Martin Lynch - Club: Clane.
Age: 28.
Occupation: Accountant.
Height: 5' 11["].
Weight: 12st 4lbs.
Honours: Leinster SFC 1998; Leinster MFC 1987; All Star 1991.
Best performance: "It's hard to know, they have all been difficult, but I suppose the Leinster final was special in that it was level going into the last minute and we pushed out and got three great scores. That was possibly our best team performance. That said, getting over Dublin was probably the most difficult hurdle for us, there was a lot of hype going into the game and they are an improving side. All the players I have met this year have been very tight, excellent markers. I expect the same from Tomas Mannion in the final."
Most disappointing performance? "I don't know, we have our share of disappointments over the years so it's nice that we have gelled this year, that we are realising our potential. I suppose the obvious one that comes to mind is running Meath to three games last year, only to fall short at the end. But we learned from it."
What has made the difference for Kildare this year? "I think it's that we have 30 lads now who are incredibly committed to what we are trying to achieve. In other years, you might have 10 or 15 lads trying very hard all year round, but now everyone on this panel is putting in the same effort. They say that you are only as good as you're weakest player, but to be honest I don't feel that this panel is carrying any weak players. Anything Kildare achieve this year is down to the panel as a whole. I mean it was only a toss-up between myself and Brian Murphy at the start of the year. And Ken Doyle came in against Kerry to do the job for Niall Buckley. That depth has been the key."
Opposing views: Barry O'Shea (Kerry corner back) - "Very much the key man in the Kildare attack, especially in the style of game they play. He's the main target for any ball won at midfield and the other forwards play off him. Works well in the space created for him and for a tall man is quick and fairly agile. Definitely a hard man to nail down, although he can be vulnerable in a tight situation. Wide space of Croke Park suit him."
Eamon Heery (Dublin corner back) - "Improvement has been remarkable, and I think he has grown and matured from previous years to become a key member of this Kildare squad. He's a big lad and quick off the mark and his great ball-winning ability will always cause problems for his marker. This year more than ever he has concentrated on getting on with the game and that's something which perhaps was a problem in the past."
Additional reporting by Ian O'Riordan.
