-pointer — again via David Clifford — capped off a devastating first-half showing. Kerry led 0-17 to 0-10 at the break.
Despite a spirited second-half rally — featuring five frees from Murphy and scores from Conor O'Donnell and Shane O'Donnell — they never got closer than four points. A missed chance from Conor O'Donnell on 58 minutes to reduce the gap to one proved pivotal. Moments later, O'Shea nailed another two-point free to restore daylight.
With the result slipping away, Donegal were reduced to chasing goals. But Kerry were ruthless in closing it out. A Paudie Clifford fisted point, followed by another David Clifford score, set up a euphoric finish.
And it was Joe O’Connor who sealed it in style, hammering the ball into the roof of Shaun Patton’s net with under a minute to play — atoning for his earlier misses in the semi-final against Tyrone and bringing the curtain down on Kerry’s championship campaign with emphasis.
As the hooter sounded, O’Shea booted the ball into the stands and the green and gold erupted. For Jack O'Connor, it marked his fifth All-Ireland title as manager — across three different stints in charge.
For Jim McGuinness, meanwhile, it was another final heartbreak. Having led Donegal to glory in 2012, this was his second final defeat to Kerry, following their 2014 loss. Despite coaxing Murphy out of retirement to lead this year’s charge, Donegal’s dream of a third Sam Maguire ended in frustration.
Kerry’s path to the title — overcoming Cavan, Armagh, Tyrone, and Donegal in succession — amounts to a clean sweep of Ulster, making this one of their sweetest All-Ireland triumphs of the modern era.
TEAM SHEETS
Kerry: Shane Ryan; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey; Brian O Beaglaoich, Mike Breen, Gavin White (capt); Sean O'Brien, Mark O'Shea; Joe O'Connor, Sean O'Shea, Graham O'Sullivan; Paudie Clifford, David Clifford, Dylan Geaney.
Subs: Diarmuid O'Connor for O'Brien (50), Killian Spillane for Geaney (54), Evan Looney for O Beaglaoich (63), Tadhg Morley for Breen (65), Michael Burns for O'Sullivan (69), Tom Leo O'Sullivan for Casey (70).
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Caolan McColgan; Caolan McGonagle, Michael Langan; Shane O'Donnell, Ciaran Thompson, Ciaran Moore; Conor O'Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen.
Subs: Daire O Baoill for Thompson (23), Hugh McFadden for McColgan half-time, Jason McGee for McHugh (41), Patrick McBrearty (capt) for Gallen (50), Jamie Brennan for Gallagher (59).
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)
See More: All-Ireland, GAA, Gaelic Football
