Jack O’Connor believes Kerry are in rude health going into the All-Ireland SFC series after they eased to a 4-20 to 0-21 Munster final victory over Clare.

Four first half goals, including two from David Clifford inside the first seven minutes, meant the Kingdom had an 86th provincial title all but wrapped up at half-time. The Kerry manager was especially pleased with his panel’s enviable strength in depth. The result was never in doubt, despite the winners making six changes to the side that edged out Cork in an extra-time thriller a fortnight ago.

"We have a lot of players in good form at the minute and a lot of competition for places,” O’Connor said in an interview with RTÉ.

"There is fierce competition. We’re missing the likes of Paudie Clifford, Diarmuid O’Connor, Paul Murphy, lads like that. They'll be raring to go in the next couple of weeks.

"There’s going to be attrition. We're going to lose players with the nature of the competition. And it's great to have fellas coming in, week on week. Mike Green came in today after Tadhg Morley did a great job above in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and did excellently for 50 minutes. That is what it's all about, the strength of the panel."

He added: "We got a great start and we were after that because we felt the pace that we had played at in Division 1 that maybe Clare wouldn't have been used to that in Division 3.

"To be fair to them, they tightened things up maybe after the first 15 minutes, but overall, delighted, Any game you score four goals, 4-20 is a big score, so happy enough.”

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