Sam Maguire's journey around Kerry continued this weekend, a week on from the Kingdom's All-Ireland final victory over Galway.
One of Kerry's breakthrough players this season was corner-back Graham O'Sullivan. It was the 24-year-old's fourth season on the Kerry panel.
The Dromid Pearses man was superb in the final, not only marking Rob Finnerty out of the game, but also providing assists for Kerry scores, and notching a point of his own.
Beautiful, poignant and emotional words from Graham 💚💛 pic.twitter.com/jlNHQmvjZN
— Kerry GAA (@Kerry_Official) July 30, 2022
Speaking to a Kerry crowd this weekend, O'Sullivan said he had initially been nervous in the build-up to the game but then thought of Tristan Huggard, an underage teammate who passed away just days before the final. Waterville GAA club described Tristan as one of "its shining lights".
"The week before the game, there were lots of people coming up to me and chatting away," said O'Sullivan.
"A lot of people were asking me was I nervous, what was the pressure like, and all this. I suppose I was a bit nervous, I thought.
"But the same very week, a young fella I played football with, when I was younger, back in Waterville, sadly passed away.
"I was thinking about it, and I was thinking to myself, 'Jeez, how can I be nervous when I'm getting to live the peak of life at the moment?' This experience is unbelievable.
"So, I just want to remember Tristan tonight. He was a great character and a great young fella that I got on with very well.
"And just to enjoy the moments you get in life, no matter what age you are, just enjoy it because you're just never going to know."
Earlier in the week, Kerry manager Jack O'Connor had visited eight-time All-Ireland winning Kingdom manager Mick O'Dwyer in Waterville with the Sam Maguire Cup.
When Micko got a visit from his lifelong friends SAM & Jack #ThisIsKerry 💚💛 pic.twitter.com/cFUkI4Mtre
— Kerry GAA (@Kerry_Official) July 29, 2022
See Also: Kerry Have Raised The Bar On The Pitch, And The Issues Off It
