Kerry entered the match heavy favourites to complete an unprecedented five consecutive All-Ireland Senior Football Championship titles, having won for the previous four years in a run stretching back to 1978. Their opponents Offaly had not won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title since 1972.
Kerry and Offaly had met in the 1980 semi-final and the 1981 final, Kerry emerging as victors on both occasions.[2] Indeed, Kerry had not lost a championship game since the 1977 semi-final.[2] However, this time, a last-minute Séamus Darby goal — struck past the hapless Charlie Nelligan — deprived Kerry of their five-in-a-row dream.[3] They had to put away their "Five in a Row" song, which had been prepared especially for the occasion.[4]
Kerry had a one-point lead in the second half when referee P. J. McGrath awarded a penalty against Offaly. Mikey Sheehy stepped up to take the spot kick.[2] He was facing the Canal End of Croke Park.[5] Sheehy had been having a poor game, unable to detach himself from the attention of Mick Fitzgerald.[6] Offaly goalkeeper Martin Furlong, playing his 56th championship match for his county, yelled at the Offaly backs to pay heed to a possible rebound.[6] Furlong met Sheehy's strike, a ball hit about four feet high, with the palm of his hand.[2][6] Pat Fitzgerald collected the rebound.[6] Offaly were away, and Johnny Mooney scored a point to bring the teams level.[6]
Soon, though, Kerry acquired a four-point lead.[2] Offaly kept with Kerry, however.[2]Eugene McGee and his selectors opted to send Séamus Darby onto the field of play as a substitute, with instructions to stay forward and try for a goal.[citation needed] Darby arrived onto the field as a replacement for John Guinan with seven minutes left to play.[6] Kerry were winning by two points with two minutes to go. Eoin Liston conceded a free after knocking over Pat Fitzgerald in the middle of the field. Darby got behind his marker Tommy Doyle and caught a "high, lobbing, dropping ball".[citation needed] He struck the ball with his left foot past the hapless Charlie Nelligan into the goalkeeper's top left corner, scoring one of the most famous goals of all time.[2][6][7] It was his only kick of the match.
The referee played 45 seconds of additional time.[8]Tom Spillane ran along the Hogan Stand side of Croke Park only to lose the ball to Seán Lowry.[2] Furlong ran to gather the ball and sent a handpass in the direction of Brendan Lowry. Sheehy got the ball instead, sending it across Furlong's goal.[2] Seán Lowry, beneath it, awaited its descent. He later said: "I remember thinking if I catch it over my head and the Bomber [Liston] comes in and drives it into the back of the net, it's all for nothing. Imagine all these things came into my head. I was catching it in my chest and just then, when it was still a good bit up, 'You're on your own Jack', someone behind me shouted. Paudie Lynch was nearby. Never came. Never jumped. Eoin Liston could have got there no problem. They were just shell shocked".[2] Seán Lowry caught the ball. The referee blew the final whistle, with Lowry still in possession.[2] Offaly had won by a single point on a scoreline of 1–15 to 0–17.[9]
Martin Breheny interviewed the players from both teams in their dressing rooms. Journalists were permitted to do so at the time, though the practice would later cease. Breheny later recalled sitting next to Jack O'Shea as he tried to make sense of what had just occurred on the field.[10]
This remains the last occasion on which Offaly won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.
Kerry reached the 1983 Munster Senior Football Championship final, where opponents Cork denied them victory with another late goal, [clarification needed] meaning Kerry did not even make that year's All-Ireland semi-final.[2] This appeared to signal the end for this Kerry team.[2]
An episode of Laochra Gael focusing on Darby and titled "An Fear a Scóráil an Cúl" ("The Man Who Got the Goal") first aired on TG4 in 2019.[16]
Offaly released a 1982 replica jersey in 2019.[17]
The match again received great attention in 2019 as Dublin prepared for their own attempt at a five-in-a-row, having — in 2018 — become the first team since Kerry in 1981 to win four consecutive titles. By coincidence, the golfer Shane Lowry — son of Brendan and nephew of Seán and Mick — won the 2019 Open Championship during that Championship season, doing so as the Munster and Ulster champions, Kerry and Donegal, played out an entertaining draw in Croke Park, a day after Dublin hammered Connacht champions Roscommon at the same venue.
After Dublin's successful five-in-a-row, Séamus Darby declared Dublin as superior to any of Mick O'Dwyer's Kerry teams, writing in the Sunday Independent: "Dublin played out the last 10 minutes [of the 2019 final replay] like the Harlem Globetrotters. It was exhibition stuff".[18]
Related Research Articles
Michael "Mikey" Sheehy is an Irish Gaelic football selector and former player. His league and championship career at senior level with the Kerry county team spanned fifteen seasons from 1973 to 1988.
Séamus Darby is an Irish former Gaelic footballer.
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), or Kerry GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry, and for the Kerry county teams.
Stephen Cluxton is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays as a goalkeeper at senior level for the Dublin county team.
Jack O'Shea is an Irish former sportsperson. He played Gaelic football at various times with his local clubs St Mary's in Kerry and Leixlip in Kildare. He was a member of the Kerry senior football team from 1976 until 1992. O'Shea is regarded as one of the all-time greatest players.
Charlie Nelligan is an Irish former sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Castleisland Desmonds and at senior level for the Kerry county team between 1974 and 1991. He also played association football with Home Farm in Dublin and with the Irish amateur team.
The 1982 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was the 96th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament. The championship began on 9 May 1982 and ended on 19 September 1982.
The 1978 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final was the 91st All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1978 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland.
The 1980 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final was the 93rd All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1980 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland.
The 1984 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final was the 97th All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1984 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, an inter-county Gaelic football tournament for the top teams in Ireland.
The Dublin-Kerry rivalry is a Gaelic football rivalry between Irish county teams Dublin and Kerry, who first played each other in 1892. It is considered to be one of the biggest rivalries in Gaelic games, with many considering it the greatest of all GAA rivalries. Dublin's home ground is Parnell Park and Kerry's home ground is Fitzgerald Stadium; however, all of their championship meetings have been held at neutral venues, usually Croke Park.
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The 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final was the 132nd final of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and the culmination of the 2019 tournament, the top level of competition in Gaelic football. Reigning All-Ireland champions Dublin took on Munster champions Kerry, with Dublin bidding to become the first Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) male team to win five consecutive editions of the competition. The last time a football team had this chance was in 1982; however, Kerry failed, their own winning streak being brought to an end by a last-minute goal. By coincidence, Kerry provided the opposition for Dublin on this occasion.
Players of the Faithful is a documentary on Offaly's bid to stop Kerry becoming the first team to win five consecutive All-Ireland Senior Football Championships in 1982.
"Five in a Row" was a song released in advance of the 1982 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final to celebrate Kerry's imminent winning of five consecutive titles. The Irish Times has described it as "infamous".
The Kerry county football team represents Kerry in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Kerry GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Munster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
The Offaly county football team represents Offaly in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Offaly GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
The Westmeath county football team represents Westmeath in men's Gaelic football and is governed by Westmeath GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the three major annual inter-county competitions; the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the Leinster Senior Football Championship and the National Football League.
↑ Moran, Seán (11 September 2019). "Will time be on Dublin's side once more?". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 September 2019. If referee David Gough had played as little injury-time as his predecessor PJ McGrath in the 1982 final, Dean Rock would never have had the opportunity to equalise in the 74th minute. McGrath added just 45 seconds of additional time and this was not simply because there were fewer stoppages — it was common practice.
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