It makes no real sense but that’s the beauty of All-Ireland semi finals sometimes.
Kerry are in a rut when it comes to downing the Dubs.
Ever since Dublin edged out The Kingdom in the 2011 All-Ireland final, a dye appears to have been cast. The current Kerry team are certainly in transition whereas Dublin appear to be getting better and better.
As part of our GAA Hour Football Show this week, we asked Michael Quinlavin (Tipperary), Barry Cahill (former Dublin), Colm Parkinson and Mikey Stafford for their All-Ireland semi final predictions.
By Friday night, Kerry were 9/2 [Ladbrokes] to knock out the reigning All-Ireland champions at Croke Park. It seems crazy that the country’s most successful county side could ever go into a game so unfancied. To Cahill, it reminds him of the fateful 2009 quarter final where a highly rated Dublin side were filleted by Kerry, going down 1-24 to 1-7.
Cahill feels Dublin will have too much for Eamon Fitzmaurice’s men and Mikey Stafford agrees. Colm Parkinson, however, feels Kerry have too much to lose, to actually lose. Quinlivan’s reason for Kerry to emerge the victors makes an odd kind of logic:
“I’ve talked and talked and basically talked myself out of it. Basically, Dublin can’t lose this but for some reason in my head I think Kerry are going to win.
“I don’t know why but I got the same feeling before the 2014 All-Ireland final, when they played Donegal. I said ‘Kerry are going to win this and there’s no other way about it’. I just have that feeling in my head again for this Sunday… I’m going for a Kerry win.”
There you have it.
The Tipperary forward has a feeling in his bones. Good enough for most optimistic folks in the Kingdom.
Massive Dublin v Kerry preview in the latest GAA Hour. Subscribe here on iTunes
