Padraig O'Hora says there was 'nothing malicious' in National League final duel with David Clifford

Clifford and O'Hora get to grips with one another during the Division 1 final

Kerry's victory over Mayo in last month's National League final will be remembered for the duel between David Clifford and Pádraig O'Hora.

James Horan elected to play man-on-man at the back, exposing O'Hora to Kerry's top forward.

He played well on the Fossa star for long periods, but Clifford eventually cut loose, scoring 1-5 from play. The face-off drew widespread attention, as the Mayo defender kept in close proximity to his marker throughout, and was constantly in Clifford's ear.

But what was said between the pair?

"There is nothing to say. I wish there was a good story behind it but there's not. There's nothing funny there, there's nothing malicious," said O'Hora when asked about the exchange.

"You play to play against the best. You play for the big days, and you hope that you're fortunate enough to play against the best people in the country. I'm afforded that chance every week, playing against the likes of Cillian [O'Connor], Ryan [O'Donoghue], Tommy [Conroy] - the number of forwards that we have.

"And I enjoyed the experience of the game [against Clifford]. It didn't go the way I wanted it to go, but that's life.

"It didn't go the way I wanted it to go but I enjoyed it. You lose games. I was a bit downhearted for a few minutes but then my little girl jumped onto the pitch. You get a smile and then you forget about it.

"The kids weren't bothered. My little daughter wanted to know why she couldn't get the cup but apart from that, she was happy out. So that can switch your mindset very quickly and you don't dwell on it too much.

"I do enjoy it and things won't always go your way. You just have to be ready for that."

There's nothing funny there, there's nothing malicious.

O'Hora has played down his encounter with Clifford

And external criticism did not affect him.

"It doesn't put me up or down. I'm in touch with different groups about resilience all the time. The criticism that I take will come from within my circle - my friends, my family and the team," he explained.

"If somebody was upset with me about my performance I would have to take it on, likewise if management were upset. If it comes externally I just don't care. Everybody can have their opinion, it doesn't bother me at all."

Clifford and O'Hora after the counties' meeting in March

Late bloomer

O'Hora was 27 when he made his championship debut for Mayo in 2020.

After stepping away from the sport entirely for two years, he returned with a new-found hunger.

"I gave up football for two years, when I was 25, 26," he explained.

"I was on my own, on my own journey, everybody has their own story. I had no ambition to play inter-county football at that stage; I got sick of it and stopped. And then I fell in love with it again.

"I had a really enjoyable club campaign, got to mark some great players, and then I got my chance with James [Horan].

"Everything came together and I am where I am now."

Mayo are facing into the qualifiers, after a Connacht Championship quarter-final defeat to Galway.

"I think they were a little bit better than us on the day," he said.

"There's not a massive difference between a lot of the teams in the country; it's a couple of per cent. Maybe Galway turned up with a little bit better attitude? Maybe they performed a little, bit better on the day. We knocked them out in the last two years so maybe that can motivate a team.

"They got a deserved win on the day. That was that.

Mayo are headed for the back door

"You'd be lying to say it's not an All-Ireland [driving us]," he continued.

"We are fully aware that Mayo are in the top tier and are up there competing to win an All-Ireland championship.

"For me personally I'm motivated and driven by being better tomorrow, having a better training session and improving and pushing the guys around me so that we're properly set for the qualifiers.

"That will be this next week. Next week it will be the same. The game will then come around. It's very steep. It's a different route we have to take this year."