1970 All-Ireland Final: Kerry 2-19 Meath 0-18, Croke Park, September 27th
This would prove to be O’Dwyer’s final All-Ireland triumph as a player, though it confirmed his standing as one of the game’s great footballers marking his fourth Celtic cross won across three different decades – 1959, 1962, 1969, 1970.
1975 All-Ireland Final: Kerry 2-12 Dublin 0-11, Croke Park, September 28th
O’Dwyer retired as a player in 1974 but by the following year was masterminding Kerry’s All-Ireland assault from the sideline. One of the most iconic rivalries in the history of Gaelic football was about to emerge as O’Dwyer’s Kerry and Kevin Heffernan’s Dublin came to the fore at the business end of the championship. The breakthrough 1975 success was Kerry’s first All-Ireland triumph in five years and O’Dwyer’s inaugural win as a manager. He added seven more over the years that followed – 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986.
1998 Leinster Final: Kildare 1-12 Meath 0-10, Croke Park, August 2nd
This was Kildare’s first Leinster title triumph since 1956, and many years later O’Dwyer would say he rated the victory as highly as anything he achieved in the game. Meath, All-Ireland champions in 1996, had traditionally got the better of Kildare but the Lilywhites were not to be denied on that day. Kildare led by three points midway through the second half but Meath surged back to draw level late on. The pivotal play of the game was to be a Kildare one though – Martin Lynch’s pass picking out sub Brian Murphy, who netted from close range.
When lifting the Delaney Cup, Kildare captain Glenn Ryan paid tribute to O’Dwyer. “The man is unbelievable, the man started this whole thing off,” he said. “He gave us the energy and the will and the determination.”
1998 All-Ireland semi-final: Kildare 0-13 Kerry 1-9, Croke Park, August 30th
It had to be – when Kildare reached the 1998 All-Ireland semi-final only Kerry stood in their way of making a first appearance in the final for 63 years. O’Dwyer v Kerry, O’Dwyer v Páidí Ó Sé. A crowd of over 65,000 watched the Lilywhites beat the 1997 champions. Padraig Garvin scored 0-4 for Kildare that afternoon, Karl O’Dwyer registered 0-3 while Martin Lynch and Eddie McCormack each chipped in with 0-2. Kerry had a goal disallowed, which still stings for many Kingdom folk to this day.
Ó Sé would later write in his autobiography that O’Dwyer’s presence spooked him in that semi-final.
“You know, I maintain that, had anyone else been managing that Kildare team in 1998, we’d have beaten them by seven or eight points,” wrote Ó Sé. “As the game got tighter, I struggled on the line. Hesitant with switches, with changes. Dwyer had me.
“Dwyer didn’t give a fiddler’s f**k that it was Kerry. This was one of the best days in his life. Make no mistake about that.”
The subsequent All-Ireland final against Galway remains an unforgettable day in Kildare football as a cavalcade of white made its way to the capital. Ultimately the result didn’t go Kildare’s way, but it was a hell of a season.
2003 Leinster final: Laois 2-13 Kildare 1-13; Croke Park, July 20th
One of the most famous days in the history of Laois football. In O’Dwyer’s maiden year at the helm he managed the O’Moore County to a first Leinster title since 1946. On the way to the 2003 provincial final, Laois had beaten Wexford, Offaly, and Dublin – progressing to the decider for the first time since 1991. Kildare had been crowned Leinster champions in 1998 and 2000, and they lost the 2002 decider – with O’Dwyer as their manager.
Having hopped across the border to manage Laois for 2003, it was almost inevitable O’Dwyer would come up against his former charges Kildare in the Leinster final that year. But his young Laois team were in no way overawed by the occasion – though their cause was helped by the fourth minute dismissal of Kildare midfielder Alan Barry. Two further red cards followed, Laois wing back Kevin Fitzpatrick in the 18th minute and Kildare defender Mick Wright in the 52nd.
Laois led 0-8 to 0-6 at half-time and pushed for home early in the second half with goals from Brian ‘Beano’ McDonald and Ross Munnelly, 2-9 to 0-8. But Kildare rallied and a converted Ronan Sweeney penalty helped get the Lilywhites back on level terms by the hour mark. Laois refused to buckle though and a late flurry of points from Donal Miller, Ian Fitzgerald and Barry Brennan fired Laois to victory.
Afterwards, O’Dwyer commented: “The so-called weaker counties take a lot of encouragement from our success, as we have shown it is possible to make a major breakthrough once you have a group of decent footballers, and everybody’s prepared to put in the work.”
It remains the last time Laois have won the Leinster senior football championship.
2008 Leinster SFC: Wicklow 0-13 Kildare 0-9; Croke Park, May 18th
Wicklow had never won a Leinster senior football championship game at Croke Park until this fixture. Kildare entered the game as favourites but Wicklow delivered one of their greatest ever displays to make history. Tony Hannon scored six points while Seánie Furlong hit 0-4 as the Garden County shocked the Lilywhites.
“We trained so hard all over the winter and we had set May 18th as our day to win, and that was our day – league or nothing else matters,” said O’Dwyer afterwards. “There’s only one thing that matters – championship football. It’s great for Wicklow.”
It certainly wasn’t his only memorable day as Wicklow manager, guiding the county to Tommy Murphy Cup glory in 2007 and they also took the scalps of Fermanagh, Cavan and Down in the 2009 All-Ireland SFC qualifiers.
