2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
Encyclopedia
The 2009 All-Ireland Football Final was the 122nd All-Ireland Final and the last football
match of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2009
played between Cork and Kerry
on 20 September 2009 in Croke Park
, Dublin. Kerry won by a score of 0-16 to 1-09. It was their 36th All-Ireland SFC title, reaffirming their status as Gaelic football's most successful county. In playing for the winning team, Tadhg Kennelly
became the first person to ever hold AFL Premiership and All-Ireland winning medals in the sports of Australian rules football
and Gaelic football—he previously won the biggest prize in Australian rules with Sydney Swans
in 2005. Kennelly's former coach Paul Roos and some of his former Sydney team-mates attended the game. The game was also attended by international guests of the Global Irish Economic Forum
which was taking place in Dublin on the same weekend.
The 2009 All-Ireland SFC Final was broadcast live on RTÉ Two
and RTÉ.ie
in Ireland
and worldwide on RTÉ Radio 1
, with match highlights being shown on The Sunday Game
on RTÉ Two and RTÉ.ie that night. RTÉ's coverage for the first time ever involved live pictures of its legendary broadcaster Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh
's commentary as given to RTÉ Radio 1 during the match; he appeared on The Late Late Show
to discuss this with Ryan Tubridy
.
The Irish Independent
described Cork versus Kerry as "Gaelic football's busiest rivalry over the last two decades", and that going into the final it may be at its "most explosive", with eight sendings off during games between the teams in the past two years and 35 yellow cards since July 2008. On the day of the final, the Sunday Independent
s Ralph Riegel described it as "a rivalry that traces its roots back to the old cross-border cattle raids of the ancient Gaelic clans". Both Martin Breheny in the Irish Independent
and Colm O'Connor in the Irish Examiner
noted that the 2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final would be the 19th meeting between the sides in the championship during the 2000s—with Breheny adding that their previous 19 meetings stretched back to 1982.
It was Kerry's sixth consecutive All-Ireland Final. It was also their eighth final of the decade, an all-time record. By winning the final they achieved five All-Ireland Senior Football Championship titles during the 2000s, matching their own efforts in the 1930s and the 1980s. Cork and Kerry previously met in the 2007 final
, with Kerry winning by a ten-point margin.
in the semi-final. A doubt, however, remained over the fitness of Ray Carey
who injured his shoulder during a training session. Eight members of the 2007 final team featured. Cork also announced they had renewed their sponsorship deal with O2 days before the final. Going into the final, Cork had scored a goal in all of their fourteen Championship matches since 2007's qualifier game against Louth
, also scoring eight goals in five matches against Kerry over a two-season period. Anthony Lynch
and Nicholas Murphy
were the remaining players from the 1999 final
loss to Meath
. Ray Carey
was declared unfit on matchday and was replaced with Kieran O'Connor
.
Kerry's Colm Cooper
was originally described as "very doubtful" for the final. However, he, alongside Paul Galvin
, were later declared fit, with Kerry officials dismissing claims about Cooper's fitness as one of several "false stories" to have come out of the county in 2009. Kieran Donaghy
, who had recovered from a foot injury, was expected to appear amongst the substitutes. Donaghy criticised the media for what he termed the "pandemonium" that was created surrounding Cooper throughout the campaign following a drinking session with Tomás Ó Sé
which saw them both removed from the team for a time. Tadhg Kennelly
also had to deny he would rejoin the Sydney Swans
in the AFL
. Kerry made one change from the semi-final line-up; Donnacha Walsh
was replaced by Tommy Walsh
. Prior to the match, speculation surrounded Kennelly and Walsh over whether they would return to play in Australia if they won their first All-Ireland medals. Kennelly later signed a two-year contract with Sydney Swans, as did Walsh; who signed a 2 year deal with St. Kilda Football Club
around 2 months after the All Ireland Final
was appointed match referee for the final. The decision led to comment from former managers of both counties involved in the final, Mick O'Dwyer
who expressed his belief that the choice of referee was based on "politics" and Billy Morgan
who thought that Pat McEnaney
ought to have been appointed referee instead. The GAA officially refused to offer a response to the two men. Liam and Sam in the Irish Independent
compared the "pre-emptive" criticism of the referee to a scenario where the referee were to question the manner in which one of the teams play the sport or express dismay that a better team should have qualified for the final instead. Radio Kerry
analyst and former referee Weeshie Fogarty
expressed his dismay at the criticism of Duffy, commenting: "It's bad enough to referee big games in Croke Park and see your name being castigated in the papers and torn asunder the following week. But by God, when it happens before the game, that is a new trend to me".
struck the chin of Cork's Nicholas Murphy
with his shoulder, escaping a caution in the process. Kennelly later admitted the challenge was premeditated, comparing himself to a "raging bull" in his autobiography. One minute later Cork's Donnacha O'Connor
scored the first point of the final. Kennelly opened Kerry's account with a score from forty yards in the third minute. The seventh and ninth minutes respectively saw points from Cork's Colm O'Neill
and Paddy Kelly. A goal for Cork came in the tenth minute from Colm O'Neill, with Kerry's Colm Cooper
responding two and three minutes later by winning two frees and scoring two points. Cork achieved a four-point lead 30 yards out. O'Connor sets up and makes it two from two for O'Connor to give Cork a four-point lead in the sixteenth minute when Donnacha O'Connor scored a free from 30 yards but Kerry's Tommy Walsh
responded by scoring two further points three and four minutes later. Colm Cooper scored from another free in the twenty-third minute, with Kennelly and Paul Galvin
both missing two chances to score soon after. Declan O'Sullivan
, Cooper and Kennelly soon followed with three points. Cork responded with a point from Daniel Goulding
but Kerry's Tomás Ó Sé
scored another. The final actions of the first half were frees scored by Cooper and Goulding for Kerry and Cork respectively.
then preserved his team's four-point lead in the forty-seventh minute by saving Daniel Goulding's effort on goal. Donnacha O'Connor scored a free two minutes later to give Cork their first point for some time. Tadhg Kennelly was substituted for Donnacha Walsh
. Goulding scored two more frees for Cork but Tommy Walsh followed up by scoring two frees for Kerry. Tomás Ó Sé scored what proved to be the final point of the match in the fifty-eighth minute. The remainder of the match consisted of wides and substitutes.
, the GAA confirmed that the presentation of the Sam Maguire Cup
would place in Croke Park's Hogan Stand. The GAA insisted that it still remained worried about the health and safety of fans and expects an accident to happen "one of these days". Kerry captain Darren O'Sullivan expressed his indifference about the location: "If they give [the cup] out in the car park around the back, I just want to get my hands on it". During the presentation, Tadhg Kennelly did his dance which he previously did when he won the AFL Grand Final with the Sydney Swans in 2005.
claimed his team were influenced by the criticism which had come their way—"We were being written off — fellas like Spillane
now were almost feeling pity for us. But that is where you get the energy from; you get it from enjoying each other's company and trying to build it up".
Conor Counihan
claimed his team lost because of missed opportunities to score—"'We were definitely at a stage out there where we had opportunities and had we taken them, well it might have been an entirely different story. There's no doubt we could have put more pressure on Kerry at a couple of crucial periods. We didn't take our chances, however, and that's what it all boils down to".
Tadhg Kennelly
confirmed that he was committed to the Kerry team and would not be returning to Sydney Swans for the following season—"My head is truly, truly set on Kerry. And my heart. That’s probably the main thing that has come out here".
Seán Moran in The Irish Times
commended Kerry for how they "rattled off" another title, noting the achievement was "all the more admirable for the quality of opposition with which they have had to contend" and that Jack O'Connor, on his decision to return as manager, was "rewarded with the ultimate vindication".
on 21 September 2009 to wait for the team train to arrive. With "The Best
" playing in the background, Aidan O'Mahony
and Tom O'Sullivan
carried the Sam Maguire Cup
to a stage which was erected in the town's train station and Tadhg Kennelly
danced yet another jig of celebration as children queued to receive autographs. Touring the county, a fireworks display was on offer in honour of the team in Killarney
and the streets of Tralee were tightly packed with wellwishers.
Cork departed Dublin at 16:00 on 21 September 2009 en route to Cork
's Kent Station via Mallow
. Hundreds of people gathered at South Mall near Parnell Place to welcome the team, amongst them the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs
Micheál Martin
and Dr John Buckley, Bishop of Cork and Ross
.
were announced on 25 September 2009. All but three of Kerry's winning team were nominated, with ten of Cork's team also being nominated. Kerry's Tomas Ó Sé, Declan O'Sullivan
and Colm Cooper
were also nominated in 2008. The nominees for Footballer of the Year were Paul Galvin
and Tomás Ó Sé
of Kerry and Graham Canty
of Cork. Cork's Colm O'Neill
was nominated for Young Footballer of the Year alongside Donegal
's Michael Murphy
and Mayo
's Aidan O'Shea
.
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
match of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2009
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship 2009
The 2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is the inter-county Gaelic football tournament played between 31 counties of Ireland, London and New York. The draw for the 2009 championship took place on October 9, 2008. The tournament kicked off on May 10, 2009...
played between Cork and Kerry
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
on 20 September 2009 in Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
, Dublin. Kerry won by a score of 0-16 to 1-09. It was their 36th All-Ireland SFC title, reaffirming their status as Gaelic football's most successful county. In playing for the winning team, Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly is an Irish sportsperson known for his top level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football....
became the first person to ever hold AFL Premiership and All-Ireland winning medals in the sports of Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
and Gaelic football—he previously won the biggest prize in Australian rules with Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
in 2005. Kennelly's former coach Paul Roos and some of his former Sydney team-mates attended the game. The game was also attended by international guests of the Global Irish Economic Forum
Global Irish Economic Forum
The Global Irish Economic Forum is a biennial conference held in Dublin, Ireland. Inspired by the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, international figures from the worlds of business and culture attend the event. The first Forum was held at Farmleigh in Dublin's Phoenix Park from 18–20...
which was taking place in Dublin on the same weekend.
The 2009 All-Ireland SFC Final was broadcast live on RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
and RTÉ.ie
Rte.ie
RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of RTÉ's online activities, located at the URL http://rte.ie. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely commercial basis, receiving none of the licence fee which funds much of RTÉ's activity. The site, it says, is funded...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and worldwide on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
, with match highlights being shown on The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game
The Sunday Game is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's main Gaelic games television programme. It is shown on RTÉ Two every Sunday during the Football Championship and Hurling Championship seasons. It is one of RTÉ Two’s longest-running shows, having been on air since 1979, one year after the channel first...
on RTÉ Two and RTÉ.ie that night. RTÉ's coverage for the first time ever involved live pictures of its legendary broadcaster Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh
Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh
Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh is an Irish Gaelic games commentator for the Irish national radio and television, RTÉ. In a career that has spanned six decades he has come to be regarded as the "voice of Gaelic games." His prolific career has earned him a place in Guinness World Records.-Early...
's commentary as given to RTÉ Radio 1 during the match; he appeared on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
to discuss this with Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy , affectionately known as "Tubs", is an Irish broadcaster and writer, a presenter of live shows on radio and television in Ireland. He has been described as "one of Ireland's most gifted broadcasters"...
.
The Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
described Cork versus Kerry as "Gaelic football's busiest rivalry over the last two decades", and that going into the final it may be at its "most explosive", with eight sendings off during games between the teams in the past two years and 35 yellow cards since July 2008. On the day of the final, the Sunday Independent
Sunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
s Ralph Riegel described it as "a rivalry that traces its roots back to the old cross-border cattle raids of the ancient Gaelic clans". Both Martin Breheny in the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
and Colm O'Connor in the Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner
The Irish Examiner, formerly The Cork Examiner and then The Examiner, is an Irish national daily newspaper which primarily circulates in the Munster region surrounding its base in Cork, though it is available throughout the country...
noted that the 2009 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final would be the 19th meeting between the sides in the championship during the 2000s—with Breheny adding that their previous 19 meetings stretched back to 1982.
It was Kerry's sixth consecutive All-Ireland Final. It was also their eighth final of the decade, an all-time record. By winning the final they achieved five All-Ireland Senior Football Championship titles during the 2000s, matching their own efforts in the 1930s and the 1980s. Cork and Kerry previously met in the 2007 final
2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
The 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final was the 120th All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland....
, with Kerry winning by a ten-point margin.
Team news
Cork named the same team that defeated TyroneTyrone GAA
The Tyrone County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Tyrone GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Tyrone. The county board is also responsible for the Tyrone inter-county teams....
in the semi-final. A doubt, however, remained over the fitness of Ray Carey
Ray Carey
Ray Carey is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Clyda Rovers and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2009.-Minor & under-21:...
who injured his shoulder during a training session. Eight members of the 2007 final team featured. Cork also announced they had renewed their sponsorship deal with O2 days before the final. Going into the final, Cork had scored a goal in all of their fourteen Championship matches since 2007's qualifier game against Louth
Louth GAA
The Louth County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Louth GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Louth. The county board is also responsible for the Louth inter-county teams....
, also scoring eight goals in five matches against Kerry over a two-season period. Anthony Lynch
Anthony Lynch
Anthony Lynch is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Naomh Abán and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1999.-Club:...
and Nicholas Murphy
Nicholas Murphy
Nicholas Murphy is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Carrigaline and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1998.-Club:...
were the remaining players from the 1999 final
1999 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
The 1999 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final was the 112th All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1999 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland....
loss to Meath
Meath GAA
The Meath County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Meath GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Meath, as well as for Meath inter-county teams.- Pre-1960s :...
. Ray Carey
Ray Carey
Ray Carey is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Clyda Rovers and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2009.-Minor & under-21:...
was declared unfit on matchday and was replaced with Kieran O'Connor
Kieran O'Connor
Kieran O'Connor is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Aghada and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 2004 until his retirement in 2011.-Inter-county:...
.
Kerry's Colm Cooper
Colm Cooper
Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Dr. Croke’s and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2002. Cooper is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.-Club:Cooper helped Dr. Crokes win the 2000 Kerry...
was originally described as "very doubtful" for the final. However, he, alongside Paul Galvin
Paul Galvin (footballer)
Paul Galvin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Finuge, his divisional side Feale Rangers and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2003. Galvin had the honour of being named as the 1000th All-Star.Galvin writes a weekly fashion column...
, were later declared fit, with Kerry officials dismissing claims about Cooper's fitness as one of several "false stories" to have come out of the county in 2009. Kieran Donaghy
Kieran Donaghy
Kieran Donaghy is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Kerry. Donaghy has won three All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals, two Munster Championships and a National League title with the county. He has also been awarded two All Stars.He plays his club football for Austin Stacks in...
, who had recovered from a foot injury, was expected to appear amongst the substitutes. Donaghy criticised the media for what he termed the "pandemonium" that was created surrounding Cooper throughout the campaign following a drinking session with Tomás Ó Sé
Tomás Ó Sé
Tomás Ó Sé is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club An Ghaeltacht and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1998.-Club:...
which saw them both removed from the team for a time. Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly is an Irish sportsperson known for his top level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football....
also had to deny he would rejoin the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
in the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
. Kerry made one change from the semi-final line-up; Donnacha Walsh
Donnacha Walsh
Donnchadh Walsh is an Irish Gaelic footballer. He plays his football with the Cromane club, the Mid Kerry divisional side and the Kerry county panel.-Football career:...
was replaced by Tommy Walsh
Tommy Walsh (Kerry footballer)
Tommy Walsh is an Irish sportsman who is currently playing Australian Football in the Australian Football League with the Sydney Swans. He has played Gaelic football at club level with the Kerins O'Rahilly's club team and at inter-county level with the Kerry senior football team...
. Prior to the match, speculation surrounded Kennelly and Walsh over whether they would return to play in Australia if they won their first All-Ireland medals. Kennelly later signed a two-year contract with Sydney Swans, as did Walsh; who signed a 2 year deal with St. Kilda Football Club
St. Kilda Football Club
The St Kilda Football Club, nicknamed The Saints, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League, the sport's premier league....
around 2 months after the All Ireland Final
Referee controversy
Marty Duffy of SligoSligo GAA
The Sligo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Sligo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Sligo...
was appointed match referee for the final. The decision led to comment from former managers of both counties involved in the final, Mick O'Dwyer
Mick O'Dwyer
Mick O'Dwyer , is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played Gaelic football with his local club Waterville and was a member of the Kerry senior team from 1956 until 1974...
who expressed his belief that the choice of referee was based on "politics" and Billy Morgan
Billy Morgan (Gaelic footballer)
Billy Morgan is a former Irish Gaelic footballer. In a career that spanned three decades from the early 1960s to the early 1980s he played football at club level with University College Cork and Nemo Rangers, at inter-county level with Cork and at inter-provincial level with Munster...
who thought that Pat McEnaney
Pat McEnaney
Pat McEnaney is a former inter-county Irish Gaelic football referee, from Corduff in County Monaghan. He has officiated many high profile Gaelic Athletic Association matches, including four All-Ireland finals and several International Rules Series matches, including the first test of the 2006...
ought to have been appointed referee instead. The GAA officially refused to offer a response to the two men. Liam and Sam in the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
compared the "pre-emptive" criticism of the referee to a scenario where the referee were to question the manner in which one of the teams play the sport or express dismay that a better team should have qualified for the final instead. Radio Kerry
Radio Kerry
Radio Kerry is a full service, licensed radio station that operates from the franchise area of County Kerry in Southwest Ireland.Radio Kerry was established in 1989 and began broadcasting on July 14 1990. The station headquarters are in Tralee, the principal town of County Kerry, with remote...
analyst and former referee Weeshie Fogarty
Weeshie Fogarty
Aloysius Weeshie Fogarty is a raido broadcaster and fomour Gaelic footballer from Killarney Co Kerry. He works for Radio Kerry where he hosts his own show called Terrace Talk on Monday evenings, he also writes for the Kerryman newspaper....
expressed his dismay at the criticism of Duffy, commenting: "It's bad enough to referee big games in Croke Park and see your name being castigated in the papers and torn asunder the following week. But by God, when it happens before the game, that is a new trend to me".
First half
In the first minute, Kerry's Tadhg KennellyTadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly is an Irish sportsperson known for his top level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football....
struck the chin of Cork's Nicholas Murphy
Nicholas Murphy
Nicholas Murphy is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Carrigaline and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 1998.-Club:...
with his shoulder, escaping a caution in the process. Kennelly later admitted the challenge was premeditated, comparing himself to a "raging bull" in his autobiography. One minute later Cork's Donnacha O'Connor
Donnacha O'Connor
Donncha O’Connor is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Ballydesmond, his divisional side Duhallow and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2006....
scored the first point of the final. Kennelly opened Kerry's account with a score from forty yards in the third minute. The seventh and ninth minutes respectively saw points from Cork's Colm O'Neill
Colm O'Neill (born 1988)
Colm O’Neill is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Ballyclough and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2009.-Club:...
and Paddy Kelly. A goal for Cork came in the tenth minute from Colm O'Neill, with Kerry's Colm Cooper
Colm Cooper
Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Dr. Croke’s and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2002. Cooper is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.-Club:Cooper helped Dr. Crokes win the 2000 Kerry...
responding two and three minutes later by winning two frees and scoring two points. Cork achieved a four-point lead 30 yards out. O'Connor sets up and makes it two from two for O'Connor to give Cork a four-point lead in the sixteenth minute when Donnacha O'Connor scored a free from 30 yards but Kerry's Tommy Walsh
Tommy Walsh (Kerry footballer)
Tommy Walsh is an Irish sportsman who is currently playing Australian Football in the Australian Football League with the Sydney Swans. He has played Gaelic football at club level with the Kerins O'Rahilly's club team and at inter-county level with the Kerry senior football team...
responded by scoring two further points three and four minutes later. Colm Cooper scored from another free in the twenty-third minute, with Kennelly and Paul Galvin
Paul Galvin (footballer)
Paul Galvin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Finuge, his divisional side Feale Rangers and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2003. Galvin had the honour of being named as the 1000th All-Star.Galvin writes a weekly fashion column...
both missing two chances to score soon after. Declan O'Sullivan
Declan O'Sullivan
Declan O'Sullivan Declan O'Sullivan Declan O'Sullivan (born 1983 in Cahersiveen, County Kerry is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Dromid Pearses, his divisional side South Kerry and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2003...
, Cooper and Kennelly soon followed with three points. Cork responded with a point from Daniel Goulding
Daniel Goulding
Daniel Goulding is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Éire Óg and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2006.-Biography:...
but Kerry's Tomás Ó Sé
Tomás Ó Sé
Tomás Ó Sé is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club An Ghaeltacht and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1998.-Club:...
scored another. The final actions of the first half were frees scored by Cooper and Goulding for Kerry and Cork respectively.
Second half
Kerry's Colm Cooper scored the opening point of the second half, with Cork's response consisting of several wides. Kerry captain Darren O'Sullivan then scored a dubious point which should not have been given as he bounced the ball twice before scoring. Kerry goalkeeper Diarmuid MurphyDiarmuid Murphy
Diarmuid Murphy is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club An Daingean and was the goalkeeper on the Kerry senior inter-county team from 2004 until 2009...
then preserved his team's four-point lead in the forty-seventh minute by saving Daniel Goulding's effort on goal. Donnacha O'Connor scored a free two minutes later to give Cork their first point for some time. Tadhg Kennelly was substituted for Donnacha Walsh
Donnacha Walsh
Donnchadh Walsh is an Irish Gaelic footballer. He plays his football with the Cromane club, the Mid Kerry divisional side and the Kerry county panel.-Football career:...
. Goulding scored two more frees for Cork but Tommy Walsh followed up by scoring two frees for Kerry. Tomás Ó Sé scored what proved to be the final point of the match in the fifty-eighth minute. The remainder of the match consisted of wides and substitutes.
Trophy presentation
Following a pitch invasion by fans after the 2009 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final2009 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2009 All-Ireland Hurling Final was a hurling match played on 6 September 2009 in Croke Park, Dublin, between Kilkenny and Tipperary. It was the first time the two teams had met in the All-Ireland final since 1991...
, the GAA confirmed that the presentation of the Sam Maguire Cup
Sam Maguire Cup
The Sam Maguire Cup, often called The Sam , is the name of the cup that is awarded to winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
would place in Croke Park's Hogan Stand. The GAA insisted that it still remained worried about the health and safety of fans and expects an accident to happen "one of these days". Kerry captain Darren O'Sullivan expressed his indifference about the location: "If they give [the cup] out in the car park around the back, I just want to get my hands on it". During the presentation, Tadhg Kennelly did his dance which he previously did when he won the AFL Grand Final with the Sydney Swans in 2005.
Reaction
Jack O'ConnorJack O'Connor (GAA)
Jack O'Connor is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played football with his local club Dromid Pearses from the 1970s until the early 2000s and is currently in his second term as manager of the Kerry senior inter-county team...
claimed his team were influenced by the criticism which had come their way—"We were being written off — fellas like Spillane
Pat Spillane
Patrick Gerard Spillane , better known as Pat Spillane, is a retired Gaelic footballer and well known Irish sports pundit. He played Gaelic football with his local club Templenoe and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1991...
now were almost feeling pity for us. But that is where you get the energy from; you get it from enjoying each other's company and trying to build it up".
Conor Counihan
Conor Counihan
Conor Counihan is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Cork senior football team....
claimed his team lost because of missed opportunities to score—"'We were definitely at a stage out there where we had opportunities and had we taken them, well it might have been an entirely different story. There's no doubt we could have put more pressure on Kerry at a couple of crucial periods. We didn't take our chances, however, and that's what it all boils down to".
Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly is an Irish sportsperson known for his top level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football....
confirmed that he was committed to the Kerry team and would not be returning to Sydney Swans for the following season—"My head is truly, truly set on Kerry. And my heart. That’s probably the main thing that has come out here".
Seán Moran in The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
commended Kerry for how they "rattled off" another title, noting the achievement was "all the more admirable for the quality of opposition with which they have had to contend" and that Jack O'Connor, on his decision to return as manager, was "rewarded with the ultimate vindication".
Homecoming
One of the largest crowds to ever attend an All-Ireland homecoming collected in Rathmore, County KerryCounty Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
on 21 September 2009 to wait for the team train to arrive. With "The Best
The Best (song)
"The Best" is a song written by Mike Chapman and Holly Knight, originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler on her 1988 release Hide Your Heart, in reference to Tom Mason. The single reached reaching #10 in Norway and Portugal, #34 in Spain and #95 in the UK....
" playing in the background, Aidan O'Mahony
Aidan O'Mahony
Aidan O'Mahony is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for the Kerry senior football team. O'Mahony is a member of An Garda Síochána.O'Mahony played for Kerry's U21 team in 2000 and 2001....
and Tom O'Sullivan
Tom O'Sullivan
Tom O'Sullivan is an Irish Gaelic football player from County Kerry. A Garda Síochána by profession, he plays his club football for Rathmore and his county football for Kerry GAA.-Underage Playing Career:...
carried the Sam Maguire Cup
Sam Maguire Cup
The Sam Maguire Cup, often called The Sam , is the name of the cup that is awarded to winners of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland...
to a stage which was erected in the town's train station and Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly is an Irish sportsperson known for his top level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football....
danced yet another jig of celebration as children queued to receive autographs. Touring the county, a fireworks display was on offer in honour of the team in Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
and the streets of Tralee were tightly packed with wellwishers.
Cork departed Dublin at 16:00 on 21 September 2009 en route to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
's Kent Station via Mallow
Mallow, County Cork
Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town....
. Hundreds of people gathered at South Mall near Parnell Place to welcome the team, amongst them the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is the senior minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Government of Ireland. Its headquarters are at Iveagh House, on St Stephen's Green in Dublin; "Iveagh House" is often used as a metonym for the department as a whole.The current...
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He is a Teachta Dála for the Cork South Central constituency...
and Dr John Buckley, Bishop of Cork and Ross
Bishop of Cork and Ross
The Bishop of Cork and Ross is an episcopal title which takes its name after the city of Cork and the town of Rosscarbery in Ireland. The title was first used by the Church of Ireland from 1638 to 1660 and again from 1679 to 1835...
.
Awards
The nominations for the 2009 GAA All Stars AwardsGAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
were announced on 25 September 2009. All but three of Kerry's winning team were nominated, with ten of Cork's team also being nominated. Kerry's Tomas Ó Sé, Declan O'Sullivan
Declan O'Sullivan
Declan O'Sullivan Declan O'Sullivan Declan O'Sullivan (born 1983 in Cahersiveen, County Kerry is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Dromid Pearses, his divisional side South Kerry and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2003...
and Colm Cooper
Colm Cooper
Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Dr. Croke’s and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2002. Cooper is regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation.-Club:Cooper helped Dr. Crokes win the 2000 Kerry...
were also nominated in 2008. The nominees for Footballer of the Year were Paul Galvin
Paul Galvin (footballer)
Paul Galvin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Finuge, his divisional side Feale Rangers and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2003. Galvin had the honour of being named as the 1000th All-Star.Galvin writes a weekly fashion column...
and Tomás Ó Sé
Tomás Ó Sé
Tomás Ó Sé is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club An Ghaeltacht and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1998.-Club:...
of Kerry and Graham Canty
Graham Canty
Graham Canty is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Bantry Blues and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2001. Canty captained Cork to the All-Ireland title in 2010.-Club:Canty plays his club football with his local club called Bantry...
of Cork. Cork's Colm O'Neill
Colm O'Neill (born 1988)
Colm O’Neill is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Ballyclough and has been a member of the Cork senior inter-county team since 2009.-Club:...
was nominated for Young Footballer of the Year alongside Donegal
Donegal GAA
The Donegal County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Donegal GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Donegal. The county board is also responsible for the Donegal inter-county teams.Gaelic football is strongest in the...
's Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy (footballer)
Michael Murphy is an Irish sportsperson. He is the captain of the Donegal senior inter-county team, and plays his club football with Glenswilly.-Underage:...
and Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
's Aidan O'Shea
Aidan O'Shea
Aidan O'Shea is an Irish Gaelic footballer from Glenbeigh-Glencar in County Kerry. He is a PE Teacher and Geography teacher at Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, 6’3” tall and weighs 14 stone...
.
Match details
External links
- Live radio coverage (international)