RIVALRY: There are divided loyalties in the Osborne household in Killarney in advance of the All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Dublin this Sunday. Dubliner Paddy Osborne and his Kerry born wife Liz are supporting their native counties while their 17-year-old twins David (Dublin) and Rebecca (Kerry) are also on opposite sides. Picture: Eamonn Keogh

By Sean Moriarty

Husband against wife, sister against brother, son against mother, daughter against father.

Sounds like an incredibly complex plot in an American soap opera - but this is exactly the dilemma facing one Killarney family this weekend.

The Osborne household in Muckross is divided in two ahead of Sunday’s All-Ireland football final between Kerry and Dublin.

Dubliner Paddy Osborne and his Kerry born wife Liz are supporting their native counties while their 17-year-old twins David (Dublin) and Rebecca (Kerry) are also on opposite sides.

The couple, who met while Liz was working as a nurse in Dublin, have another son who plays soccer for Cobh Ramblers.

Their situation is further complicated as Paddy, who is originally from Cabra, is a long-time member of Killarney Legion.

“There is a good buzz in our house,” Paddy told the Killarney Advertiser.
“But I must be the only Dub that does not think this is a foregone conclusion. I see too much local football. I was there (in Croke Park) in 2009 when Kerry hammered Dublin and that was supposed to our year and the game was over in 10 minutes. I would be wary of these young Kerry teams – look at 1975.”

Paddy and his family are travelling to the match on Saturday and are looking forward to the pre-match banter on Sunday morning.

“We just love football,” he added. “I will meet a lot of Kerry people I know in Dublin and it will be good craic. I don’t mind who wins it as long as it’s a good game and not won or lost by someone’s mistake. We have lots of Legion players on the team. I know James O’Donoghue’s father Diarmuid very well. Robert played alongside David Clifford in The Sem before he followed the soccer path, so I know David very well too.”

Shrewd management is key according to Paddy.

“Jim Gavin is the most important man for Dublin, even looking back to Heffo’s day, he is another Micko,” he said. “I know Peter Keane too, he managed the Legion senior team for a while and if I know Peter he will launch a curveball.”