Tally Ho! The former Galway coach leading Kerry's charge for All-Ireland glory

Writing for RTÉ Sport in 2018, three-time Tyrone All-Ireland winner Philip Jordan dedicated an entire column to the brilliance of his former coach Paddy Tally and the influence he had on his career.

The Galbally native, who himself came close to a Celtic Cross as a Tyrone squad member in their 1995 final defeat to Dublin, has been in the coaching game for over two decades now and he casts a long shadow over Sunday's All-Ireland final between Kerry and Galway.

After stepping away from the Down job last year as he felt his request for a one-year extension didn’t garner enough support, Tally was snapped up by incoming Kingdom manager Jack O’Connor.

As a coach, Tally had been key in championship wins over Kerry with Tyrone [2003 All-Ireland semi-final], Down [2010 quarter-final] and Galway [2018 Super Eights]. Better to have that expertise on the inside rather than outside throwing rocks.

His fingerprints will be all over the Kerry system at Croke Park and, to heighten his involvement, when Jordan penned those fine words about Tally five years ago, he was speaking about a man who was working in the Galway camp under Kevin Walsh.

It's an incredible asset to have, someone with so much insight across both dressing rooms. Galway, by reply, could point to current coach Cian O'Neill who worked previously in Kerry under Éamonn Fitzmaurice.

It would be easy to think that Tally’s coaching career has been plain sailing.

Sunday presents a chance of winning a second All-Ireland title having been part of Tyrone’s breakthrough 2003 success under Mickey Harte having joined the set-up as a 29-year-old.

Tally was also part of James McCartan’s management team for Down’s unlikely run to the All-Ireland final in 2010 where they were pipped by Cork.

Ther