Kerry manager Fintan O’Connor believes their historic win over neighbours Cork is a huge boost for hurling in the county.
The Kingdom claimed what is believed to be a first-ever senior inter-county victory over the Rebels, with a comfortable 1-23 to 1-13 win at Austin Stack Park.
After which O'Connor celebrated the one a century feat with a bag of chips.
While the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League tie was a dead rubber with both sides out of contention for a final spot and John Meyler fielding an experimental side, it was a notable scalp for all involved with the green and gold.
"It’s a massive result for us," O’Connor told RTÉ Sport's Darren Frehill. "Cork were without an awful lot of their household names, but any day a Cork team goes out to play a Kerry team, Cork would be favourites.
"You’d be giddy driving home after the match and excited and delighted with the performance"
"It was a massive win for the lads and it does a lot for the game in Kerry. We are always trying to promote it as best we can.
"I know it’s January, but it is still exciting. You’d be giddy driving home after the match and excited and delighted with the performance."
A Colm Harty goal in the first-half propelled the hosts to a 1-13 to 0-06 at the interval, a 10-point margin they maintained to the finish.
With GAA historians poring over the history of the fixture, O’Connor is happy to lead his side into their own bit of history.
"As far as I know it is," he said when asked if it was a first success in the fixture.
"I think Ballyduff beat Blackrock back in 1891 [The 1891 Munster Senior Hurling Championship semi-final, 2-07 to 0-03].
"The Ballyduff lads that were there today were fairly quick to say that they were the last ones to beat Cork. They were the only Kerry lads to have done it before.
"It’s really rewarding wand well deserving for all the efforts they have put in over the last few weeks."
"A bag of chips, that will do me"
The focus will soon turn to the Allianz League where Kerry will look to bounce straight back from their 1B relegation last year in a competitive looking 2A alongside promotion rivals Westmeath and Carlow – "There will be no guarantees, but we will be trying to put ourselves into the mix" – but first there is time to bask in the glow of a notable scalp in January.
The victorious manager, now in his second year at the helm after succeeding Ciarán Carey, laughed of the notion of a homecoming, conceding the height of his celebrations was a trip to the local chipper.
"A bag of chips, that will do me".
