Guide to the 2009 All Ireland Football Finals

• By: Editor
• On: 16/Sep/2009
• In: Ireland Travel Tips

This Kerry team have set a modern day record in reaching their 6th final in a row, and they are gunning for their fifth title in this decade alone. In total, Kerry are going for their 36th title. Kerry take on near neighbours Cork in the final, a team that they have beaten in the All Ireland Championship knock out stages in each of the last four years – including a rout in the 2007 All Ireland Final – however in their two Munster Championship meetings this year, Cork drew in Killarney and had a comfortable win over Kerry in the replay at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Amazingly, Cork have not won the All Ireland since 1990 when the county completed the double in Football and Hurling and the footballers are gunning for their 7th All Ireland title.

Routes to the Final
Both teams’ paths to the finals have crossed very contrasting routes: After their replay victory over Kerry, Cork were made to sweat all the way by a gallant Limerick in the Munster Final. After that close shave, Donegal were Cork’s next opposition in the quarterfinals, and this resulted in an easy win for the Rebel County. The semi final against defending champions Tyrone had all the hallmarks of a modern classic – with Cork gaining control in the early stages and retaining the lead for the remainder of the game despite the sending of Alan O’Connor midway through the first half.

Kerry once again have had to go through the qualifier route to make the All Ireland knockout stages: and in the early rounds of the qualifiers they were far from impressive, with reports of dressing room unrest and lack lustre performances along the way – in particular Sligo came close to knocking out Kerry in Tralee, losing by a single point. Antrim and Longford too pushed the men in green and gold all the way. Being written off going into the eagerly awaited quarter final against Dublin suited Kerry down to the ground; they impressively swatted the challenge of the Metropolitans away. In the semi final Kerry had an easy win over Meath, with returned Australian Rules football star Tadhg Kennelly to the fore.

The question mark still remains about this great Kerry team: Can a performance be mustered out of a team that has been more or less at the top table over the past ten years?

Key Battles
The battle for the Sam Maguire trophy will be decided ultimately by the key men of both teams. This year has seen the men in red and white from Cork dominate midfield with their size and power, and the battle between Dara O’Se and Nicholas Murphy is eagerly anticipated. These two players have a rivalry that spans at least a decade and this could well be the last round of this particular battle, which has proved to be fascinating in the past and promises to be action packed.

In both June meetings of the two teams Rebel corner back Anthony Lynch got the better of the Colm "Gooch" Cooper and if this passage of play is repeated, Cork could well be on the road to victory. However, in recent games Cooper has recovered his composure and is well on the way to reaching top form. Also returning to the fray for Kerry at full forward could well be Kieran Donaghy. If so, expect Kerry to subject Cork to an aerial bombardment and see if they are vulnerable under the high ball – Kerry have profited handsomely from this tactic in the last few seasons.

Also, look out for the duel between Paul Galvin of Kerry and John Miskella of Cork, who are both inspirational to their teams and supporters with their leadership skills, ball carrying possession and deep penetrating runs. Likewise the clash of the in form Pearse O'Neill and the returned Kerry defensive stalwart Mike McCarthy is one that is relished.

It’s often said that the biggest battle is on the sideline, as the team managers try to outwit each other, and engage in a battle of the mind. Kerry and Cork managers respectively Jack O’Connor and Conor Counihan will be both hoping to get the maximum from their teams, and the tactics of the manager will win the prize ultimately.

Minor Football Final
The preceding match to the senior final is the All Ireland Minor Final between Mayo and Armagh. Mayo experienced heartbreak at this grade in 2008, losing in a replay to a talented Tyrone outfit. Armagh looked very impressive in beating Kerry in the semi final, and most experts predict that the Orchard County will be celebrating their first All Ireland Minor title victory for 60 years. Mayo are going for their first Minor title since 1985.

Both teams are competing for the Tom Markham Cup.

The action commences at 12.45 on RTE2 television with both games featured and match punditry and analysis before and after.

If you are planning on travelling to Dublin and Croke Park for the All Ireland Football Finals, your best bet is to avail of a top quality car hire rental. Check out our Car Rental Ireland page.

For more with regard to the 2009 All Ireland Final build up, check out the GAA website.

The 2009 All Ireland Football Final will be played at the magnificent sporting theatre at Croke Park, which has a capacity of over 82,000. Located on Dublin’s north side, Croke Park Stadium is perfectly situated on the airport route from the city centre. It is close to Connolly Train Station, and Bus Aras station. Find out more about Croke Park.

If you are planning on staying in Dublin the night of the match, why not check out our excellent selection of Dublin Hotels through our partner site GoIreland.com?

So the question remains – who is going to win the Sam Maguire Cup? Will Kerry be celebratinganother All Ireland title, or will the red and white Cork colours decorate the most famous trophy in the GAA. Let us know your thoughts – join in with your fellow readers for a lively debate!