Kerry boss Jack O’Connor has revealed that he hadn’t watched last year’s All-Ireland semi-final between his team and Dublin up until last week.

The sides meet this Sunday at Croke Park with the Sam Maguire Cup on the line and, speaking this week ahead of the clash between the two old rivals, O’Connor says that last year’s achievements have been “parked” since the start of 2023.

"I didn’t look on anything from last year since Christmas," he is quoted saying by BelfastLive.co.uk. "I made a conscious decision that last year was parked New Year’s Day because last year is last year and this is a different year, different dynamic, and what happened last year will have very little bearing on what’s going to happen this year.

“We played them in the League last year but League is League. I mean, if you were watching us in the League this year you wouldn’t be saying we’ll be talking to those fellas the week before the All-Ireland.

"We’d have been fairly arrogant now if we were saying, 'yeah, we’ll be meeting them in an All-Ireland final'. It doesn’t work like that, you’re just ploughing away.

"When we got beat by Mayo here in Killarney in May, two months ago, I tell you, you’d be fairly optimistic if you were thinking of All-Ireland finals.

"It was obvious Dublin were hurt last year at the fact they lost that semi-final very narrowly and it took a wonder kick to it, and they obviously feel if they had Con O’Callaghan and a couple more on the field they’d have won the game.

"Now they have them back so they’ll feel they have a big chance."

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