Joint manager Darragh Long is explaining how, in terms of the Brendan Martin Cup, Kerry had paid their dues and then some.
A pair of All-Ireland finals were left behind, enough scar tissue that it might have seen the management team, and possibly some of the players, abandon their pursuit of All-Ireland honours.
There was at least some hesitation after last year’s loss to Dublin. The manner of it stuck in the craw. On the big day, Kerry didn’t do themselves justice. Long and his co-manager Declan Quill weren’t sure what was left in the tank.
In the end, they dug in completing a ‘check list’ the pair had made for themselves when they took the job more than five years ago.
“Perseverance is an awful trait, we have got it in absolute abundance,” Long smiled.
“We wrote down four items five-and-a-half years ago when we took this job. We have ticked every box as of today. And last year we could have thrown in the towel. And we were super close, as Dec said. We thought we had run our race. We thought we had asked as much of the girls as we could ask of them.
“But we sounded girls out and they wanted us back. Unfinished business … We have said it from the get-go: this isn’t a panel of players and management, this is a family we have built over five years.”
Long goes on to explain that the ties run deep. Around ten go back to when they were with the minor team, others are from Long’s club while Quill taught a handful of the squad through his job as a teacher.
Team captain Niamh Carmody explains that ultimately those bonds are what kept them together for the 2024 season.
“The one thing I remember from last year was when we were on the pitch after the final whistle went Kayleigh Cronin went around to all of us and said, ‘We’re going to go again’,” Carmody said.
“We knew that we were going to lose one or two people but I think I knew in my heart that a lot of us would come back. We knew we weren’t finished last year.
“At least that’s what I felt, and once we found that these two lads [Long and Quill] were staying on, I don’t think anyone was going to step away. Because when we show up at training we’re just a phenomenal bunch of girls. The talent that is in this group is just phenomenal. I knew after last year that the majority of us would be staying on to give this another short and I’m delighted we did.”
In staying on and winning, Kerry ticked the last item on Long and Quill’s list. What were the other goals?
“We’ll keep that to ourselves. But every box is ticked.”
