The tradition inherent in Dublin-Kerry clashes is embodied in the family connections of the current teams. A brief glance through the semi-final line-ups for the counties reveals six children of players who represented the counties in the 1970s and ’80s, as well as Marc Ó Sé, the last of the three brothers still playing, all of whom were nephews of the late Páidí, eight-time All-Ireland medallist and twice a winning manager.
Currently an All Star, and short odds to repeat the distinction this year, Kerry centrefielder David Moran is the son of Denis, better known as Ógie, who played in six finals against Dublin, losing just one in 1976 when, in keeping with what became a strange statistic, he played at wing forward.
All of Moran’s eight medals came when he started the finals at centre forward. The only other final he didn’t line out on the 40 was in 1982, the year Offaly famously deprived them of the five-in-a-row when he started at left wing forward.
The current Moran, whose career has been cursed by injury, came on as a replacement in the 2008 and ’09 finals but started last year at centrefield.
The most famous connection on the Dublin side relates to the Brogan family. Bernard senior started in all five of the finals between 1975 and ’79 – all against Kerry apart from 1977 when the counties met in the famous semi-final in which Brogan scored the goal that wrapped it up for Dublin – but had retired by the 1980s meetings.
His sons Bernard and Alan have both been Footballers of the Year and although the latter has started this season's matches on the bench, he made a sizeable impact in the semi-final replay against Mayo. The former has been having a good season and his goal and assist in the space of a minute swung the replay.
The brothers are also cousins of Pádraig Brogan, the Mayo player who scored the 1985 goal of the season against Dublin also in an All-Ireland semi-final replay.
Others with fathers involved in previous Dublin-Kerry All-Ireland finals are Dean Rock, whose father Barney was the top scorer in the 1980s team, scoring Dublin's only goal in the 1984 defeat and also playing the following year when Kerry again emerged victorious.
Previous era
Both of Dublin’s flying wing backs James McCarthy and Jack McCaffrey have fathers who played in the previous era. John McCarthy was corner forward in each of the four 1970s finals between the counties as well as the 1977 semi-final. He scored a goal in the 1976 final, which was Dublin’s first win in an All-Ireland against Kerry since the 1920s.
McCaffrey’s father Noel played centre back in the 1985 All-Ireland final, which Dublin lost.
Kerry panellist and former Young Footballer of the Year Tommy Walsh’s father Seán played at centrefield and full back in eight finals for Kerry – six against Dublin, all of which he won although he did come on as a replacement in the 1976 final.
