It's 25 years since the Kerry footballers ended an 11-year wait for an All-Ireland title with victory over Mayo in the final. Five players from the Kingdom were rewarded for their performances that year with GAA All-Star awards.
Though they did not even reach that year's Leinster final, Kildare received three All-Stars following an epic three-game battle with Meath in the provincial semi-finals. The Royal county, who lost the Leinster final, had two players on the All-Star team, while Leinster champions Offaly - who lost to Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final - had just one.
Mayo, victors over Galway, Leitrim, and Sligo in Connacht, before their semi-final win, and defeat in their second consecutive All-Ireland final, had two All-Star winners.
That year's awards were rounded out by one All-Star each for Ulster champions Cavan, and losing provincial finalists Derry.
We've taken a look where that year's award winners now are in their lives and Gaelic games careers a quarter of a century on.
1997 GAA All-Star Football Team
Declan O'Keeffe (Kerry)
The Rathmore man was a two-time All-Ireland winner, and two-time All-Star goalkeeper (1997 and 2000). He retired from the inter-county game in early 2004, with his final game a defeat to Longford in the opening round of that year's National League.
"He told me he had lost his appetite," Jack O'Connor, then in his first stint as Kerry manager, told the Irish Times.
"He will be 32 soon and he has been having some bother with his knee in recent times. Also, he has to travel from Cork to train and he is getting married in October."
The garda subsequently played club football in Clare, where he was stationed. He initially lined out with Clooney/Quin before joining St Jospeh's Doora-Barefield.
In recent years, he managed the University of Limerick Sigerson Cup team, was a goalkeeping coach with Roscommon under Kevin McStay, and also filled the same role with Clare under Colm Collins until the end of the 2022 season.
Kenneth Mortimer (Mayo)
Another two-time All-Star (1996 and 1997).
The Shrule/Glencorrib man was named as part of Maruice Sheridan's Mayo U20 backroom team in September. He had previously coached Claremorris, managed his home club, and also the Mayo masters team.
Former Mayo All-Star Kenneth Mortimer joins Maurice Sheridan’s Mayo GAA U20 backroom team
Details Below 🔽🔽🔽https://t.co/5QB7hbPkj8#mayogaa pic.twitter.com/dvKvZHc8Nk
— Mayo GAA (@MayoGAA) September 19, 2022
Davy Dalton (Kildare)
The Kilcock man's inter-county career began in 1982. He won his only All-Star in what was his penultimate season. Later went on to train the Meath minor footballers.
His son, also named Davy, played inter-county football with Meath and won (a controversial) Leinster title in 2010.
10 July 2011; Dublin minor manager Dessie Farrell in conversation with Meath minor manager Davy Dalton, left, after the match. Leinster GAA Football Minor Championship Final, Dublin v Meath, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Brian Lawless / SPORTSFILE
Cathal Daly (Offaly)
The garda, who was only two years into his inter-county career at the time, bridged a 14-year gap to Offaly's last All-Star winner he won the award in 1997.
He was recently part of Ken Furlong's backroom team for the Offaly minor footballers.
7 October 2007; Tullamore captain Cathal Daly, left, lifts the cup with goal-keeper Ken Furlong. Offaly Senior Football Championship Final, Shamrocks v Tullamore, O'Connor Park, Tullamore, Co Offaly. Picture credit; Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE
Seamus Moynihan (Kerry)
A three-time All-Star winner (1997, 2000 and 2006).
He recently managed a Fossa team which features the Clifford brothers, David and Paudie, and is a selector under Jerry O'Sullivan for the East Kerry divisional team. In 2023, he will be part of Tomás Ó Sé's backroom team with the Kerry U20s.
In 2021, prior to the appointment of Jack O'Connor for his third term as Kerry manager, Moynihan was reported to be part of Stephen Stack's star-studded management ticket, should he have been named to the role.
10 September 2022; East Kerry selector Seamus Moynihan during the Kerry County Senior Football Championship Round 1 match between Kerins O'Rahilly's and East Kerry at Austin Stack Park in Tralee, Kerry. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Glenn Ryan (Kildare)
A two-time All-Star winner (1997 and 1998).
He is the current Kildare senior football manager. Ryan previously managed the Longford footballers for five years, a reign which ended in 2013. He had led Longford from Division 4 to 2, and had a famous victory over Mayo in 2010 qualifiers.
Eamonn Breen (Kerry)
Breen, who was a plasterer during his inter-county career, is currently chairman of his club Finuge in North Kerry. That is also the club of All-Ireland winners Jimmy Deenihan, Paul Galvin, and Eamonn Fitzmaurice.
In 2019, Finuge tabled a motion at the Kerry county convention requesting that the parish rule be relaxed to allow children line out with the first club of a parent.
"At the end of the day, all we want for our young people is for them to play football," Breen said at the convention.
"Now, for me, as a parent, to tell my young fella he can’t tog out for Finuge, that would break my heart (the Breen’s are living in a neighbouring town).
"I’ve been involved with Finuge for 40 years. It would kill me not to see him playing for Finuge. There has to be some sort of flexibility."
24 July 2022; Eamonn Breen, William Kirby and Dara Ó Cinnéide share a joke after the 1997 Kerry All-Ireland winning team were introduced to the crowd before the GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final match between Kerry and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Niall Buckley (Kildare)
The midfielder, known as Nuxer, last played inter-county football in 2001 when he was still in his late 20s.
The Sarsfields man emigrated to the US two decades ago, initially living in Chicago and later Florida. He runs a construction company.
Pat Fallon (Mayo)
In recent years, the Balla man has managed St James' in the Galway Senior Football Championship.
Pa Laide (Kerry)
The Tralee man is involved with Austin Stacks at underage level. In 2017, he was appointed as CEO of Cara Credit Union in Kerry.
Trevor Giles (Meath)
The three-time All-Star (1996, 1997, and 1999) and two-time Footballer of the Year (1996 and 1999) runs Tara Physiotherapy Clinic in Meath. He has also been involved at underage level with his club Skyrne.
Meath legend Trevor Giles with his son Oisín after winning gold in the boys U12 100m at the Community Games national finals.
(📸: @Sportsfile) pic.twitter.com/lcnwpeJIvD
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) September 26, 2021
Dermot McCabe (Cavan)
This year, McCabe was joint-manager, along with Fintan Reilly, as Gowna won their first Cavan SFC title since 2002 with victory over Killygarry. In 2021, they had lost the decider to Ramor United after a replay.
In 2011, he was part of the Cavan minor football side's backroom team as they won the Ulster championship.
Two years ago, he was named the greatest Cavan player of the previous 50 years by the Irish Independent.
Joe Brolly (Derry)
Though he is no longer a television pundit, the two-time All-Star (1996 and 1997) is still a prominent part of Irish life through his column with the Sunday Independent.
His time as an RTÉ analyst ended in 2019. The barrister subsequently appeared on eir Sport for their coverage of the National League prior to the broadcaster's demise.
Brendan Reilly (Meath)
16 August 1997; Brendan Reilly of Meath in action during the Leinster GAA Senior Football Championship Final match between Meath and Offaly at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
A two-time All-Ireland winner in 1988 and 1996. He started the 1991 final against Down at corner-back, and the 1996 final against Mayo at full-forward, scoring the winning point in that year's replay.
He has served as a selector with the St Peter's Dunboyne.
Maurice Fitzgerald (Kerry)
A three-time All-Star (1988, 1996 an 1997). He was part of the Kerry backroom team under Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Peter Keane.
Fitzgerald is principal of Coláiste na Sceilge in Cahirciveen.
See Also: Eight Years After Debut, Limerick 'Powerhouse' One Of Football's Best Half-Backs
