Kerry selector Mikey Sheehy pictured at the launch of the Allianz Football League.
By Cian O'Connell
During 10 minutes Mikey Sheehy discusses Kerry's decorated past, the demanding present challenges, and the bright future down south.
Sheehy quickly became accustomed to dealing with significant expectations in Kerry, but there is still a glint in his eye when talking about Mick O'Dwyer.
Last week's insightful Micko documentary was observed by Kerry selector Sheehy. "It was very good," Sheehy admits. "I enjoyed every minute of it. I suppose it was a bit emotional as well, when you think back on his career and what he has done for the game and I suppose he’d still love to be doing it.
"He was blaming old age and everything. No, I don’t think anyone will touch him as a Gaelic Football manager. Jim Gavin in fairness is making a fair job of trying to get there, but Micko was something special."
Sheehy acknowledges the greatness of the current Dublin set-up. "As I say it’s incredible what Dublin are doing at the moment going for four in a row.
"I don’t mean this badly about us - it was easier to win. There was only four games as such, no back door, and you’d no teams coming through the scenic route like Mayo, who’d make it tough for you. There’s more demands on players now as well so it probably was a little bit easier in our time.
"It was still a fantastic achievement, he coached eight All-Irelands in 10 years, and he was unlucky that he didn’t win one in 98 with Kildare, which would have been extra special."
The defeats hurt deeply, though, the pain doesn't really diminish. "Oh yeah, I was enjoying the documentary until I saw the missed penalty for five in a row," Sheehy laughs.
"Micko said it still haunts him. It still haunts me, would you believe, to this day. "People ask me about my career, it’s still one of the things that pops up straight away, that we didn’t make the five-in-a-row. "Like, if I had have scored the penalty we would have won five in a row.
"Having said that I’m always looking for consolation. Had we have won the five-in-a-row I don’t think we’d have come back and won 84, 85 and 86.
"To me, that probably was nearly as good an achievement. It’s never going to be as good as five in a row. Certainly it was a massive achievement to do that."
Talented Kerry teenager David Clifford.
The 2017 All Ireland SFC Semi-Final replay defeat to Mayo was debated during a long and hard. "Even talking about last year, we had a great win against Dublin in the Allianz League Final," Sheehy recalls.
"We were looking forward to the Championship, which we started very well in Munster, but then we dipped a little bit against Galway in the quarter-final. I suppose the replay was very disappointing, hugely disappointing.
"I suppose we got a lot of criticism as a management, probably more than the players, but we deserved it because we didn’t perform on the field and we didn’t perform off the field and that’s how you are judged in Kerry, in All-Irelands.
"The winter was tough below. There was a lot of snipers around so we were ducking and diving. But that’s the beauty of sport. We’re looking forward to starting next Sunday week and you are on the horse again and you just get on with it."
Four All Ireland minor victories provides hope with the exciting David Clifford set to be introduced at senior level. "Well, I’ll tell you, he’s training away with the senior players at the moment, we’re back there just a short while and he’s looking good, he’s an exceptional player," Sheehy says.
"There’s going to be awful pressure on him and we’d be hoping that we’d manage him. "Eamon Fitz (Fitzmaurice), I think, is very good at doing that with players, but there is ferocious expectations when you see a guy, outside of the other minor games that he played, four goals and four points in an All-Ireland minor final.
"That’s absolutely phenomenal. He is the most talked about young player in the country. He’s big and he’s strong, he’s still only 19, he’ll be 19 this month. He’s still only a kid, it’s a huge step up from minor to senior.
"But particularly the way all teams are strength and conditioned now. He’s an exceptional talent and it remains to be seen, certainly he will get game-time during the League, there’s no doubt about that."
Patience will be required according to Sheehy. "I wouldn’t say they are unrealistic because they see what they have," Sheehy remarks about Kerry's supporters. "The Kerry public can be very critical, but they’re excited about him as well.
"I know for a fact that when David will play, and I hope he plays well but if he has a poor game people will be saying ‘ I wonder is he as good as they’re saying?’
"But he is, he’s an exceptional lad. He has talent and there’s no doubt about it. I use this word patience and they have to be patient with him."
