It has been a month of breakthrough wins so far. Joy unconfined for clubs who have reigned supreme in their own land for the first time.

Will Sunday afternoon see a new name added to those who have lifted the Bishop Moynihan Cup in Kerry?

That's the prize Kenmare Shamrocks have in their sights, with Dr Crokes the opposition at Fitzgerald Stadium. This is the Kerry Senior Football Championship we're talking about. A month ago, Rathmore were winners of the Kerry Club Championship. Two separate senior competitions: that's the way they do things in the Kingdom.

The Kerry SFC involves clubs and divisional/amalgamation sides, while the club championship is, as the name implies, purely for clubs only. Something else to remember is that if a divisional/amalgamation side wins the SFC, they can't represent Kerry in the Munster series. The winners of the club championship will therefore go forward.

Ahead of Sunday's final, with no divisional team represented, Kenmare Shamrocks stalwart Mickey Ned O'Sullivan is filled with excitement. Yet, when asked about the current championship structures, there was no glowing endorsement from the man who tasted county success with Kenmare District (a divisional side) in 1974 and again in 1987.

"I would keep it simple; it's very complicated at the moment," he told RTÉ Sport.

"I think it should be all club, just one senior championship. It's creating difficulties for players. Take Seanie O'Shea from our club, he's going to be burned out. We played a team last Sunday (North Kerry in the county semi-final) that I think were a combination of ten clubs.

"I know it gives players from lower-standing clubs the possibility of winning a county championship but that should not be the ultimate.

"It should be the best club in the county winning the county championship. And leave it at that. We have a junior championship, we have an intermediate championship, we have a novice championships. Jack O'Connor was right when he spoke about burnout in relation to inter-county players.

"There is also a district competition in Kerry which players are expected to play in. You have the East Kerry championship, it's like an All-Ireland for some of the clubs and there is no way inter-county players cannot play in it. The way things are at the moment is a formula for disaster. There is very little protection from getting serious injuries and I think the schedule contributed to Kerry being not fully at their best this year."

O'Sullivan is still passionate about the game. To every question comes a considered response that is never rushed and not verbose. We referenced the success with Kenmare District (a divisional side) in '74, and on from that O'Sullivan was named the Kerry captain for 1975.

Mick O'Dwyer's young guns would overpower Dublin in the All-Ireland final. However, their 23-year-old skipper would not get to lift Sam Maguire as he was lying in a hospital bed in the then Richmond Hospital after suffering serious concussion during the game.

O'Sullivan's advance on the Dublin goal was already fraught with danger until finally he was the meat in a sandwich made by two Dubs defenders, with an elbow to the head the added dressing. "He's well and truly looked after now," said Micheál O Hehir, obviously not knowing the severity of the situation.

"It's hard to believe it's 51 years since the lights went out," remarked O'Sullivan on a day when Pat Spillane climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand to lift Sam.

A win for Shamrocks on Sunday afternoon would see Seanie O'Shea, the only player from the club likely to be on Kerry panel for 2027, handed the green and gold captaincy for the year ahead. That said, O'Shea was on-field skipper when Kerry defeated Galway in the 2022 All-Ireland decider, deputising for the official captain Joe O'Connor, who did not feature.

Can O'Shea and Co upset the odds against a Crokes side that boast inter-county stars Shane Murphy, Mark O’Shea, Evan Looney, Gavin White, Micheál Burns and Tony Brosnan?

O'Sullivan has spent the last four years a selector and can see an evolution which has made the club more competitive, this after moving up to the senior ranks in 2017, with some involved playing their part in helping Kenmare District reach four club finals.

Mickey Ned, in assessing Shamrocks' journey to this point, added: "There was a blend of older players and younger players who were too young. We had that group of 17 and 18-year-olds, the older group and a middle group which contained the likes of Seanie O'Shea. But the blend wasn't right, The younger lads now have matured. Half the team are Under-21 and then you have the middle group who are now very strong. As for the older heads, you have Stephen O'Brien who is a great leader on the field.

"Kieran Moriarty was a brilliant manager but he was very busy in his professional life and couldn't continue. Peter O'Sullivan took over. We won Division 2 of the county league, then Division 1. The whole thing is a reflection of the underage structure that's in the club, that has brought these players through."

The win over North Kerry in the semi-final was a somewhat turgid affair. Expect a much different game, with two sides who want to play football, now lining up in the final. O'Sullivan's bullish prediction.

"We've a good defensive structure, solid midfield, fairly talented forwards," he boasted.

"Against North Kerry, they didn't press, they retreated for a lot of it, so it was a lateral game. We had to wait for space to open up. The final will be a totally different. The Crokes will press. Every line on the Crokes team will press and they give the quick ball in. It should be high-scoring as both teams will adopt that approach.

"Kenmare are there and all they have got to think about is the next ball, not to think about the scoreboard or think about the occasion. Focus on performance, I think they can do it. Crokes are favourites but football isn't played on paper."

And as long as football is played, O'Sullivan will have a view.

On Eamonn Fitzmaurice taking over in Galway, he quipped: "I was hoping he'd stay around for Kerry".

On a more serious note, he added: "I think it's an excellent choice by Galway, a great addition. He is solid, understands the game, doesn't have an ego, and will bring players with him. I think he'll also make them mentally tougher."

Looks like we are going to the @GarveyGroup County Final next Sunday. See you all there 🔴⚫️ #gaa https://t.co/YOhdbQOtf6

— Kenmare Shamrocks GAA (@kenmaregaa) October 19, 2026

O'Sullivan previously sat on a committee that looked at the playing rules. While in the main praising the work done by Jim Gavin's Football Review Committee, he was "amazed" they didn't do something to limit handpassing. He now hopes Kevin McStay's Expert Advisory Group will be successful in getting approval for the trial rule limiting the amount of handpasses which, he believes, will be "amazing for the game".

"I don't think there should be a set time as to when we make changes. Too much handpassing is ruining the game. We have a chance to do something about it, so we should. We need to restrict the fisted pass. As for fisted points, I think we should keep that. There is a skill in cutting in from an angle and fisting the ball over the bar. Four points for a goal? Why not. We have an exciting product now but I think it can be even better."

What will excite just as much is his own club scaling the heights and the "sense of satisfaction" in seeing it done.