BACK PAGES: The 1978 All-Ireland Football Final was not a memorable game, except among Kerry supporters as their team began a four-in-a-row title sequence and put a decisive stop to Dublin's hopes of three titles in a row. It may also have pleased contrarians who like seeing conventional wisdom and the predictions of "experts", whether sporting or political, overturned, as Donal Foley noted in his front page report from Croke Park.
‘BOYS THERE is a divorce, Sam is going south tonight.” The words were spoken by a big, cautious Kerryman at yesterday’s All-Ireland Football Final at Croke Park, when Kerry had gone into a 15-point lead. He was referring, of course, to the Sam Maguire Cup, the All-Ireland trophy. But it was only at that stage, when Kerry had gone into a monumental lead, that he even dared to suggest that the mighty Dublin had fallen.
Dublin fell with an almighty crash that even the Kerry people could not understand. For the record, the final score was Kerry 5-11; Dublin 0-9. It was a sad, sad occasion, and there was little triumphalism from the Kerry supporters. The winning margin perhaps was too great. The Dubs were silent. They carried their tattered banners with the pictures of their heroes away from Croke Park and only a few of them dared to raise their voices in song. The Kerry people sang about Kerry Long Agoand The Rose of Tralee, but clearly they would have loved a contest. There was no contest in Croke Park. It was dull and bad tempered.
The Taoiseach Jack Lynch, looking bronzed and fit after his fortnight on the Adriatic, was disappointed with the fare. To him the game was over when Kerry got two snap goals before half-time. “That was the end,” he said. One of the goals was a freak.
The Dublin goalkeeper Paddy Cullen was arguing with the referee who had awarded a free to Kerry. The ball was put into his net before he could return to guard it. At that stage it meant a great deal but subsequently, when Kerry’s superior talent became evident, it meant little.
The Kerrymen yesterday totally outplayed Dublin in the second-half. Up to the interval it had been a good game and one felt that the Dublin generalship would eventually triumph. The opening of the second-half, however, saw Kerry in devastating mood with their three full-forward men (Mike) Sheehy, (Eoin) Liston and (John) Egan combining with bewildering speed to hammer home goals which gave them an unconquerable advantage. The game was over and it became almost embarrassing to see the great Dubs being humiliated.
The victory did in fact remind one of the general election result (in 1977). Dublin were the pre-match favourites of the GAA writers and practically everybody else, as the Coalition (of Fine Gael and Labour) were the darlings of the political correspondents.
In the Hogan Stand, President Hillery was in his accustomed place and around him were all his former colleagues in the Fianna Fáil government. All the Ministers were there, so was Liam Cosgrave, Michael O’Leary of Labour, Pat Lane of the IFA, Joe Malone of Bord Fáilte, Padraig Ó Snodaigh of the Gaelic League, Vincent Finn of RTÉ and Seán Ó Siocháin, like a busy bee, of the organising body of the GAA. Out in the field, the Artane Boys did their bit. Again, however, there was no clerical presence on the field, although Archbishop Ryan of Dublin, Archbishop Morris of Cashel, plus Bishop Casey of Galway, formerly Kerry, Bishop McNamara and dozens of priests were all in the Hogan Stand. It was a great occasion, but very sad for the Dubs. The attendance was 71,503.
http://url.ie/2fg8