Kerry is the most successful team in football history, having won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (SFC) on 38 occasions and the National Football League 21 times. The team also holds a number of distinctive records in football championship history. It has contested 59 All-Ireland SFC finals, the next highest participator being Dublin with 36 appearances. Kerry's record in the All-Ireland SFC involves having played 30 of the 31 other counties, with only Kilkenny being the exception.[2]
Team of Kerry that won the 1924 Senior Championship
The traditional Irish game of caid, from which modern football developed, was especially popular in Kerry. The GAA was formed in 1884 and codified the modern rules of the game, which were soon adopted in Kerry clubs such as Laune Rangers. Despite this, the county team did not win an All-Ireland SFC in the nineteenth century. The 1903 title was the first won by Kerry, with the county defeating London in the final at a time when London was given a bye to that stage of the championship; Kerry's overall exceptional success in the game began in this period.[citation needed]
The Kerry team of the 1970s and 1980s was considered to be the greatest in the history of football[3][4][5] and its manager (Mick O'Dwyer) one of the greatest of all time.[3][6][7] Of the twenty All-Ireland SFC finals held during those two decades, Kerry participated in twelve, with victory coming on nine occasions. During this time most other finals were won by Dublin, and there was a major rivalry between the two counties, especially during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1982, Kerry came within one minute of winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive All-Ireland SFC title, only for a late goal by Offaly's Séamus Darby to give the title to Offaly. This goal was voted third in a poll to find the Top 20 GAA Moments.
Towards the end of the 1980s, Kerry went into decline and did not appear in an All-Ireland SFC final for eleven years, between 1986 and 1997. The 1997 victory, however, marked the beginning of a revival for Kerry which spanned roughly the first decade of the 21st century. Of the fifteen All-Ireland SFC finals between 1997 and 2011, Kerry contested ten and won six, including five titles in the 2000s.
Kerry reached the 2002 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Its opponent, Armagh, had lost its twoprevious appearances at this stage of the competition. Kerry led at half-time, but not at full-time, giving a first All-Ireland title to Armagh.[8] Kerry later got rid of its manager Páidí Ó Sé, All-Ireland SFC winning manager in 1997 and 2000 and All-Ireland SFC winning player eight times between 1975 and 1986. Ó Sé fell ill and died some years later, at the age of 57.[9]
In 2006 and 2007, Kerry won consecutive All-Ireland SFC titles (the first team to do so since Cork in 1989 and 1990).
Kerry reached the 2008 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Its opponent, Tyrone, defeated it once more. By reaching the same stage in 2009, Kerry became only the third team to reach six consecutive All-Ireland SFC finals (a feat last achieved by Dublin between 1974 and 1979).
Kerry quietly exited the 2010 and 2012 All-Ireland SFCs at the quarter-final stage, losing to Down and Donegal respectively, while Dublin defeated Kerry in dramatic fashion on the last kick in the 2011 final.[10][11][12] Dublin were also responsible for their exit at the semi-final stage in 2013 in a closely contested classic match.[13] Kerry won its 37th All-Ireland SFC title in 2014 against Donegal, winning by a margin of 2–09 to 0–12.[14] This win was notable due to Kerry's fairly young squad and a belief that Kerry were becoming unable to produce the talent they once had, after pundit Joe Brolly had suggested as such.[15] In the aftermath of the game, Kerry player Kieran Donaghy gave a famous interview in which he directly referenced Brolly's claim that the 'production line' in Kerry had stopped, with Donaghy speaking directly to the camera and asking 'Well, Joe Brolly, what do you think of that?'.[15] The next year, Kerry again reached the All-Ireland SFC final, only this time to be comfortably beaten by Dublin, 0–12 to 0–9. The next two years saw Kerry bow out at the semi-final stage. In 2016, the team was narrowly defeated by Dublin in a thrilling encounter, while in 2017 the team was beaten by Mayo in a replay – its first championship defeat to Mayo in 21 years.[16][17][18] Kerry crashed out of the 2018 championships at the group stages of the new Super Eights format. However, in 2019 Kerry reached their first All-Ireland SFC final for four years. The first match was drawn on a scoreline of 1–16 to 1–16, with the replay fixed for 14 September.[19]
Kerry's 2009 title was also notable since it followed the return of Tadhg Kennelly. The son of Tim Kennelly, a five-time All-Ireland winner with Kerry, and a former talented underage player with the county, he had joined the AFL's Sydney Swans and become the first Irish player to win an AFL Premiership in 2005 (the Swans' first in 72 years). Following Tim's death later that year, he elected to return to Ireland and rejoin Kerry in 2009 in pursuit of winning an All-Ireland of his own playing for the county. After he succeeded and became the first player to have won an All-Ireland and an AFL Premiership, he returned to Australia and the Swans to finish his career.
In January 2003, Páidí Ó Sé famously described Kerry supporters "fucking animals". More than 15 years later, former Tyrone footballer Seán Cavanagh, recalling his own experiences of the Kerry supporters, agreed that Ó Sé had been right. Cavanagh mentioned a 2012 match at Fitzgerald Stadium when an injury meant he could not play. "Then you sit in the stand, and you realise Páidí Ó Sé was right. They are absolute animals when the game is on". Cavanagh also questioned their "patronising" attitude towards their opponents. "It was strange that day. Their fans were riled on the terraces. They beat us well. They beat us out the gate, and you thought, 'Jesus, these guys are absolute dogs'. And then I remember as we were leaving the changing room, walking out onto the team bus there were hundreds of Kerry supporters, all clapping us. Either side of us, as we were walking through. They were back slapping us, 'ah youse are great lads', and all this. To me, it seemed a wee bit patronising".[25]
Kerry has its own supporters' club, which Seán Kelly established in 1987. Another supporters' club exists in Dublin for those from the county who live in the capital city.[26]
INJ Player has had an injury which has affected recent involvement with the county team. RET Player has since retired from the county team. WD Player has since withdrawn from the county team due to a non-injury issue.
Managerial history
Kerry — like Cork, Dublin and Tyrone — traditionally appoints managers from inside, rather than seeking a "foreign" appointment.[31]
O'Dwyer managed Kerry to eight All-Ireland SFC titles between 1975 and 1986, while current manager O'Connor has led Kerry to four All-Ireland SFC titles during three spells in charge.
Beginning with Páidí, the Ó Sé family had at least one member play a part in all 22 All-Ireland SFC finals that Kerry participated in between 1975 and 2014.[46]
Kerry has 159 All Stars, as of 2023. 64 different players have won, as of 2023. Pat Spillane won nine All Stars, Colm Cooper won eight and Mikey Sheehy won seven.
denotes that a player also won Footballer of the Year for the year in question.
The team's current crest, which came into use in 2012, features design elements that represent the county: Kerry's people, landscape, flora, fauna and artistry.
Former Kerry crest (1988–2011)
County name – A bold decorative Celtic-style Ciarraí brand featuring a crowned C which pays homage to the county's moniker, 'The Kingdom'.
Kerry's people – St Brendan and his epic voyage: an inspiring tale of bravery, skill and innovation. The naomhóg (a craft associated with the coastal communities around Kerry) is propelled by a sail featuring a Celtic cross – the symbol of the GAA.
Kerry's fauna – Red Deer (Fia Rua): Ireland's largest wild animal whose only remaining native herd is found on the slopes of Torc and Mangerton. These animals are believed to have had a continuous presence in Ireland since the end of the last Ice Age (c. 10,000 BC) and are steeped in folklore. It is said that 'Tuan', the King of the Deer, was given rights of free passage by Fionn McCool to the mountains of Kerry and that his blood line lives on in the present herd.
Kerry's landscape – Skellig Michael's iconic silhouette rising out of the Atlantic Ocean. A designated UNESCO World Heritage site and famous around the globe.
Kerry's flora – Killarney woodland fern that thrives in wild exotic places; an evocation of majestic mountains, valleys and hills.
Kerry's artistry – A background pattern of concentric circles inspired by the gilding on the Ballinclemisig 'gold box' (part of the 'Kerry gold hoard' in the National Museum) and by Bronze Age stone carvings found all over Kerry.
Kerry's birdlife – Storm Petrel (An Guairdeall): Kerry plays host to the largest numbers of this species anywhere in the world and is the world headquarters for breeding pairs.
The new crest was introduced for copyright reasons, to secure the Kerry county board financially.[48] The previous crest, shown on the right, which was used from 1988 to 2011, was based more on Irish and Celtic symbolism, featuring Rattoo Round Tower, an Irish Wolfhound and a harp.
Kit evolution
Kerry traditional colours are gold and green and the county team kits are composed by a green shirt with a single golden hoop, white shorts and green and gold socks. In the early days of the All-Ireland Football Championship, counties were represented by the county champions. Kerry's first representatives were from Laune Rangers, and the blue of Laune Rangers[49] was worn in Kerry's first championship outing in 1889. The royal blue of Laune Rangers[50] were also worn in the 1892 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. Between 1889 and 1895 inclusive, the teams that went forward to represent Kerry were Laune Rangers and Ballymacelligott, who both wore blue.
In the early 20th century, selection committees had been established by the county board, but as Tralee Mitchels dominated the county championship, they had an influential voice in the selection of the team, and the county footballers wore the Mitchels' colours of green and gold.[51]
There are conflicting accounts of the jersey that Kerry wore in the first of the three games of the 1903 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final series with Kildare, but both accounts agree that the predominant colour was red. One account says that it was a red jersey with green neck and cuffs,[50][52] which were the colours of the Tralee Mitchels junior football team. Another account says that it was an entirely red jersey[53] with no green in it. The reason that Kerry wore this red or mainly red jersey was that a new set of green and gold jerseys was not delivered in time for the game. For the later games in the 1903 series of games, Kerry wore green jerseys with gold on the cuffs and over the shoulders.[50][54] These were the colours of the Tralee Mitchels senior team.[53]
The dominance of players from the Mitchels club on the Kerry team at the point in which they won their first All-Ireland, reinforced the idea that green and gold were the Kerry colours, and they have been Kerry's traditional colours from the 1903 triumph onward.[55] The 'classic' style is green with a gold hoop. The colours have been changed only rarely, most of all in the 80's finals against Offaly to avoid again colour clashes. In the 1939 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final Kerry were to play Meath, who also wear green and gold. To avoid a colour clash, Kerry wore the red and white of Dingle, the county champions at the time.[56][50]
The change kit is usually blue, reflecting the Munster GAA colours.
Kerry's inter-county teams are sponsored by the Kerry Group, in one of the longest standing sponsorship arrangements in the GAA. The teams have been connected with the Kerry Group since sponsorship became more open in the GAA in the early 1990s.[58]
Kerry's jerseys are currently provided by O'Neills sportswear.[59] The team kit had been supplied from 1996 to 1998 by Adidas, while prior to that contract in 1998, Kerry were partnered with the now-defunct Millfield brand.[60]
Competitive record
This is Kerry's record in All-Ireland SFC finals. Bold denotes a year in which the team won the competition.
^ abcdefghijklmnoKeys, Colm (30 July 2022). "Meet the multi-layered group of experts behind the team that Jack built". Irish Independent. Coach/selector — Diarmuid Murphy… Performance coach — Tony Griffin Having previously been with Cian O'Neill in Kildare, the Armagh native is a full-time employee in the role with Kerry GAA since 2018, not only overseeing senior team matters but working with underage squads too. Sports science — John Barry Another Armagh-based recruit from the same place, Tullysaran, as McGahan, Trainor began collating statistics for Kerry during Peter Keane's time and continued this year. Didn't travel much to training but was present on match-days. Has also worked with the Armagh ladies and at Premier League level… Coach/selector — Diarmuid Murphy Wise counsel for any Kerry management, just as he was with Éamonn Fitzmaurice before… Coach/selector — Micheál Quirke A former inter-county manager himself with Laois for the previous two years, he has been a development and club coach of high regard in the county… Head coach — Paddy Tally Involved with Tyrone's 2003 All-Ireland-winning team, Tally has been touted as a defensive coach but he brings much more than that… Performance coach — Tony Griffin O'Connor had Griffin in Kildare, where he now lives, having had him recommended by Ross Dunphy, former strength and conditioning coach with Dublin hurlers when Anthony Daly was manager and Griffin was involved… Head of athletic development — Jason McGahan Having previously been with Cian O'Neill in Kildare, the Armagh native is a full-time employee in the role with Kerry GAA since 2018, not only overseeing senior team matters but working with underage squads too… Strength and conditioning — Arthur Fitzgerald Brought in by O'Connor this year, he is a teacher in St Brendan's, Killarney, where he coached the two-in-a-row Hogan Cup-winning team that had David Clifford, while he has also been involved with East Kerry's county two-in-a-row… Sports science — John Barry A graduate of IT Tralee, responsible for collating and applying data provided through GPS systems to provide performance analysis. Statistics — Colin Trainor Another Armagh-based recruit from the same place, Tullysaran, as McGahan, Trainor began collating statistics for Kerry during Peter Keane's time and continued this year… Video — John C O'Shea Has operated the camera for successive Kerry managements dating back to O'Connor's previous term… Doctor — Dr Mike Finnerty A Tralee-based GP, he has been a familiar face around Kerry teams since Páidí Ó Sé got him involved… Doctor — John Rice An orthopaedic surgeon in the Bon Secours Hospital in Tralee, he filled in for Dr Finnerty when he was absent but also provided specialist advice. Physio — Jimmy Galvin Killarney-based physio who tends to squad injuries… Physio — Paudie McQuinn Tralee-based physio and Austin Stacks member, he shares duties with Galvin… Masseur — Harry O'Neill Previously with O'Connor in the same role, O'Neill is well-known in Kerry football circles as a former manager of Dr Crokes and an U-21 selector when Darragh Ó Sé was manager… Masseur — Liam O'Regan From Dingle, O'Regan assists O'Neill on an ongoing basis… Goalkeeping coach — Brendan Kealy Brought in by Peter Keane last year, the former All-Star fulfilled the same role when O'Connor was U-20 manager… Nutrition — Kevin Beasley Originally from Listowel but a teacher in Kerry College in Tralee where O'Connor also taught for a couple of years, Beasley has been providing guidance to Kerry teams since Éamonn Fitzmaurice's time in charge… Nutrition — Gavin Rackard The current performance nutritionist for Connacht Rugby was brought in by O'Connor this year but his work was largely done remotely. Equipment — Colm Whelan Another familiar face around the Kerry set-up, the north Kerryman is the head kit-man. Equipment/in-house referee — Brendan Griffin Assists Whelan with equipment and gear but also doubles as the squad's in-house referee.
.jpg)
