Paul Galvin feels Jack O’Connor was born to be on the sideline as a manager and believes the current Kerry boss is already in the Mick O’Dwyer bracket when it comes to managerial achievements. O’Connor has led Kerry to five All-Ireland senior football titles (2004, 2006, 2009, 2022, 2025) over the course of three stints in charge and is now just two victories away from securing a sixth. Galvin won three All-Ireland medals under O’Connor and believes the Kerry boss is totally at home on the sideline for the Kingdom. “It takes huge energy and he has buckets of it, but I think he’s born with something inside him,” says Galvin. “Some people, I watched somebody recently playing and I just thought, ‘that person is where he’s supposed to be, doing exactly what he’s supposed to be doing.’“And, you know, some people are born to be footballers and are born to be in Croke Park, and I think Jack was born to manage teams and win things.”O’Dwyer won eight All-Ireland titles as a manager. A sixth for O’Connor would certainly see him mentioned in the same breath as Micko.“I think he is already,” says Galvin. And he should know. Galvin remembers playing schools football against teams managed by O’Connor.“He’s a competitive person and, a bit like Micko with football and the idea of being with Kerry and competing and getting to Croke Park and winning All-Irelands, it’s kind of all he knows since he was in school. “He’s been in charge of teams, not just the 20 years with Kerry, but I remember when I was in school playing football with Causeway Comprehensive.“The first time I saw him was maybe in 1996 or 1997, on the sideline back in Annascaul and he was in charge of Cahersiveen Post-Primary.“I think that’s where he saw me playing football first, because my school – who were a bunch of hurlers, as he would have said – started beating his school in the football and we were only after picking up the football.“So, I think it goes beyond probably Kerry as well with him. The fact that he’s been at this for probably 40 or 50 years, it’s a way of life for him.”Jack O'Connor ahead of Kerry's Round 2B fixture against Kildare in Newbridge last month. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Dublin manager Ger Brennan also heaped praise on O’Connor earlier this week – likely with the intention of also piling expectation on the Kingdom ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final between the counties.Brennan insisted all the pressure was on Kerry to win at Croke Park as the Munster champions were strong favourites. His words didn’t go unnoticed in the Kingdom.“I did see the headlines, and I suppose I did take note as well,” says Galvin. “I remember Dessie (Farrell) pulled a great one a couple of years ago, I think it was coming into the 2023 final. “He did that piece on Clifford being the best forward ever. I remember that headline and I remember thinking (they’ve got) Con (O’Callaghan), (Ciarán) Kilkenny and (Paul) Mannion. I thought it was a good one by Dessie at the time, and he probably was using it to motivate maybe his own forwards and maybe put a bit of pressure on David at the time too. “Ger, I’d say, was probably thinking along the same lines, maybe try and turn things up a little bit on Kerry and maybe challenge his own players as well at the same time. So, I’d say Ger thought about it.“I think it might have been more for his own dressingroom that he said it.”Kerry will land at Croke Park boasting a stacked attacking unit, but while David Clifford is the game’s outstanding player, Dylan Geaney is currently enjoying his best season in the green and gold.Geaney’s form is no major surprise to Galvin, having first noticed him during Colm Cooper’s wedding in December 2021. Galvin attended the celebrations but also watched some of the West Kerry final in Dingle on the same day.“I said I’d stick my head in to see who was playing. And, jeez, in the pouring rain I ended up standing over the wall for about 50 minutes of it and got soaked,” he recalls.“But I saw Dylan Geaney play that day. Paul (Geaney) was really good that day, and Dingle were really good that day, but Dylan Geaney that day was exceptional. “And I remember talking to Gooch about him after at the wedding. And I actually messaged Paul on Instagram about Dylan, and about Dingle. I thought this guy has got just huge talent and huge Kerry potential. It’s great to see him come through.“I think he’s in the right hands with Jack as well. I think that’s an important piece, that he’s come through and he’s had Jack there. “He’s certainly undroppable, I think he definitely is. I suppose he’s making it a case for opposition analysis now that there’s a kind of ‘pick your poison’ in terms of the Kerry forwards.“When you have David and Paudie (Clifford), and Seánie (O’Shea) when he’s there, it’s hard to probably pick up four of them.“A lot of teams mightn’t have a third guy even. Like, after picking up the two Cliffords, you’re looking for a third guy, then pick up someone like Geaney.”*Galvin was speaking at an event to mark AIB’s 11th year as a sponsor of the GAA All-Ireland senior football championship.