The 2023 All Ireland Senior Football Championship (Sam Maguire Cup)

Beating them in the division 1 relegation play off last weekend has me on a real high going into this Sunday.

I've never experience as quiet a build up to a football final - even this thread is lagging behind the hurling one.

A good proportion of the media have spend the best part of this week dissecting the hurling final and concentrating on the women's World Cup.

Maybe the build up was as quiet last year but being from near Galway I at least could get a sense that there was some excitement towards it. Not feeling any sense of collective anticipation towards the final this time around.

Like an eejit I only copped on that there won't be a minor match on beforehand. Realised sure that has been played already.

Is there match on now pre the final at all? Even a junior match or something?

Seems a bit of shame. I got great value for a couple of years being able to see if that minor 'David Clifford' was worth the hype for Kerry.

I think Kerry used up their excitement last year as we felt we had a good chance to win after beating Dublin. Also it was first AI win since 2014. I wasn't too excited in 2015 or 2019 as I was pretty certain Dublin would win.

It's true about July schedule throwing us off. People on holidays, students away etc. Also the weather's been very poor.

I've seen people in Kerry say that there's less excitement and fewer flags out around the place.

I think in general there's been a weird energy since COVID. Cost of living, energy prices, far right protests, Ukraine war, heatwaves and wild fires across Europe, worst July weather in living memory, violent attacks in Dublin.

There's an interesting book called "The fourth turning" which predicted all this.

All right thanks - I am real creature of habit my first reaction was who was playing in the minor.

Excitement ebbs and flows.

I think if there's been a drought and a young team is coming and are favourites for the final, it leads to huge excitement.

1997 had huge excitement. People were painting everything green and gold.

Last year after we beat Dublin, there was huge excitement also.

Clifford is a true superstar also which helps.

All the finals we reached in the noughties didn't have big excitement either. People got too accustomed to success.

Did Seán Bán Breathnach used to do the minor match as well?

Clubs will only be finalising their allocation today. I've seen a few Kerry clubs on social media saying they won't have enough to meet demand so the scramble will start this evening into the weekend.

I sometimes wonder why I bother paying for a season ticket and then we get to a final and it's all worth it to have it just sitting in the account a few days after the semi final.

Does it say who'll win on Sunday?

I think 3 Dublin players can win their 9th medal, beating the famous 5 in Kerry with 8 medals.

Also last year I think there was a lot of pressure on this Kerry team to get over the line as they'd been trying since 2018. I think they'll be more relaxed this year as they know they'll be there or thereabouts for at least 6 more years.

Win or lose, Dublin will have a few retirements. Maybe Cluxton, Fitzsimons, Rock, Mannion, McCaffrey, McCarthy.

They'll still be very competitive though.

I think if Dublin are leading going in to the final stretch (even by just a point) eg after the 60th minute, I don't fancy Kerry to overhaul them due to Dublin's bench and their composure under pressure.

But if Kerry are leading, I think they could hang on.

Your right the weight was lifted on Kerry. They were too raw 2019, in last years SF I never saw a Kerry crowd as edgy. Fed through to the Kerry players as well - a nervy game. The Dublin thing is there one last AI for a lot of the older lads, I had forgotten the 9th medal aspect. That would be huge

I spent long enough listening and reading about those Kerry lads with the 8th medals for many a year when that was the ultimate benchmark. I never dreamed any Dub would get anywhere near it to be honest.

This had me in stitches because I had a Kerryman - English teacher. He used to love saying that to watch the reactions. We would be quietly cursing him.

2019 was frustrating as we were up a point in injury time with an extra man, so we just had to keep the ball.

Also it was Peter Keane's first year and we were young and inexperienced. Now we're 4 years older with very experienced management in Jack and Paddy Tally. Also Diarmuid Murphy and Mike Quirke.

But really Dublin were better and deserved it. They showed that in the replay.

Last year we deserved to win. We were up 6 points at start of 2nd half, and that was after missing a penalty.

The 9th medal is huge as it will never be beaten. As good as Clifford is, he might only end up with 3 or 4 medals.

What worries me this year is the amount of goal chances we conceded to Derry, Mayo and even Cork gave us a rattle. Dublin are more ruthless in front of goal.

Yeah ask around the pubs on route to the stadium. Don't be shy.

Otherwise ask people from other counties who are involved in GAA. Teachers too are good connections.

Gill's pub on the North Circular is a good spot. Ask the Gardai stationed there if they know of any as well.

City Centre; Grand Central and The Oval are good spots as well.