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Donnchadh Walsh kicks for goal against Tyrone on Sunday. Cathal Noonan/INPHO

'We are the champs and we were coming up here to our own home patch'

Donnchadh Walsh and Kerry love playing at Croke Park.

THEY MIGHT BE putting in the hard slog in training at Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney but according to tireless half-forward Donnchadh Walsh, Croke Park is Kerryโ€™s โ€œhome patch.โ€

Walsh was superb in Sundayโ€™s All-Ireland senior football semi-final victory over Tyrone, receiving the man-of-the-match accolade from Sky Sports, as RTร‰ plumped for Johnny Buckley.

It appears that Cromane colossus Walsh is now finally getting the recognition that he deserves and another hard-working display on Sunday was capped with a point against the Red Hands.

Speaking to RTร‰ Radio after the game, Walsh admitted that this one meant a lot to Kerry after big-game defeats against Tyrone in 2003, 2005 and 2008.

It was Kerryโ€™s first championship victory over Tyrone at Croke Park since the 1986 All-Ireland final success.

Bryansford Gael / YouTube

And for Walsh and his teammates, it was nice to buck the recent trend of defeats against Mickey Harteโ€™s charges at GAA HQ.

โ€œWe knew it was going to be tough against Tyrone, the history is there,โ€ Walsh said.

โ€œThe GAA has a funny way of replaying history over and over again.

โ€œWe had to make history today โ€“ they were one of the two teams that Kerry (this team) havenโ€™t beaten at Croke Park and now thatโ€™s put to bed but Iโ€™m sure Tyrone people wonโ€™t be letting that to bed.

โ€œWe still havenโ€™t beaten Down in Croke Park. This is a new Tyrone team, this is a new Kerry team. People were bringing up the history of the previous decade โ€“ weโ€™re just absolutely delighted that we won.โ€

Kerry will regroup and get back down to business ahead of next monthโ€™s All-Ireland final against Dublin or Mayo.

But for now, Walsh is pleased that the Kingdom have managed to slay an old foe.

โ€œWe knew people would be talking about it (history) but weโ€™re trying to block it out.

โ€œPeople will talk about it now but this is a different team, that Tyrone team is a different team as well.

Donnchadh Walsh and Colm Cavanagh Donnchadh Walsh put in a massive shift against Tyrone on Sunday. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

โ€œA lot of this Tyrone team, we donโ€™t really know much about them but if they won today, youโ€™d be talking about them and theyโ€™d be in an All-Ireland final on merit.

โ€œBut this Kerry team, weโ€™re a new team under Eamonn Fitzmaurice.

โ€œWeโ€™re All-Ireland champs and weโ€™re trying to create our own history.

โ€œItโ€™s hard down in Kerry trying to create your own history because thereโ€™s so much history before you.

โ€œBut we like to back ourselves. We are the champs and we were coming up here to our home patch. Weโ€™re delighted to be in an another All-Ireland final.โ€

Walsh set the tone with his incredible work ethic and that graft was replicated all over the pitch by Kerry.

โ€œThere were a few moments in the game where they (Tyrone) rallied โ€“ and we knew they would,โ€ Walsh added.

โ€œEvery time they turned over a ball, every time we missed a shot, every time they kicked a score they rallied and the crowd love that โ€“ thatโ€™s their oxygen.

โ€œWe tried not give them as much oxygen but itโ€™s still hard enough to take it away.

โ€œPaul Geaney made a massive difference, Johnny Buckley there and James (Oโ€™Donoghue) buzzing inside. Midfield did well and we snuffed them out in the end.โ€

โ€˜Thereโ€™s a lot of people in the media who try to tarnish the victories that we gotโ€™

Is this the definitive angle on that Tyrone penalty โ€˜diveโ€™?

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8 Comments
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    Mute P O Leary
    Favourite P O Leary
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    Feb 2nd 2014, 8:25 PM

    3 18 from open play with 14 different scorers. Very impressive.

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    Mute Mossy Deignan
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    Feb 2nd 2014, 4:25 PM

    Manus breathnach must have done nothing all day only kick the ball out

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    Mute Eamonn Maloney
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    Feb 3rd 2014, 12:21 AM

    Were there any backs playing?

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