Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WALSH IN FOR KERRY
DONNCHADH WALSH’S return to the line-up is a big boost for Kerry ahead of the All-ireland semi-final replay against Mayo this afternoon.
Mayo are unchanged for the Croke Park clash as Stephen Rochford keeps faith with the side that started last Sunday’s drawn game. RETREATING down the Croke Park tunnel, Paul Casey and his Dublin team-mates were left shell-shocked by a Tyrone tornado.
The year was 2008 and the Dubs were a beaten docket on that rainy August day.
Paul Caffrey’s side came into the All-ireland quarter-final as favourites, only to be tamed by a Tyrone side that would go on to claim a third All-ireland title in five years.
“Pillar’s last game,” recalled Casey, who replaced a young
Diarmuid Connolly after
48 minutes that day.
“That was the end of an era and the start of another with Pat Gilroy.
“Tyrone were our main opposition at that time – an exceptional team, very hard to beat. Whether you were in Croke Park, Parnell Park or Omagh, they were always huge battles.”
Tyrone led by 14 points after an hour – they won by a dozen in the end, 3-14 to 1-8. Dublin were floored.
Mickey Harte’s side fought with Kerry to be the best side of that decade but the Dubs believed they finally had their measure.
“We had come so close to beating them when we drew with them in 2005,” said Casey (inset).
“After the Battle of Omagh (both sides finished with 13 men in a bad tempered League game in 2006), when we went up and won, we felt that we were getting closer and closer.
“And then they blew us away that day. Our chance of beating that particular Tyrone team was gone with that result. That was Tyrone at their best. They had classy forwards but they were also so, so tough defensively.
“They had Ryan Mcmenamin and Philip Jordan, exceptional players that they found hard to replace when they retired. But now they’ve built a new team.”
Dublin were also forced to rebuild after that defeat and it was a painful process at times, as Gilroy’s “startled earwigs” comments after the 2009 defeat to Kerry illustrated.
But they won the All-ireland in 2011, while Tyrone haven’t lifted the Sam Maguire Cup since that success three
Kerry v Mayo 3pm