If they manage that, it will represent progress similar to Longford's.

They've already made strides this year; their only league campaign this last 25 years to rival this year's was the one of two years ago.

Declan Browne has a decent supporting cast. Damien O'Brien scored in every league game this year, Benny Hickey will always chip in with a score, Philip Austin can swing over points while Brian Lacey, now playing out on the wing, should sweep up his share of breaking ball.

The most striking thing about Kerry's teamsheet is the absence of Eamon Fitzmaurice; obviously, after being offered one more reprieve against Waterford, the centre-forward experiment is now officially abandoned. To be fair to the Finuge man, it is not so much that he can't play there but that Eoin Brosnan is not as effective anywhere else. The Dr Crokes man threatened to play a club game on the eve of the league semi-final, such was his annoyance at being constantly moved and dropped in that campaign.

Should Declan O'Sullivan play alongside him as listed, then Kerry will have gone from having a half-forward line that failed to score a single point in the All Ireland final to possessing the most lethal outside line in the sport.

As much as he roams, however, Declan will start inside when the business end of the championship approaches, with his namesake Darren moving out to the wing. How Darren fares in his first championship start will be one of the most observed developments in Killarney today, as will Bryan Sheehan's contribution from play; while he has the capacity of being to the second half of this decade what his predecessor, Dara O Cinneide was to the first half . . . the best freetaker in football . . . Sheehan will need to become more than that to hold down a starting spot on this team.

VerdictKerry KERRY D Murphy; A O'Mahony, M O Se, T O'Sullivan; T O Se, S Moynihan, M Lyons; D O Se, K Donaghy; Declan O'Sullivan, E Brosnan, P Galvin; Darren O'Sullivan, B Sheahan, C Cooper

TIPPERARY P Fitzgerald, M Phelan, P King, A Morrissey; P Costigan, L England, I Maher; K Mulryan, E Hanrahan; P Austin, D O'Brien, B Lacey; B Mulvihill, D Browne, B Hickey

MUNSTER SFC SEMI-FINAL KERRY v TIPPERARY Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney 3.30 Referee M Daly (Mayo)