All-Ireland SFC Final: Mayo 1-20 Kerry 1-17 The ground literally shook. The scale of the upheaval – almost in the natural order of things – was so profound, almost like a 75-year fault, grumbling for years, causing minor shocks, eventually erupting in an earthquake.Darragh Beirne’s goal in the 40th minute, the relieving last point by Tommy Conroy as the seconds drained from the 2026 championship and above all, the moment when the hooter sounded caused an outpouring of joy at seismic volume.It was comparable but exceeded the noise that rocked Croke Park in the 2011 final when greeting another Kerry-slaying goal, by Kevin McManamon.Mayo are the new All-Ireland football champions. I attended the press night in 1989 before their first final since last winning Sam Maguire 38 years previously. In 12 months, it will be another 38 years since then and according to the script, those years would have been marked by 12 All-Ireland defeats.This could have been the biggest shock in living memory of All-Irelands. Maybe Donegal’s win over Dublin in 1992 or even the Dubs’ defeat of Kerry 15 years ago inhabit the same territory, but Mayo staked out new ground in this convincing overthrow of the champions.As recently as a couple of months ago rated as the third team in Connacht, Mayo arrived in iconoclastic mood, ready to reject the consensus, which effectively held that losing was an inalienable aspect of their condition.From the start they played with the shackles off, young, energetic and relentless. Nor was this a simple story of an ambush. Mayo were the better team throughout the 70 minutes but they had to fight to quell suggestions of unease, especially around the three-quarters hour mark.Jack Carney had just kicked a two-pointer to put Mayo five ahead, 1-14 to 1-9 and with the decisive surge apparently made, things started to go wrong.Kerry's Seán O’Shea is blocked down by Mayo's David McBrien and Jordan Flynn during a last-minute effort. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Kerry dug in and began to find a rhythm that suggested they might somehow reverse the momentum of the day.Paudie Clifford was pulling strings and the fraternal telepathy with David bore fruit. Paudie kicked a 45, received a pass from his brother for another, returned the compliment for a third, and then picked out Seán O’Shea for a fourth.Mayo felt like they were tottering but Kerry lacked the clinical instincts to send them tumbling. On an afternoon when their opponents’ discomfort acted like an energy source, Andy Moran’s team straightened up and wrested back control.Kobe McDonald endured a difficult final, dropping a couple short, another wide and being unable to nail a goal chance when Shane Murphy saved well just on the resumption after half-time. But, he is such a quality player and so composed for a teenager that he finished strongly with two well-taken points from play.The underlying sadness is that he departs for Australia shortly to bring his talents to bear in the AFL with St Kilda, but what an impact his short career has had on the county.His teenaged partner in the other corner, Darragh Beirne, thoroughly debunked any notion of finding the day too much and emerged with 1-3 from five attempts.They were supplemented by Ryan O’Donoghue, as the driving force of the attack. He has served a hard apprenticeship in previous championships but his leadership and refusal to back down was elemental on this day.It was his bull run through the middle of Kerry’s defence that set up the goal chance, converted by Beirne. When they struggled in the first half, six down, he kicked a two-pointer to reel in the opposition just a little bit and when Mayo had survived the run on their lead, he restored the five-point margin with less than 10 minutes to go.Kobe McDonald celebrates in front of Hill 16 after Mayo's victory over Kerry. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho After a summer dominated by David Clifford, O’Donoghue’s performances have come into focus for Footballer of the Year consideration and his galvanising final will probably be the concluding argument.In the maelstrom finish, it was easy to forget how comfortable Kerry looked in the first quarter. Mayo had a lot of ball and were making an impact on the restarts but their attack was struggling to create chances and there was a tentative quality to their shooting with three dropped short in succession.Kerry were spinning fewer opportunities into gold. Seán O’Shea was in top form and if Paudie Clifford wasn’t getting diplomatic passage in his battle with Eoin McGreal, David Clifford started in familiar form. In the 15th minute he combined with O’Shea to get in on goal, taking the ball past Jack Livingstone and slipping it into the net. O’Shea added a point and the score read 1-5 to 0-1.Jack Carney, who had a super afternoon at centrefield where Mayo had been expected to find it tough. He kicked the first of two two-pointers to start the clawback and by half-time there was only a point in it, Joe O’Connor edging it for Kerry.The scoreline wasn’t the most striking thing about the first half. Mayo were relentless in hunting down Kerry defenders, harassing the short kick-outs and tackling with such intent that they were clear winners on the turnover count.Kerry didn’t give up without a struggle and by the end were still desperately trying to generate unlikely deliverance from the Cliffords, but the build-up lacked conviction and shooting was too often astray.David Clifford’s last two-point attempt fell short but with Kerry players in attendance, could have ended up in the net, leaving them a point ahead but Mayo were in no mood for another moral victory and set about nailing down one that was real, deserved and incontrovertible.MAYO: J Livingstone; J Coyne, D McHugh, E McGreal; S Callinan (0-0-1), E Hession, D McBrien (0-0-1); B Tuohy, J Carney (0-2-0); D O’Connor, P Towey, J Flynn (0-0-1); D Beirne (1-0-3, 2f), R O’Donoghue (0-2-1f), K McDonald (0-0-3, 1 45)Subs: T Conroy (0-0-2) for Towey (24 mins); R Brickenden for McGreal, M Ruane for Tuohy (both 53); C Loftus for O’Connor (58); P Durcan for Callinan (65).KERRY: S Murphy; P Murphy, J Foley, D Casey (0-0-1); T O’Sullivan (0-0-1), M Breen, G White; M O’Shea. S O’Brien; J O’Connor (0-0-1), S O’Shea (0-0-3), G O’Sullivan (0-0-1); P Clifford (0-0-3, 1 45), D Clifford (1-1-4), D Geaney.Subs: K Evans (0-0-1) for T O’Sullivan (h-t); T Kennedy for Geaney (51 mins); B Ó Beaglaoich for White (59); E Looney for Murphy (61); M Burns for O’Brien (64).Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).