An emotional Paul Galvin praised Kerry's character after they ended their Tyrone hoodoo in emphatic fashion.

Speaking to TV3, Galvin was close to tears as he spoke about how Kerry had been 'hurt' by the criticism they received after their lucky escape against Westmeath and by their dismal record against Tyrone over the past decade.

"We were put to the pin of our collars, but a lot of the talk during the week writing this team off served only to fuel great men in that dressing-room," he said.

"That hurt us, of course it did. We have been carrying a lot of hurt for the last eight or 10 years. I'm just very proud of this Kerry performance. It means a lot because of the pressure we put on ourselves. We are Kerry at the end of the day.

"There's been a lot written about this team and I think a lot of it's being disrespectful. I think the great men in that dressing room stood up and were strong. I'm very proud of that."