Banner day as Kingdom prepare for Ennis
KERRY senior footballers open their Munster Championship campaign on Sunday evening next when they travel to Cusack Park in Ennis for the semi-final against Clare, a match that has a 3:30pm throw-in time.
These two sides became very familiar with each other in 2016 when they met in both the Munster semi-final and in the All-Ireland quarter-final and on both occasions the Kingdom came out on top, however, Kerry players and management will no doubt reflect back to 2014 when the sides last met in Cusack Park.
On that occasion, a Kerry side with five players making their championship debuts, got out of the Ennis venue with a slender four points victory having trailed by a point to the Bannermen at the break. Some outstanding scores from Paul Geaney were a feature of that game.
The winners of Sunday’s game, which will be refereed by Padraig Hughes of Armagh, will play the winners of the other semi final between Cork and Tipperary which goes ahead on Saturday evening in Páirc Uí Rinn, in the Munster final which is scheduled for July 2.
The Kerry team will be named on Friday evening at 8pm. Patrons who purchase tickets in advance at Centra or Supervalu Stores (Including all Garveys Supervalu Stores) or on Tickets.ie will get a €5 discount if purchased before Saturday midnight. Under-16s will be admitted free.
Juniors
THE curtain raiser to Sunday’s senior football championship semi final is the Junior semi final against Limerick which throws in at 1:30pm.
Everyone will remember Kerry’s smash and grab against the same opposition in Fitzgerald Stadium last year when Adrian Spillane’s late goal deprived Limerick at the death and enabled Kerry to go on and put back to back All Ireland titles together.
None of that side are eligible of course this year and it has been a difficult time for new manager Jimmy Keane of Brosna who of course was a selector last year. In the last few years the Junior side has been made up by in large of Under 23 players, but this year due to injuries, exams and players going abroad for the summer, the new management team of Keane, Pól Ó Cuinn (An Ghaeltacht), Niall O’Mahony (Spa) and John O’Connell (Tarbert) have had to call in some of the 2015 winning side to the panel the likes of James Walsh, Conor Cox, Philip O’Connor and Jeff O’Donoghue.
Some of the Under 21 panel such as Killian Spillane and Brandon Barrett will also be in the mix and the management will be anxiously awaiting injury updates when they meet up on Tuesday evening following the weekend’s senior football league games in addition to a number of Gaeltacht players being involved in Comórtas Peile over the Bank Holiday period.
Limerick will have more or less their second string of players to pick from i.e. anyone who did not play against Clare in the senior quarter-final.
The Kerry team (which will be captained by Kieran Fitzgibbon of Kenmare with Killian Spillane of Templenoe the vice-captain) will be announced on Friday at 8pm.
Supporters Club Bus
THE Kerry GAA supporters club will take coaches to Ennis for the Munster Semi finals on Sunday and all seats must be booked by Thursday, June 8 through John King, Donal O’Leary or Martin Leane. Bus times are as follows: Farranfore 9.30; Tralee 10 o’clock and Listowel 10.30am.
Acorn Life U21 FC
THE draw for the Acorn Life Under-21 Football Championship was made live on Radio Kerry on Bank Holiday Monday by Pius Horgan representing sponsors, Acorn Life and Peter Twiss Chairman of the CCC.
All games to be played on Wednesday June 21 at 7.30pm with Extra Time applying if required. First named have home venue. Dr Crokes v Bye
Austin Stacks v South Kerry in Connolly Park St Brendans v Dingle TBC
West Kerry v Kerins O’Rahillys in Castlegregory An Ghaeltacht v Mid Kerry in Gallarus
East Kerry v Feale Rangers TBC Shannon Rangers v Kenmare District in Coolard St Kierans v Spa TBC
Couuty SFC
THE draw for Round 3 of the Garveys Supervalu Senior Football Championship will be made at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium on Friday June 16 the occasion of the Kerry GAA Night of Champions.
All Ireland Club Champions Dr Crokes, Austin Stacks Kerins O’Rahillys and Rathmore are already through to the quarter finals from Round 2A. The losers from Round 2A i.e. Dingle, Feale Rangers, Killarney Legion and St Brendans will be drawn against the winners from Round 2B i.e. Kenmare Shamrocks, West Kerry, South Kerry and East Kerry in Round 3 with four quarter final places at stake on the weekend of July 9.
The quarter-final draw will see the Round 2A winners in one bowl and the Round 3 winners in another bowl with repeat fixtures to be avoided if possible.
Under 17
CHURCHILL have won the inaugural Under 17 nine-a-side competition organised by the Coaching and Games Committee. There were also wins for Laune Rangers and Gneeveguilla in their respective divisions. The following are the results: THE annual “Night of Champions” fundraising event for Kerry GAA teams at the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium on Friday June 16 is just a week away and this Friday night will see the semi finals of the Club Sweeps which started out with every club and District board being ‘twinned’ with a dog.
The Kerry GAA Supporters Club is the new sponsor of the feature race on finals night; the “Kerry GAA Supporters Club Race of Champions”. The Race of Champions will be just one of eleven quality races on the card which will be broadcast live on Radio Kerry.
The event will also feature a Best Dressed Lady competition kindly sponsored by Jasmine Boutique. Kerry county footballers and hurlers will be in attendance and available for photographs and autographs.
Jimmy Roche RIP
THE GAA community in Kerry was shocked and saddened at the weekend with the news of the sudden passing of Cordal County Board Delegate Jimmy Roche.
Jimmy, who was also well known to the farming community having been chairman of Castleisland Mart for a number of years, served in all positions for his beloved Cordal from chairman down – he was secretary of the club at the tender age of 16 years – and of course was involved as a trainer and selector with both the club and the St Kieran’s county championship sides.
In fact he was a selector with St Kierans when they won the County Championship in their inaugural year of 1988.
The Roche family are synonymous with Cordal and indeed the field is called after Jimmy’s father John Roche. The large turnout at his removal and funeral was testament to the esteem in which Jimmy was held by both the GAA and farming communities. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Mountain Rescue Walk
FORMER Spa player James Cahill, who represented Kerry in all grades of football from minor through to senior, is organising a 7K walk around Muckross in aid of Kerry Mountain Rescue on Saturday next.
James owes his life to the Mountain Rescue Team who brought him to safety following a climbing accident.
Registration is between 10 and 11am at the restaurant in Muckross House and all donations will go to the Rescue Team.