After a thrilling All-Ireland football final at Croke Park, Dublin have regained the Sam Maguire after a 1-15 to 1-13 victory over defending champions Kerry this afternoon.
With many onlookers struggling to separate the sides in the buildup to the fixture, it was no surprise to see the game play out in such a close manner. There was nothing to choose between the teams throughout, with things still in the balance in injury time.
In the end, a couple of key scores in the final moments proved to be the difference between the sides.
Paul Mannion scores after some sustained Dublin pressure and it looks like getting them over the line
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This marks Dublin's ninth All-Ireland since 2011 and their first since 2021.
GAA: Michael Fitzsimons drops accidental f-bomb on RTÉ
There were no shortage of top class performances on the Dublin side, but few were better than that of Michael Fitzsimons.
The Cuala man was given the unenviable task of marking David Clifford in this final, going on to produce perhaps the best defensive performance we have seen from any player on the Kerry star. With the exception of one or two moments, he completely took the reigning Footballer of the Year out of the game.
Of course, along with teammates James McCarthy and Stephen Cluxton, he became the first man in GAA history to win the Sam Maguire on nine occasions.
Often an unsung hero in the team, he certainly enjoyed the moments after the final whistle. In fact, he got a little bit carried away when he accidentally dropped an f-bomb during his interview with RTÉ.
Michael Fitzsimons pays tributes to the veterans of the Dublin panel after winning the All-Ireland final pic.twitter.com/KUzWo4ozOL
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It's a culmination of the hard work since 2021. The management have taken serious, serious blows.
They f*****g shouldered, excuse me, they shouldered a lot of criticism for us. We have been performing very poorly for two years really, that has affected us in championship.
I know it was scrappy and it might not have been the best game, but a lot of it was going out and doing it for them and doing it for our teammates.
James McCarthy, how can you not just love the guy? He's such a warrior, he was leading us into battle. It's not easy easy to come back year on year.
Apologies for the language.
You can certainly forgive him that slip of the tongue.
Himself and the rest of the Dublin panel will certainly enjoy the celebrations over the coming days.
SEE ALSO: British Public Blown Away As All-Ireland Final Broadcast Across The BBC For First Time
