Kerry togetherness key for Quirke ahead of All-Ireland football final

Mike Quirke and Diarmuid Murphy share eight All-Ireland titles between them as players but have their sights set on another Celtic cross this Sunday.

This time they won't be contributing on the pitch, but from the side-line, Jack O’Connor’s trusted lieutenants composing a plan to win Sam Maguire back for Kerry for the first time since 2014.

Murphy has been here before - he was part of Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s coaching staff before he left and was replaced by Peter Keane.

"It's been six years since I was last involved," said Murphy. "There have been a good few changes since then but the main thing is you’re still dealing with a very committed bunch of players, the same as we had in 2016. From that side some things don’t change."

Quirke took his first steps as abainisteoirin Laois, but stepped down in 2021. Now, he has been reunited with his old team-mate Murphy and former boss O’Connor. Paddy Tally is another major cog in the Kerry coaching wheel.

Playing alongside the Ó Sé brothers, Paul Galvin, Kieran Donaghy, Colm Cooper and Declan O’Sullivan and the likes, Quirke knows all about team spirit. The togetherness of the squad then is as important as it is now.

"One of the most pleasing things for me the last day after Dublin when Seanie (O’Shea) kicked that free, the first two guys that passed me out running onto the pitch were two guys who hadn’t made the panel."

"I remember they were Stefan (Okunbor) and Darragh Roche who hadn't made the 26. They were bursting out to hug guys and there’s a real sense of spirit about the group. That’s unusual but it's really pleasing"

Kerry and Galway, two of football’s traditionalists, will do battle this weekend. The last time they met in the showpiece event was the millenium final, which was