David Maye dazzled in the Salthill drizzle this afternoon as Sligo were crowned All-Ireland Junior Football champions for the first time since 1935.
Maye top-scored with 0-08 (0-06f) and Cian McNamara and Kieran Finan helped themselves to early goals in a scrappy decider.
Substitute Brendan Poff netted for Kerry who were 2-04 to 1-03 down at half-time.
But with Maye kicking point after point, the Kingdom's frustration grew and Brendan Guiney, substitute Colin O’Mahony and Michael Murphy were all sent-off, leaving Sligo to enjoy a comfortable finish.
This long-awaited All-Ireland win capped off a hugely encouraging week for Sligo football, following Kevin Walsh's decision to remain in charge of the county's senior squad for the next two years.
Walsh also managed the Sligo juniors this year and his imprint was obvious today during a first half which saw the wind-backed Yeats men take the game to Kerry.
The Munster kingpins were bidding for their first All-Ireland junior title since 2006, and a victory here would have seen them draw level with their arch rivals Cork (15 wins) in the JFC roll of honour.
Kerry included former senior star Aodhan MacGearailt at full-forward, but the An Ghaeltacht clubman was unfortunately forced off with a hamstring injury after just 11 minutes.
Sligo had dominated up to that point, scoring 1-02 without reply in a powerful opening.
David Maye sent over a well-struck free and, in the fifth minute, Eoin McHugh dangled a lovely ball over the top for corner forward Cian McNamara to race onto and drive to the net from 14 yards out.
Padraig McGoldrick tagged on a free to put five points between the sides, with Kerry looking decidedly disjointed.
Kerry O'Sullivan's men rallied thanks to a goal from MacGearailt's replacement. Brendan Poff.
A ball in from John Buckley caused problems for Sligo goalkeeper Jason Farrell and Poff pounced to finish it over the line.
Two slick attacking movements led to points from team captain Michael O'Donoghue and Gary Sayers and Kerry were back level at 1-02 apiece, by the 14th minute.
Four minutes later though, Sligo were celebrating their second goal.
The Kerry defence failed to deal with a ball through the middle and wing forward Kieran Finan's first time shot off the ground beat goalkeeper Sean Og O Ciarubhain.
As the rain began to come down, pointed frees from McGoldrick and Maye gave Walsh's charges some cushion at 2-04 to 1-02.
Kerry had a point from midfielder Mike Coakley ruled out for an illegal handpass, but they did manage to cut the gap to four for half-time.
That difference was maintained as the second half got underway, with Maye and O'Donoghue trading frees. Kerry were not threatening - overplaying the ball at times - and they required a 45th minute point from defender Eamon Hickson to end a stop-start spell.
Sligo had big performances from Adrian McIntyre, Brendan Egan and substitute Niall Walsh as they continued to look the better team.
When wing back Brendan Guiney received his marching orders for a heavy challenge - his second bookable offence - the size of Kerry's task grew significantly.
Maye followed up with a free, which Kerry substitute Alan Fitzgerald replied to with eight minutes remaining. Kerry kept the pressure on with another point, yet Sligo looked supremely confident and Maye knocked over the insurance point from a move which influential substitute Benny McDonagh started.
And after substitute Colin O'Mahony received his second yellow card and Michael Murphy got a straight red in the dying minutes, a flagging Kerry could only watch as Curry clubman Maye extended the winning margin to six points.
