The tale of Dublin & Kerry 2001

The tale of Dublin & Kerry 2001

Bhí sé bliain déag caite ó a bhuail Ath Cliath & Ciarraí le chéile agus bhí scéitimíní san aer i Staid Semple an tsamhradh 2001 agus an lucht féachana ag ullmhú don ‘Turas go Tiobraid Árann’.

Bhí an t-atmaisféar féiltiúil faoin gcluiche ceathrú ceannais na hÉireann agus bhí an seastán Killinan cosúile le Cnoc 16. Bhí an ócáid chomh stairiúil le ainmneacha móra cosúil le Tomás Ó Sé, Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Darrah Ó Sé, Maurice Fitzgerald, Dara Ó Cinnéide agus Aodán Mac Gearailt ag caitheamh an glas agus ór. Ar an dtaobh eile bhí Coman Goggins, Paddy Christie, Johnny Magee, Ciarán Whelan, Jason Sherlock agus Dessie Farrell. Bhí Staid Semple mar chúlra dena chluichí dodhearmadta idir Áth Cliath agus Ciarraí an tsamhradh sin. Seo físeán faoi laethanta caite a chuaigh amach roimh an chluiche i Staid Semple an tseachtain seo caite.

Dublin and Kerry hadn’t clashed in the Championship for 16 years so the excitement levels were very high in Semple Stadium in the summer of 2001 as fans geared up for the ‘Trip to Tipp’ and there was a huge sense of occasion about this All-Ireland quarter-final.

The Killinan End of Semple Stadium essentially became Hill 16 on tour.

It was an iconic era in the GAA with the likes of Tomás Ó Sé, Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Darrah Ó Sé, Maurice Fitzgerald, Dara Ó Cinnéide and Aodán Mac Gearailt wearing the green and gold; and on the Dublin side Coman Goggins, Paddy Christie, Johnny Magee, Ciarán Whelan, Jason Sherlock and Dessie Farrell.

Semple Stadium provided the backdrop for those unforgettable Kerry/Dublin clashes that summer. Here is a throwback video made ahead of Dublin and Kerry’s clash in Thurles in the Allianz League last week.