FORMER TAOISEACH BERTIE Ahern was a guest on Pat Kenny’s Newstalk programme this morning.

The leader of the country for 11 years, listeners could have expected to hear about the economic crash, the resulting bank guarantee and bailout or the country’s current situation.

But the presenter limited the conversation to this Sunday’s All-Ireland football final between Mayo and Ahern’s beloved Dublin.

Addressing the Drumcondra man, Kenny said there would be another occasion for a political discussion but that, today, the topic would centre on the “sporting occasion”.

Ahern noted that this Sunday will be the 16th time he gets to watch his county’s footballers take part in an All-Ireland final in Croke Park. Although his family will watch from Hill 16, he will be in the stands, which he says he has “got used to”.

As the ticket war rages on, the ex-Fianna Fáil leader noted that Mayo will “probably out-shout” the Dubs because they have been ‘doing deals across the country’.

Although he believes that Dublin can get over the line and lift Sam Maguire once more, he said that any fan who is complacent doesn’t really know the game.

“What worries me is that Mayo have lost those matches [last year's championship final and this year's league semi-final]. No matter what sport, be it rugby, soccer, gaelic, tiddlywinks, when you lose a few, people tend to push themselves more.”

Do we need a reminder of the cupboard? Here you go:

(YouTube: 2010NOTW)

Column: Is it time to stop bashing Bertie?

Read: 17 things you could hear Mayo fans say this weekend

And: 17 things you could hear Dublin fans say this weekend