TREBLE YELL

Managers who have taken three different counties to a provincial final

MICK O’DWYER (KERRY, KILDARE, LAOIS)

The Waterville legend not only managed three different counties to provincial finals, he did so on multiple occasions. Including replays, he managed teams in a staggering 28 provincial finals, winning 14 of them. Of course, that record was back-boned by winning 11 in 15 years with Kerry, but it was drawing a line under Leinster title famines with Kildare (32 years) and Laois (57 years) that underlined his genius.

JOHN O’MAHONY

(MAYO, LEITRIM, GALWAY) While winning two AllIreland’s

with Galway was his undoubted career highlight, it was his 1994 Connacht final success over his native Mayo which may well go down as his greatest feat. It bridged a 67-year wait and that victory is still referenced by advocates of the provincial system who argue that size is no barrier to glory. The obvious riposte to that tells of different times and how O’Mahony was different class.

MICKEY MORAN (SLIGO, DONEGAL AND MAYO)

The collective joy that Kilcoo finally got him over the AllIreland line is a reflection of the high regard in which the Derry man is held. He improved every team when taking them over, most spectacularly with Sligo who he led to a rare Connacht final appearance in 1997, while also ensuring Donegal got to play an Ulster final in Croke Park when losing to Armagh in 2001. He finally became a provincial winning manager on the way to taking Mayo to the 2006 All-Ireland decider.

LIAM KERINS (LIMERICK, LAOIS, TIPPERARY)

Gallagher may not want to emulate Kerins in his failure to win a provincial title but in, may ways, his achievement was the biggest in that reaching a decider marked a significant goal for each of his teams. His best work was arguably with Limerick who took Kerry to a replay in the 2004 decider, although his recovery from the 2016 loss to the Kingdom also staggered when taking Tipperary to the last four.