Super-sub Andrew Dermody grabbed an injury-time winner to clinch a 2-16 to 1-18 Chisty Ring Cup triumph for Westmeath at Croke Park.
The Castlepollard star had been on the field just five minutes when the opportunity fell to him to earn hero status.
Picking up possession wide on the left, he took aim, and the sliothar sailed between the posts for a glorious clincher, the last act of a pulsating and memorable decider.
Kerry had led for most of the first half, and recovered from conceding two goals to move ahead again in the closing stages, but Midland spirit won the day.
Kerry picked off scores at an impressive rate and with impeccable quality in the opening 10 minutes, with Darragh O’Connell striking from frees and Shane Nolan splitting the posts from play.
Westmeath responded with points from Joe Clarke, Blaine Leharte and Stephen Bardon, but the Kingdom men were always able to keep their noses in front through John Griffin and Michael Boyle.
They led by 0-8 to 0-5 after O’Connell had raced through for a point from play, and the same player made it 0-11 to 0-6 on the half-hour with another sublime effort.
Westmeath were paying the price for their insistence on going for goals when the points were there for the taking.
Brendan Murtagh was twice denied by the Kerry defence, while Leharte had an effort kept out by goalkeeper Bernard Rochford.
But the Midlanders did find the net in the 32nd minute when Shane Dan Carthy blasted home to narrow the gap to two points.
They trailed by 0-12 to 1-7 at the break, but went level five minutes into the second half when Paul Greville hit their second goal.
O’Connell continued to strike accurately from frees, but a couple of sweetly struck Murtagh points kept the sides deadlocked through the third quarter.
Westmeath went ahead for the first time since the sixth minute when Stephen Bardon guided over a point from wide on the right.
The Kerry defence was living nervously and at times dangerously, and somehow managed to escape when in quick succession, Leo Smyth and Carthy saw efforts come back off the crossbar.
But the Midlanders were growing in confidence, epitomised by Carthy’s splendid point to send them three clear with 15 minutes to play.
Joe Carthy added a point to pile the pressure on the Munster men, but they responded magnificently for substitute Shane Brick to fire in a goal after his driven 20 metre free had been parried by goalkeeper Pat Burke.
Michael Boyle levelled, and Mike Conway hit the lead point for the Kingdom with two minutes to play.
Westmeath, however, had more to offer and after Murtagh had given them parity again, Dermody took centre stage with that late winner.
Kerry: B Rochford, C Harris, T Murnane, J Fitzgerald, J Godley, L Boyle, A Healy, M Conway (0-1), J Griffin (0-2), J Egan (0-3), M Boyle (0-2), D O’Connell (0-8, 6f), J Flaherty (0-1), G O’Brien, S Nolan (0-1).
Subs: S Brick (1-0) for Flaherty (47), C Harty for Nolan (59)
Westmeath: P Burke, A Price, J Shaw, E Price, R Whelan, A Mitchell, D McCormack, J Clarke (0-2), L Smyth, S Bardon (0-3), B Murtagh (0-4, 1f), E Loughlin (0-1), P Greville (1-2), B Leharte (0-1), D Carthy (1-2).
Subs: P Dowdall for Leharte (34), C Jordan for McCormack (h-t), A Dowdall for Loughlin (52), A Dermody (0-1) for Bardon (65)
Referee: T Carroll (Offaly)
