Just another day of blood and tears at Croker
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OH BUT the journey home will be no more than a spancelled wren's footstep.
Kerry and Dublin produced yet another magnificent battle in the grand tradition of the two counties, as hearts orbited out of kilt and throats were eroded to sand paper.
I knew we would win when news filtered through that Kerryman Junior Griffin had his wallet stolen for the third time in Dublin.
And Kerry won the other three matches. Junior will you put it in your front pocket from now on? That area is much more sensitive when handled.
There were signs outside The Palace though that it might be Dublin's day when the lead drummer of the Hare Krishnas who follow His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivednata Swami Prabhupada got a mad fit of cheering for the Dubs.
He banged away and shouted "Up the Dubs" ad infintum. I suppose he's in the habit of repeating himself. I'd say there was no bread and water for the drummer last night.
Referee John Bannon will never be revered as a deity in The Kingdom. It is my dearest wish the next time we see him centre stage in Croke Park he will be holding up the sheet music for neighbours Foster and Allen.
Time and again crucial decisons went against Kerry, but then at a vital stage Shane Ryan was held up after he wriggled from the passionate embrace of Donaghy who ran a hundred years to stop him scoring.
The only downside is there will no be no huge influx of Dubs telling us how good they are. We could badly do with the return of the blue pound cruelly snatched from us by Ryanair.
But Dublin should praise their team.
The Brogans honoured their dual Kerry and Dublin heritage. Shane Ryan drove on in the last few minutes and showed the true sign of a man is his ability to put his earlier mistakes behind him. The Dublin backs attacked unceasingly from behind enemy lines. These Dubs are true bluebloods.
Kerry won because of superior skills, but only just. Declan O'Sullivan started out some of his shots at the corner flag and brought the ball in with a twirl of his left and rightfoot joysticks.
But it wasn't all aesthtethics. The game boiled over more often than Paris Hilton's stewpot, but it was never really dirty, just hard. Colm Cooper was hit late twice and the blows were that disorientating he might be found giving out fifties instead of fivers today in the AIB in Killarney.
It was Gooch and the young lads who won it. Reidy was brave and bold. Young has an old head on his broad shoulders. Sheehan upheld the proud tradition of the deep south and Declan O'Sullivan's battle with Bryan Cullen should be shown on the big screen the next time a fight ends early at The Point.
Dublin had more at the ringside and it told at times. Thousands travelled from Kerry. There was no waiting for the final, but the Hill never let up even when Kerry were six up.
Now a promise kept. Nine-year-old Dub Sean Wardick was sat in the Kerry section but he shouted all through. At at the end he buried his head in his Dad's chest.
Paul Caffrey, there's glory when small boys cry for your team.
