What a display the Austin Stacks man gave in his 56 minutes on the pitch.
Kieran Donaghy is the focal point of this Kerry team and his 1-1 from play, his four clean catches, his winning of frees and his impressive laying off of the ball has won him many plaudits.
Donaghy’s gusto and power fired Kerry into the semi-final, after they emerged victorious over the Tribesmen on a scoreline with eight points to spare, winning out 1-18 to 0-13.
The game wasn’t without controversy.
The towering 34-year-old giant came in for plenty of criticism for his grabbing of Galway full back Declan Kyne by the scruff of the neck, and apparently, dishing him with some verbals as well.
The incident occurred directly after Donaghy had scored his first point from play of the game, when he caught a skyscraping high ball over Kyne before fisting over the bar.
After the white flag was raised, Donaghy bumped into Kyne, before he placed his two hands around the neck of the Galway full back.
There were many calling for a black card for the Kerry man after his indiscretion based on the breach of the rule of ‘Verbal abuse to an opponent or teammate.’
There were others calling for a card of a different colour.
In fairness to Donaghy, the Galway defenders were pulling and dragging out of him, and the other Kerry forwards all day, but that doesn’t excuse this reaction.
Referee David Coldrick came to talk to the two men after, but he surely should have consulted with his umpires who were only yards away from the incident.
The optics aren’t so good.
https://twitter.com/Niall_SRIB/status/891658422483111936
As talented as Kieran donaghy is…if dermo was grabbin full backs by the throat with two hands there'd be a witch hunt #FreeDermo #KERvGAL
— Robbie Glynn (@Glynner14) July 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/CiaranGreaney/status/891655331167834112
https://twitter.com/Eoghanlyons/status/891649674834313217
'A star performance' as RTE show a clip of Donaghy with his two hands around a fellas throat! #KervGal #RTEGAA
— Mark O'Leary (@olearymarkymark) July 30, 2017
