Gaels show no mercy to blow Senan’s away

MUCH like last year when it was also a Kerry/Limerick pairing in the final, An Gaeltacht showed little mercy to St Senan’s in becoming the fourth consecutive Kerry side to win the Munster Intermediate Club Football title and the 10th from the Kingdom to do so in the last 11 years.

When Brian Ó Beaglaoich took a second bite at the cherry for the West Kerry side’s first goal after barely two minutes, there appeared to be little doubt about where the game was headed.

An Gaeltacht joint-manager Conal Ó Cruadhlaoich was happy with his side’s application throughout. “We were fantastic from beginning to end,” he said.

Rob Ó Se scored An Gaeltacht’s second goal nearing half-time as they led by 2-14 to 0-2 at the break. St Senan’s manager Damien Fitzgibbon admitted that they had been ruthlessly put away. “We expected a bit more from our lads, which is the biggest disappointment,” he said.

PJ Mac Laimh combined with Éanna Ó Conchúir and Tomas Ó Sé to palm home An Gaeltacht’s third goal in the 47th minute. Dara Ó Sé with 0-9 (2f) was the star of their win as 11 different players managed to score.

Ian Ryan, James Naughton and Richard Hayes gave it their all for St Senan’s in a losing battle. An All-Ireland semi-final with Moy awaits An Gaeltacht in January. SCORERS – An Gaeltacht: D Ó Sé 0-9 (2f), R Ó Sé, PJ Mac Laimh 1-1 each, B Ó Beaglaoich 1-0, É Ó Conchúir 0-4 (2f), S Ó Gairbhí, C Ó Muircheartaigh, S M Ó Conchúir (f), T Ó Sé, Peter P Sauerland and S Ó Bambaire 0-1 each. St Senans: I Ryan, R Hayes (f), S McSweeney (2f) 0-2 each, R Flaherty, A Kearns 0-1 each.

AN GAELTACHT – T Mac an tSaoir; PP Sauerland, M Ó Sé,

C Ó Luing; B Ó Beaglaoich, P Ó Sé, C Ó Muircheartaigh; R Ó Sé, S Ó Gairbhí; C Ó Coileáin, D Ó Sé, PJ Mac Láimh; T Ó Sé,

É Ó Conchúir, S M Ó Conchúir. Subs: C MacGearailt for S M Ó Conchúir, S Ó Bambaire for M Ó Sé and G Mac an tSaoir for Ó Gairbhí (all H/T), C Ó Céilleachair for Ó Beaglaoich, C Ó Gairbhí for Sauerland and Ó Ó Sé for D Ó Sé (all 48).

ST SENANS – A Russell; D Conroy, J Bridgeman, D Finnerty; G Hanlon, I Ryan, R Flaherty; M Fitzgerald, S O’Connell; O Wallace, A Mulvihill, S McSweeney; J Naughton, C Mullane, R Hayes. Subs: D Woulfe for Hanlon (26), A Kearns for Wallace (30 +1), A Lane for Mulvihill and N Guiney for Conroy (both 48), K Kavanagh for Hayes (55) and D Fitzgerald for Finnerty (BC, 56).

REF – D Murnane (Cork)