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Gavin O’Connor says the build-up to tomorrow’s Munster Final between Kerry and Tipperary has been flat and it’s difficult to see where the fizz will come from on the field of play…
Kieran Donaghy starts at midfield for Kerry against Tipperary on Sunday.
IT’S hard to remember a more flat build-up for a Munster Final.
In the midst of Euro 2016 action, the GAA has struggled to poke itself into the limelight, fighting for a public who had eyes only for Ireland’s exploits in France.
One of the occasions when the GAA did demand full attention was Tipperary’s shock defeat over Cork three weeks ago, it has setup this unconventional Munster Final (a result I can personally attest to rippling all the way to the can-strewn main drags of Paris with Ireland fans in full flow before the opening match of the tournament at Stade de France).
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Because of a poorly attended Cork v Clare Munster Final in 2012, the Munster council split Cork and Kerry in the draw the following year, creating an unfair competition where a final meeting of the two dominant forces every year was made almost inevitable.
The attendance for that Cork v Clare final was just over 9,000. Could we be looking at similar numbers on Sunday?
Separating Kerry and Cork in the draw has not made a traditional final a certainty, but it has succeeded in making a breakthrough title win for any other teams in the province exponentially difficult.
As they struggle to keep the big ball game relevant at home, it’s hard not to feel that Tipp and the other predominantly hurling counties in Munster have been cheated. But over the last few years, as July fast approached and Killarney opened its streets and pubs to Kerry and Cork supporters, that sense of injustice to others melted away quickly enough.
In the absence of Cork, it’s hard not to feel that one of the great dates on the calendar has been scratched off. A look at the forecast tells us we’re not even guaranteed the sunshine that always seems to come with Kerry and Cork in Killarney (apart from the replay last year of course). Yes, the Earth has been knocked slightly off its axis.
Tipperary fans could travel and bring their own unique flavour to the day – they are after all going for a double in Munster with their hurlers involved the following week. Having already upset the gravy-train a Tralee man, Liam Kearns, is now entrusted in dealing a shock for the ages.
The Rockie came so close to doing that on a few occasions against a much better Kerry team midway through the last decade so is well placed in this situation.
Adding to the rather dull build-up, Eamon Fitzmaurice has decided to go with an unchanged team. It’s his reserves which piqued the public’s interest with Aidan O’Mahony and James O’Donoghue returning to the panel, the latter being badly in need of game time and hopefully he’ll get it tomorrow.
Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht) and Tadhg Morley (Templenoe) have retained their spots in the defence. Those two leading a little resurgence of new blood in a side that in the National League final looked badly needed.
It’s a difficult match for the fans to get excited about. You’d hope the sentiments are not the same in the Kerry camp, but there’ll be no surprises at 2.00pm tomorrow.
Verdict – Kerry by 5
