RETIRED KERRY FORWARD Tommy Walsh believes the Kingdom must complete back-to-back All-Ireland victories if they are to be considered “one of the great teams.”

As a county, Kerry have certainly reached this feat in the past with their most recent two-in-a-row coming in 2006 and 2007. Jack O’Connor in charge for the first of those successes while Pat O’Shea spearheaded the second one.

But now O’Connor will be aiming to guide Kerry to a second successive All-Ireland in what is his third stint at the helm. Their opponents Dublin have famously outdone that record with their incredible six-in-a-row and Walsh believes the current Kerry crop need to make a start on winning consecutive All-Irelands if they want to join that company.

“Jack has been extraordinarily successful to do what he’s done in three different stints. I don’t think he’s done a back-to-back but it’s certainly something he’d like to do. I don’t know if it’s going to be held against him [if he doesn't]. If you want to be known as one of the great teams, you’re going to have to win back-to-back. Dublin have taken that to a new level.

“They won last year, they need to go back hungry, do it again, do it again, do it again. That’s what Kerry are trying to do. A lot of those lads got their first medal last year but will want to add to that. One, two, three medals isn’t enough to be shouting about in Kerry or Dublin. You need to have much more. Those lads are only starting their career and aren’t even halfway through so next weekend is a great opportunity to add to the collection and get more confidence to go again the following year.”

Walsh retired from inter-county football in 2021 but even just two years into his time away from the Kerry dressing room, he has already resigned himself to the spectator role. He hasn’t been pondering the what ifs in the build-up to the All-Ireland final, and is certain that his body just simply couldn’t deliver on the demands placed on players today.

Even his encouraging club campaign with Kerins O’Rahilly’s was difficult for him as they marched all the way to an All-Ireland senior club semi-final.

“Not at my age,” he says when asked if he any part of him still believes he could serve the Kerry team. “I finished in 2021 and the body was creaking at that stage. Even going through the club season in 2022, it was just injury after injury. Could I go in and do a job for five minutes? Maybe so. But the level of athleticism and fitness that’s required now is just frightening and it’s a different game from when I started. 

“The fitness that’s required has just gone through the roof and the levels are going up all the time.”

Walsh’s place in the team has been filled by David Clifford, Seán O’Shea and Dara Moynihan. They’re the primary cast of the Kerry production now. Walsh was still in the squad during the early days of their Kerry careers, and he recalls how easily they adapted to their new surroundings after their introduction.

“These guys have come in and there’s almost been a pressure on them to almost lead from the start, and they’ve done that. Their contribution over the last few years, and they’ve only picked up their first medals last year, has been extraordinary. 

 ”The way they conduct themselves in the dressing rooms and around meetings, and outside the dressing room as well. Their huge ambassadors for Kerry, but the GAA also. They haven’t put a foot wrong so far and I’m just hoping that they add to their own legacy at the weekend.”

Allianz ambassador and former Kerry Gaelic Footballer, Tommy Walsh was speaking ahead of this weekend’s All-Ireland final between Dublin and Kerry.

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