East Kerry Juvenile Hurling...
EAST Kerry is lucky to have a dedicated group of people in Firies, Dr Crokes, St Pats and Rathmore GAA Clubs, all of whom have a vast knowledge and love for the great game of hurling. The commitment by parents, mentors and players is also exceptional.
The U6 and U8 teams compete in numerous hurling blitzes throughout the year. These are held at different pitches across East Kerry. The U10 teams compete in the Dr Bill Mangan tournament. The qualifying stages of which are held at Dr Crokes’ ground. The final is held at Muckross traditional farms, while the U10 teams also take part in Rathmore’s Denis Nagle tournament.
At U12 level, teams from Firies, Rathmore and a joint St Pats/Dr Crokes team compete in the County League, County Championship and South Kerry League.
At U14 level, Firies, Dr Crokes, St Pats and Rathmore amalgamated to form a South Kerry team. This year was extra special as the U14’s qualified for the John West Féile championship in June. This mighty South Kerry team put in a great performance to overcome the host club (3- 02 to 1- 06) and qualified for the Cup quarter final. Their game against Carrick-on-Shannon ended in victory. So they headed for the semi-finals. However, they went down fighting to the Longford Slashers. This was a fabulous and enjoyable occasion for the young hurlers. A big thanks is also owed to Pat O’Brien, who travelled to the Féile and updated people on the team’s progress throughout the tournament. Special thanks to the mentors and parents from the East Kerry District, who support hurling at St Pat’s, Dr. Crokes, Firies and Rathmore. Lastly, the Board is proud that hurling is getting ever stronger and the skills these young players acquire is impressive.