Marc Ó Sé totally focused on task of shackling Bernard Brogan

Every great dynasty comes to an end, and in the modern era of Gaelic football, none have come greater than the Ó Sés from West Kerry. One uncle, three nephews, and a combined total of 24 All-Irelands, 17 All Stars and 307 championship appearances.

Follow that.

And they are not finished yet: the last of that present dynasty, Marc Ó Sé, will make his 86th championship appearance in Sunday’s final showdown against Dublin, although at age 35, there is the expectation it could be his last.

Only Ó Sé certainly doesn’t see it that way.

“I don’t know what the story is with next year,” he says, with typical Ó Sé inscrutability. “I’m just looking at Sunday’s game. I’m not even thinking about anything else. I’m not thinking about retiring. I’m not thinking about staying on. I’m just thinking about this game.”

What is certain is that none of the Ó Sés ever lacked the motivation to extend their careers. Páidí Ó Sé played 15 seasons with Kerry, making 53 championship appearances and winning eight All-Irelands, before his retirement in 1988; he then served eight seasons as Kerry manager, winning two All-Irelands.

Darragh Ó Sé was the first of the nephews to emerge, towards the end of 1993, and by the time of his retirement, in early 2010, he’d won six All-Irelands and made a then record 81 championships appearances. Next was Tomás Ó Sé, who extended that record to 88 championship appearances, while winning five All-Irelands, before his retirement at the end of 2013.

Two short

Which leaves Marc Ó Sé: last year, he also won his fifth All-Ireland, and having played in all five of Kerry's championship matches this summer, is poised to make his 86th appearance on Sunday. Two short of the record held by Tomás, in other words, not that records have anything to do with it.

“It doesn’t make any difference,” he says. “I looked at that, I’d be two short of Tomás, but there’ll be players that will come on and break all those records in a few years, without a doubt. Tomás is there now, but give that a few years and some other fella will come and take over. And inevitably it will be the teams that are successful, because they’re the teams that will go longer in the championship.

“It’s just great getting games. You’re training in February and March when it’s really tough, but that’s what it’s all about, being in Croke Park in September. That’s where we are now and hopefully we can go one step further.”

Truth is Ó Sé never once contemplated retirement last year, despite winning a fifth All-Ireland at an age (34) when most intercounty players have already exited the championships stage.

“I felt good,” he says. “I’d a small injury at the time, but once it cleared up, I felt I was going to go again, and it did clear up. Physically, I feel great, so I’ll just keep going as long as I feel I can. And I felt good all year, so hopefully we’ll be back again.”

Everything about Ó Sé’s performance this summer has been indicative of a player still at the top of his game (with the obvious exception of the All-Ireland semi-final against Tyrone, when he was black-carded after just 17 minutes). “In hindsight, the referee was right. I definitely let the hand in. At the time, I felt it wasn’t justified, and I was disgusted with myself, but then I was delighted we got the win.”

Big deal

He emphasises “the win”, because the fact it was Tyrone – the team Kerry hadn’t beaten in Croke Park in the modern era – hadn’t nothing to do with it.

“Everyone was making such a big deal of that Tyrone game. The reality is, there were only three players left from those games, in ’03, ’05, and ’08. Myself, the Gooch and Sean Cavanagh.

“I’m glad we put that to bed, but it had no relevance whatsoever on the game. Most of the current Kerry players have never lost to Tyrone. And James O’Donoghue even said that, at the time.

“So that Kerry-Tyrone thing is gone. From my point of view, it was great to put it to bed. It was all fuelled by the media, and had nothing to do with the game.”

Ó Sé has also been comfortably shifting between full back and corner back this season, depending on the nature of his opponent, and chances are he'll pick up Bernard Brogan on Sunday. "He's flying," Ó Sé admits. "Why is it? I suppose he's not taking the frees this year, and certain fellas, they just get a run of games behind them, they start performing, and the confidence gets going.

“And Bernard is flying at the moment, no doubt about that.

Very strong

"But I think other players are flying as well. Look at Paddy Andrews, he's flying it. You've Ciaran Kilkenny flying. And look at the bench, Alan Brogan, Michael Darragh Macauley, and Michael Fitzsimons.

“And I’m missing some fella now... McManamon, of course. Kevin McManamon. Definitely, yeah, they’re very strong. But look, I’m not here to talk them up, and talk us down. We certainly have players too who can do that.”

Such as the last of the Ó Sé dynasty.