GARRY DOYLE

IF RTE's Sports Team of the Year had gone to a public vote, the result would not have embarrassed Kerry.

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But it might have surprised Montrose. Because while Kerry deservedly lifted the gong — no argument, no caveat, no sly dig — the Irish soccer team would have won the argument that matters most: the one conducted in kitchens, pubs, WhatsApp groups and timelines.

The court of public feeling. And on that pitch, soccer has quietly been winning again.

Let's deal with Kerry first, because this is not about taking anything away.

They won the All-Ireland in style, beating Cavan, Armagh, Tyrone and Donegal. They did it the hard way, the Kerry way.

The Clifford brothers are immense footballers, the type you pay money to watch and talk about in reverent tones years later. Kerry were worthy winners, End of paragraph. End of dispute.

But awards are not only about medals. They are about moments. About who made people feel something.