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SO now we know we’re facing Galway next Sunday in our 14th consecutive All-Ireland quarter final.
Since the advent of the quarter final round in the All Ireland series in 2001, Kerry are the only county to be involved in it every year.
Our record isn’t half bad either, 14 games, 11 wins, two losses and one draw.
Now, I’m not going to gloss over the fact that a lot of these games are remembered as dreary mis-matches, but some of them were high water-marks that defined some of the best players and teams we’ve had the privilege to witness in the modern era.
After much deliberation, here is our top five All-Ireland Quarter Final matches involving Kerry.
1. Kerry v Armagh 2006: 3-15 – 1-13
In Kerry, it sometimes isn’t enough to win, you have to go out and prove a point as well. After losing the All-Ireland final in 2002 to Armagh and again to Tyrone in 2005, this game meant a lot to the spirit of Kerry football and who can forget that goal by ‘Star’.
2. Kerry v Dublin 2009: 1-24 – 1-07
The best wins are quite often the ones where you are written off. Not many gave Kerry a chance against Dublin and a lot of people simply wished to see the back of us. What unfolded was one of the greatest displays by any team, ever, at headquarters.
Continued below…
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3. Kerry v Dublin 2001: 1-14 – 2-11
Just for the stroke of one man’s right boot alone this game glides effortlessly into our top five like the great Maurice himself. You will be hard pressed to find a Kerryman that wasn’t there that day…or at least says they were anyway!
4. Kerry v Galway 2008: 1-21 – 1-16
One for the purists, as they say. The heavens opened and the floodlights were switched on, but this didn’t stop the quality of both sides. Two of the great traditional powers going at it the way God intended and, of course, a Kerry victory.
5. Kerry v Monaghan 2007: 1-12 – 1-11
Kerry showed they could be dogged as well. This one was tense! Our big names were the difference in the end, Declan O’Sullivan scored a goal with ten minutes left and Tomas O’Se sealed it in the dying moments to help us squeak past Monaghan.