Anyone who feared that winning last year's All-Ireland football title would have left manager Paidi O Se a more relaxed man needn't have worried. For a man whose team achieved breakthrough ahead of many people's schedule and who has playing resources rich with emerging under-age talent, O Se remains jumpy about public exposure and the risk of wayward comment.

In the words of a close observer of the team, "Paidi never really got over losing to Mayo in 1996". That year's unexpected semi-final defeat left O Se, then in his first year of senior management, a mortified and crestfallen figure underneath the New Stand of Croke Park as the harooing of delirious Mayo supporters echoed in the dressing-room area.

There was plenty in the aftermath to suggest that O Se felt a lower profile might have been more appropriate in the wake of the county's first Munster success in five years. Amongst that evidence last year was an edginess verging on neurosis about the possible risks of publicity.

With the mistakes of '96 laid to rest during a remarkably successful succeeding year which saw the team unbeaten until the afterthought stages of the NFL in November, a more relaxed approach to 1998 might have been expected.

Think again. He sits down with grave countenance and confines his thoughts on the present - where last year's triumphs meet this year's ambitions - to words of minimalist caution.

"I really don't want to say anything. Last year was tremendous for us but it's in the past, it's history, and there's nothing more to be said. This year, we haven't played our first League match and I haven't sat down with my (new) selectors yet. I can't really say anything."

In the past? Not looking into the future? The vernacular of the brave new world is normal enough when the previous year is best forgotten and take-one-match-at-a-time reticence is appropriate to circumstances with doubtful prospects. But for a team that won its first All-Ireland for 11 years on top of the Church & General NFL title? A team that faces into 1998 with both national trophies to defend? A county with exciting young footballers finally on tap again?

For most people the decision of Seamus MacGearailt to retire as team coach was a surprise. From a previous generation than O Se, MacGearailt had taken two different Kerry teams to All-Ireland minor championships. In the aftermath of a second unsuccessful bid for the senior management position in 1992, he was offered the under-21 job because newlyappointed senior manager Ogie Moran didn't want to combine the tasks. MacGearailt demurred and instead recommended O Se, but later agreed to act as a selector.

"To me he was an obvious choice," says MacGearailt, "because he wanted it."

Their collaboration paid off in 1995 with an All-Ireland title. The timing was good because the senior post was again vacant. In filling it, the county board made an unusual decision, effectively a dual appointment. "They were appointed together," says then county chairman Sean Kelly. "One was trainer (O Se), one was coach (MacGearailt), and they had joint responsibility for the senior team, but ultimately Paidi was the boss."

At the time, the widespread perception was that O Se would be the driven, passionate motivator and MacGearailt the analytical strategist (a characterisation of the partnership that irritated O Se).

"They were," says Kelly, "a very good double act. MacGearailt's contribution was enormous. He had a different style, but was responsible for a lot of organisation behind the scenes." Within a year the Munster title had been regained but was followed by the despondency of the Mayo defeat, but last year Kerry returned to the big time with a splash.

MacGearailt's own explanation for stepping down was that he had achieved his target of regaining the All-Ireland and that pressure of work in the Department of the Gaeltacht made it necessary for him to step down after five years involved with county footballers, between under-21 and senior level.

Needless to say, other theories abounded: that MacGearailt was unhappy at the lack of recognition for his involvement; that he and O Se had argued in a hotel in Tullamore last November about players breaking curfew.

"The first I heard of that," says MacGearailt, "was after Christmas. And I want to put this one to bed for good. There were arguments during the year, but they were good arguments about team policy and we were able to sort it out ourselves. Paidi and I are still the best of friends and always have been. There is no sour taste."

Did the fact that his near-joint authority for team matters never attracted publicity not grate?

"I don't think it (the dual appointment) ever got the recognition it deserved, but that's no skin off my nose. My attitude was to give the job my best and it was up to the public to assess after that. What have I to achieve from the limelight? I've got my appreciation from Paidi and the players. "Paidi and I worked hard for the last few years, but I'm a private person. We're two different personalities. The press help to make legends and he's a character. I've no regrets, I greatly enjoyed my five years."

Billy O'Shea was rung late at night after training the Tuesday before the All-Ireland final. The news that he would be selected had been partially expected and his Laune Rangers clubmate Liam Hassett would captain the team. It wasn't, however, to be all fiesta time in Killorglin.

Liam's brother Mike started the season as captain and lifted the League trophy in May. Injuries and ultimately questions of form destroyed his season to the extent that he never played in the AllIreland and ended up without a medal as a Kerry county regulation provides for only six substitutes to receive All-Ireland medals. Six replacements had been used over the course of the semi-final and final.

The medal controversy is understood as being legally regulated, although Sean Kelly's firm advocacy of the proprieties involved annoyed some people in the county. There was more upset in Killorglin at Hassett's omission from the team than the follow-up.

"Of course people are very annoyed," according to one Laune source. "Mike isn't back yet (with the panel) and may not go back for a while. He was a great motivator, came to training every night even when injured, and didn't make himself available for the AllIreland semi-final for the good of the team. He did all the work a captain should do, travelling down (Hassett works in Greystones) and yet there was no recognition."

"My instinct," according to Sean Kelly, who was chairman at the time, "was to get a medal for Mike Hassett. I rang Croke Park and Hilsors (GAA goldsmiths) about it, but when I went back to the officers, they - rightly I now believe - said we couldn't just ignore the rules."

The above vexations were quickly overshadowed by the need to replace the outgoing selectors. A decision on their future was due to be made after the All-Ireland, but within a fortnight Kerry would be heading to New York for the commemorative League fixture with Cavan.

Hardly back, the camp was thrown into disarray by the untimely death of selector Tom O'Connor's wife, Toni, after a short illness. As the year headed into late November, Kelly decided that the new management team would be more appropriately appointed under the authority of his successor Sean Walsh.

MacGearailt stepped down over Christmas and ascribes the delay in giving effect to a decision made in September, to the above factors. Tom O'Connor ruled himself out and Jack O'Connor, another selectors, left to take over the under-21s. This left only Bernie O'Callaghan and O Se of the original five-man panel.

In a departure from tradition, the county board allowed O Se nominate his new selectors, Frank O'Leary, Paul Lucey and Sean Counihan, last month.

In some ways it's easy to understand the pressure O Se feels. Aside from feathers ruffled in Killorglin, there are the pressures of public expectation and the imminent challenges from about half a dozen counties with realistic ambitions to depose Kerry. Furthermore, he has taken over MacGearailt's role as coach and has been granted, in recognition of the All-Ireland success, his own selectors.

If things go wrong later this year, Paidi's fingerprints will be all over the place. Time enough for talking.