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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Michael Scully

'We are just getting started' - David Clifford and Jack O'Connor look to Kerry's bright future

David Clifford and Jack O'Connor declared this is only the start for this Kerry side after their All-Ireland SFC final victory over Galway yesterday.

The Kingdom claimed a 0-20 to 0-16 triumph at Croke Park, powering away from Padraic Joyce's westerners in the closing minutes of an engrossing contest to win the championship for the 38th time.

Clifford, who scored eight points, hopes that this is the beginning of a golden era for Kerry after the county had endured an eight year wait to lift the Sam Maguire Cup again.

READ MORE: Kerry GAA announce homecoming details to celebrate All-Ireland victors

"100% there's definitely a realisation that this isn’t the end of us by any means," said the Fossa star.

"We are just getting started, so it’s really time to go now."

O'Connor, who has now won an All-Ireland in each of his three spells as Kerry boss and has won four League and All-Ireland doubles while in the hot-seat, took on a core group of this Kingdom side when he took over the minors eight years ago and the under-21s in 2016.

"Look, it isn’t about myself," said the 61-year-old. "It’s about that group of lads.

"We’ve been trying to put them together since 2014. I finished up with the seniors in 2012, because we knew that a new group needed to come.

"The great team from '04 to '09 had come to an end here 11 years ago. I suppose Stephen Cluxton put an end to them.

"We knew that a new group had to be developed and whatever. That began in 2014.

"We didn’t think today would take eight years to go the distance, but with that group, I know we won (a senior) one in ’14 but this is the five in a row minors really coming through today.

"We’re just hoping it is the start of something good."

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