Kerry v Donegal will be a chess game

Former Kerry midfielder Micheal Quirke

SUNDAY’S All-Ireland quarter-final between Donegal and Kerry is going to be, “A chess match played out on a football pitch,” according to former Kingdom star Micheal Quirke.

The three-time Sam Maguire-winning midfielder, a Kerins O’Rahilly’s club mate of Kingdom boss Jack O’Connor, admits that the draw against the Ulster champions has got the Kerry faithful feeling a degree of apprehension ahead of this weekend’s Croke Park clash.

“I think it’s the toughest draw Kerry could have got. And likewise I think it’s the toughest draw Donegal could have got. It’s a hugely difficult game for Donegal as well as for Kerry.

“It’s a strange one. If we had drawn Cork in the quarter-final for example, I think Kerry would have been hugely confident of beating them. Cork have had no meaningful game since they played Kerry back at the start of June.

“Donegal are a crowd who are hugely competitive, and there’s an apprehension down here.”

The full story is in the current issue of Gaelic Life, published on Thursday August 2. Buy your copy now in your local newsagent, or you can purchase the online version – for only 90p – by clicking here