Sean Armstrong | Niall Bogue | Paddy Bradley | Kevin Cassidy
Colm Cooper | Shane Curran | Brian Dooher | Mattie Forde | Thomas Freeman
Raymond Gallagher | Paul Galvin | Oisin McConville | Ciaran McDonald
Stephen McDonnell | Michael Meehan | Conor Mortimer | Eoin Mulligan
Ross Munnelly | Stephen O'Neill | Tomas Ó Sé | Darragh Ó Sé
Colm Parkinson | Ciaran Whelan

Kerry ace Colm Cooper burst onto the inter-county scene in 2002 when he made his debut in the National Football League. As he says himself, he “was thrown in at the deep end”. It was sink or swim, and the young Killarney man swam.

By the end of that year, Colm had played in his first All-Ireland final and picked up an All-Star award for his performances in the Championship. He was still only 19.
The young corner-forward returns to Croke Park this month for his second final and hopes to make up for the disappointment of the defeat to Armagh in 2002.

However, he knows Kerry will have their work cut out for them.
“It’ll be a tough game, we’ll have to improve a good bit to take Mayo in the final. They’ve improved dramatically in the last two years and deserve to be in the final,” he says. “Our new management under Jack O’Connor have brought in different ideas, we’ve changed a bit so hopefully we can top off a good year by beating Mayo.”

What has been your greatest moment in sport?
That would probably be winning the county championship with Dr Crokes in 2000.
I was only 16 at the time and we beat An Ghaeltacht in the final so it was a big win. They are always the team to beat.

Which is the toughest team you have ever faced?
A lot of teams are very tough. The northern teams can be particularly tough as they work very hard. Tyrone would possibly be the hardest to play against. They are very tough, they stick to you in defence, break quickly, and have talented forwards to get the scores.

What advice would you give to young players coming through the ranks?
You should listen to your coach and train hard, and have the belief that you can play with your county whatever county that is. It’s important to stick with your county and become as successful as you can with them.

How do you balance your job and football?
I work in AIB in Killarney. It can be tough at times when you have injuries and need to see physios and stuff. I’m lucky, I work with understanding people who have always been very fair to me.

Which player do you admire the most?
Seamus Moynihan, he’s a model for everyone and not just in Kerry. I’d rate him as one of the most complete footballers in the country.

Who was your childhood sporting hero?
The Kerry teams of the past who won All-Irelands. They are childhood heroes to every kid in Kerry.

Which club do you play for and who are your biggest rivals?
I play for Dr Crokes in Killarney. An Ghaeltacht are the top team in the county but we have a lot of close rivals like Laune Rangers.

Do you play any other sports?
I used to play a bit of soccer but I don’t really have the time now. I also play a bit of leisurely golf.

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