And now, the end is near. Not since the great Dublin/Kerry arias of the 1970s has the cult of manager dominated the GAA horizon as utterly as for this evening's glamour qualifier. Then, Mick O'Dwyer was relatively callow. He was at the same point during those celebrated Septembers as is Páidí Ó Sé, his most devoted pupil from the Kerry era, at present.

Now, O'Dwyer is greyer than Prospero and will end a long and complex relationship with Kildare when the county exits the championship. Although he has hinted, with typical devilment, that he may remain in football management, the temptation of an uninterrupted year of fishing may urge him to finally bow out of the game.

So there is a touch of the late John B Keane about this evening's occasion, with the two Kerry legends meeting one another for a closing 70 minutes of mind games that will probably impact on them more than either will ever admit.

On the face of it, Ó Sé ought to be the more optimistic about the match. Since Kerry's uninspired defeat against Cork - partly attributable to the sad passing of Michael Ó Sé, brother of Páidí and father to three first-team players - Kerry have retaken to football with enthusiasm. They destroyed Wicklow and finished a solid seeming Fermanagh team after 10 minutes of lordly football.

During those games, they wisely abandoned attempts to redesign Seamus Moynihan as a midfielder, restoring him to full back and renewing the successful 1997 partnership of Donal Daly and Darragh Ó Sé.

In claiming the league in the spring, they unveiled the Kingdom's latest wunderkind. Despite looking so young and frail that you would hesitate to allow him go on the bumper cars unattended, let alone go 15 rounds of championship fare, Colin Cooper looks the real thing. His goal against Fermanagh was sublime and he has taken to Kerry senior football as to the manor born.

However, their passage to this point has been cushioned in comparison to Kildare's progression through the school of hard knocks.

Although O'Dwyer's side was deemed to be in decline, they earned their stripes after coming through a bruising series against Offaly and pushed the newly rampant Dubs to the brink in the Leinster final. They have already gone to war.

Is there another massive day in them?

As ever, Kildare have the strength and physique. But the recall of Glenn Ryan at full back, a position he has not played in five years, is not reassuring from a Lilywhite perspective. Kerry may well investigate Ryan's mobility by switching someone other than nominal full-forward Dara Ó Cinnéide in around the square.

Ryan's vast experience and proven big-time temperament will be of immense benefit to a defence that has been radically changed over the past few seasons. Yet it is difficult to see the Kildare back six coping with Mike Frank Russell, Cooper, Liam Hassett and particularly Eoin Brosnan, who may come of age this evening.

If Killian Brennan and Dermot Earley can force a midfield show comparable to that of the Leinster final, then Kildare should gain the possession percentage they will need to stay with a free-scoring side like Kerry. However, in the drawn Munster semi-final Darragh Ó Sé was magnificent and despite the understandable dip in subsequent weeks, he is in fine form. The return of Daly ought to settle the midfield diamond for Kerry also.

Martin Lynch cannot permit his influence to be erased as thoroughly as was the case against Dublin. But in the twilight of his career, shaking Moyinhan off to any significant effect may prove beyond him.

Kildare require another high return from the revitalised Eddie McCormack, John Doyle and Tadgh Fennin. And although O'Dwyer dropped his son Karl for this match, he undoubtedly has second-half plans for him.

Given O'Dwyer's untouchable track record and his flair for the dramatic, it is tempting to see it as fate that the master should orchestrate one last great victory against the county he gave most of his life to. And their bravery and stubbornness to date is a promise that Kildare will fight to the death for this one. But that has not been enough so far - ultimately, they struggled against an ordinary Offaly team and failed against Dublin.

Maybe Kerry's soft-focus and scenic route to this crossing point of past and present will blow up in their faces. But you can only beat the opposition you are given. Kerry won't stop here. O'Dwyer may impart a few more lessons before his day his done but by sunset, the pupil will walk on.