FLASHBACK: Dublin come out on top against Kerry in Tralee in ‘82/83

By Conor Martin 

Dublin head to Tralee this weekend hoping to end a long wait for a win at Austin Stack Park. 

It's just over 42 years since Dublin's last win against Kerry in Tralee, when we won 0-8 to 0-7 on Sunday, 21st November 1982, during the 1982/1983 National Football League. 

Fresh from their failed bid to become the first-ever county in GAA history to win five back-to-back All-Ireland’s (a feat later achieved by Dublin in 2019), the Kingdom were favourites going into this one.

Dublin, managed by the legendary Kevin Heffernan, had travelled to Munster off the back of defeats against Offaly and Down and were in search of a much-needed win, which would be our first competitive win over Kerry in five years. 

Played against the backdrop of wind, rain and hail, Dublin would dominate the first-half, after the Kingdom lost Jack O’Shea to injury in the 14th minute. 

In fact, Dublin’s defence frustrated Kerry, with the home side only getting their first and only score of the first-half after 26 minutes.

The game was very much a stop-start affair with a number of fouls being given in the first period. 

The majority of Dublin’s scores came from open play, with only two of their points in the first-half coming from the dead ball. 

Kieran Duff converted two frees before the break while the lively Willie Hughes helped the Dubs into a 0-7 to 0-1 lead at the interval. 

Mikey Sheehy had helped Kerry find some sort of rhythm after the restart and the gap between the two teams was just two points with 15 on the clock to go. 

Dublin goalkeeper John O’Leary would only frustrate Kerry further when he denied Kerry’s Eoin Liston- tipping the ball over the bar for a point when a goal looked certain.

Then, three minutes later, with Kerry a couple behind, Michael O’Connor was through on goal, but O’Leary was on hand once more and stopped O’Connor’s dangerous strike from hitting the net.

As well as O’Leary’s excellent performance, there were several notable performances from those in sky blue. 

Gerry Hargan impressed against a strong Kerry attack at full-back and limited the dangerous Liston to three points. John Kearns and Jim Caffrey both put in performances to be proud of while Hughes made his Dublin debut, kicking two points. He was well supported by the reliable trio of Barney Rock, Dublin top-scorer Kieran Duff and Anto McCaul.

Dublin and Kerry would finish the 1982-'83 National League season with three wins, three losses, a draw and seven points each. However, Dublin would finish above Kerry in fourth in Division One, which was won by Down, who beat Armagh in the league final.

Many thanks to David White (Dublin GAA Programme Collector/@GaaCollector X/Twitter) for his contribution to the research for this match.

Scorers - Dublin; K Duff (0-3 all frees), W. Hughes (0-2), B. Rock (0-1), J Kearns (0-1), A. McCaul (0-1) - Kerry; M.Sheehy (0-4, 3 from frees), E. Liston (0-3)

Kerry: C Nelligan; M Spillane, P Lynch, J Horgan; P O’Shea, T Doyle, G Lynch; J O’Shea, M O’Connor; D Moran, S Walsh, JL McElligott; M Sheehy, E Liston, J O’Dowd

Kerry Substitutes: J Mulvihill for J O’Shea, D O’Donoghue for J O’Dowd

Dublin: J O’Leary; D Foran, J Horgan, R Hazley; T Drumm P Ryan, S Wade; J Kearns J Caffrey; B Rock, W Hughes, K Duff; C Redmond, M Kennedy, A McCaul

Referee: J Dennigan (Cork)