Jubilation at premium as supporters gather

Willie Carr, who was born in Limerick, lives in Newry and supports Kerry, was feeling sorry for Mayo last night as the Kerry celebrations got under way in Jurys Hotel in Dublin. Also celebrating were Judge Hugh O'Flaherty, a native Kerryman, and his wife Kay from Cloonacool in Sligo, who have the distinction of being the godparents of one Maurice Fitzgerald, who wrote a new chapter in Gaelic football history at Croke Park yesterday when Kerry won their first All-Ireland senior football title in 11 years.

Among the admirers of Kerry's achievements was Chris Robinson from Birmingham, working in Jurys Hotel, while Liam Higgins, a dual all-Ireland medal winner with Kerry in 1969 and 70, was celebrating with a huge number of Kerry supporters who had suddenly realised the dream that had been pursued for so long.

The Kerry manager/coach/ trainer Paidi O Se was strangely subdued as he sat down to dinner, surrounded by ecstatic Kerry players and supporters. Not far from where he was sitting was Mary Fitzgerald, the mother of the man-of-the-match Maurice, enjoying the atmosphere as only a mother could.

It was not all that jubilant as the Kerry supporters gathered together, rather it was more of quiet satisfaction. Paidi O Se was no more than satisfied with what had gone before. He regarded the win over Mayo as one which had been worked out through sheer hard work and that there were other hills to climb in order for a Kerry team to achieve once more what he had been part of as a player - namely eight All-Ireland victories.

"This gave me great satisfaction. But there is a lot of work to be done yet for Kerry football. I understand how Mayo feel at the moment; but they have contributed enormously to this year's championship and I know that they will feel very bad because they missed so many chances; but we needed this win in Kerry as much as they did, and the fact that we achieved it today is proof that football, both in Kerry and Mayo, is in a strong and very healthy condition.

"I offer the Mayo people congratulations for what they have done. I also want to thank all those in Kerry who supported us in difficult times," he added.