THE FIRST.. THE LAST.. IT'S JACK'S EVERYTHING

O'Connor: We do it to give people joy and two wins stand out

- BY PAT NOLAN

YOU might think that asking Jack O'Connor to pick his favourite All-Ireland would be akin to choosing between his children, but he can narrow it down to two.

In guiding Kerry to a fifth title this year, O'Connor surpassed Seán Boylan, with only Jim Gavin, inset, (six) and Mick O'Dwyer (eight) having delivered the Sam Maguire Cup with greater frequency.

This title seemed to hit a little differently, however.

There were shades of Kerry's 2009 win, when O'Connor was also at the helm, as they bounced back from a shattering mid-season defeat that placed huge question marks over their status as contenders.

But once they reached Croke Park, they were relentless. That they mowed down three Ulster teams in holders Armagh, Tyrone and Donegal, all while embracing the new rules, is perhaps what sweetened the taste that bit more this time.

"For whatever reason, this one seemed to mean a bit more to Kerry people than some of the others," said O'Connor.

"From where we were six weeks out from the final, after the Meath game, people were pleasantly surprised, and the manner of the performances as well once we got to Croke Park caught the imagination.

"Good reaction down here, great crowds came out when we returned to Tralee, Killarney, Rathmore, Dingle, Kenmare in the week following. Great sense of satisfaction."