The 21 for ’21
Damian Stack takes a look at 21 sports people who look set to make a big impact in 2021
1.MONIKA DUKARSKA & AILEEN CROWLEY
First on our list and... we’re already bending the rules a little by grouping together two athletes whose fate looks set it be bound up together in 2021. That they’re both proud Killorglin women makes it all the more appropriate. Both are world-class rowers and both will have their eyes firmly fixed on making it to the land of the land of the rising sun for this summer’s Olympic Games. Those games, of course, were due to be held last summer. Dukarska and Crowley had qualified a boat for the games – the W2 – in 2019 and were both set for the Tokyo games. Of course, the fact that they had qualified the boat didn’t necessarily mean that they were both guaranteed to be on it. The pair still had to maintain their form and their fitness to ensure their passage to Japan. The same applies now. Crowley finished last season on a high by taking a bronze medal in the Women’s Four W4-A Final at the European Rowing Championships in October. Having seen the games cancelled once, Dukarska and Crowley will be nervously looking on at the situation in Tokyo at the moment with a spike in coronavirus, but with the Japanese authorities determined for the games to go ahead it does seem likely that they will (if perhaps behind closed doors).
2. DAVID CLIFFORD
Last year definitely didn’t pan out the way David Clifford would have planned. Of course, nothing panned out the way any of us planned, but for the Fossa man to have his first championship game as Kerry captain end the way it did will really have rankled. Of course, he has to take some of the blame for that – it was far from a vintage performance from Clifford in Páirc Uí Chaoimh – but still it’ll have stung and stung deeply. Clifford knows Kerry are better than what they showed down by the Marina. He knows he’s better than what he showed down by the Marina. You can be damned sure he’ll be all out to prove it this year, and it would appear likely that he’ll retain his captaincy for another season. Nothing has been decided yet, but without there having been an O’Donoghue Cup played (or rather completed) it’s wholly down to the East Kerry Board to make the call. With Clifford left feeling there is unfinished business to attend to after last year, it’d be cruel not to allow him another crack at the whip as captain in ‘21.
3. PAUL NAGLE
The Agahadoe man actually had a very encouraging 2020 campaign alongside Craig Breen, despite a few disappointments (mostly rallies being called off, notably in Ypres). The pair have made real strides in their relationship with Hyundai. Indeed, their second place at the Rally Estonia firmly put themselves into contention for a full-time drive with the Korean squad. Even though they didn’t secure a full season, the fact they were handed a share of Hyundai’s third car with Spaniard Dani Sordo shows the esteem in which they’re held. Nagle was due to fly out next month for the second round of the World Rally Championship in Sweden but with that event cancelled his hopes now lie with a new Arctic rally being held in Finland.
4. JACK DALY
We’d really love to know what’s in the water out there in Currow and Currans. The area has an incredible record of producing top class rugby players – Moss Keane, Mick Galwey and JJ Hanrahan to name but a few – and has done it again in the form of Jack Daly. The Currans man might not be altogether that well-known outside of rugby circles just yet, but we’d imagine that will change over the coming twelve months. The Flanker – a product of the Castleisland nursery and Garryowen RFC – made his competitive debut against Zebre in the POR 14 at the beginning of last month. With the 6 Nations on the horizon and with a Lions Tour to come this summer (potentially at least), we might be getting to see a lot more of Daly in the months ahead.
5. KEVIN COYNE
The young Killarney racer is a determined competitor, he’d have to be to start his career in the British Superbikes feeder series in such a difficult year. Still Coyne was clearly determined not to allow the pandemic hamper his racing career and signed up to and competed in the Thundersport GB category racing in world-famous tracks like Donnington Park, Oulton Park and Siverstone. The eighteen-year-old will continue his adventure in the UK this year and has signed up for the British National Superstock 600 category, which is due to get underway on the May Bank Holiday weekend in Oulton Park (pandemic allowing of course!).
6. DAVID KENNY
The Farranfore / Mainevalley athlete has a big 2021 ahead of him, with a spot on the plane for the Tokyo Games high on his list of priorities. In the early part of last year, Kenny was setting records and personal bests seemingly every other week. Before the first lockdown it seemed a near certainty that Kenny would be on his way to Tokyo for the games, but with events being cancelled – not to mention the games themselves – those dreams were delayed, albeit far from denied. There’s still a bit of uncertainty about the games going ahead this year, but we would imagine that they will (even if they have to be held behind closed doors). Indeed the delay of a year might actually play to the young man’s advantage. He’s currently training in South Africa.
7. MARK O’CONNOR
There’s more than a tinge of regretsaround these parts for what Mark O’Connor may have been able to do last year. For one thing he came damned close to emulating Tadhg Kennelly in the AFL, but more so than that it was the fact he could have helped fire Kerry to an All Ireland title had the Kingdom made it over the line against the Rebels. It’s no exaggeration to say that O’Connor would well have been the missing piece Kerry needed to get over the Dubs. It’s unlikely O’Connor will get the chance to line out with Kerry this year – never say never though the way things are going with the pandemic, the timing of things isn’t exactly set in stone – but he will get the chance to make up for defeat in the Grand Final with Geelong. The Victorian club will be out to make right their loss this year and O’Connor is certain
to be at the vanguard.
8. SIOFA O’SHEA
O’Shea, who turned 19 recently, is definitely the next big thing in Kerry ladies football. To be honest it’s less a case of her announcing her arrival on the scene as continu
ing the progression she’s already shown. She plays at full-forward for the most part, but has the ability and inclination to drop deeper as and when the situation demands, without sacrificing her goal-scoring threat. If Kerry are to complete their stated goal for the year – promotion back to Division 1 – O’Shea will be at the vanguard, that much is certain. O’Shea will also hope to continue to inspire Southern Gaels back to the top of the domestic summit, they reached the county final last year losing out to Rathmore. O’Shea is also an accomplished basketball player with St Marys, Castleisland.
9. KEVIN CRONIN
Last year was a very frustrating one for the Milltown man. He was all set to push on with his professional career, but the lock-down cost him the chance to get some decent bouts under his belt. Still if there’s one thing we know about Cronin it’s that he’s massively determined and positive thinking. A couple of chances to get his season back up and running stalled, but he’s got much brighter prospects in 2021. In the offing is a potential bout with Tyrone fighter and MTK prospect Taylor McGoldrick. Before that showdown with the Ulster man, Cronin will be keen for a few warm-up fights. The showdown with McGoldrick, if it does happen, will happen in the second half of the year possible in October or November. Definitely something to look forward to.
10. BARRY MAHONY
Last year was a slightly odd sort of a year for the Crotta O’Neills / St Senans man. A call-up to the Kerry senior football squad made for an exciting start to the year, alas the pandemic made it all the more difficult for the midfielder to make the type of impact he would have liked. Indeed by the time action resumed, he was out injured and then when we finally did see him in the green and gold it was with a hurl in his hand. And as it turned out he was actually really rather good despite limited playing time. He definitely made an impact for Kerry in the Joe McDonagh Cup Final. Such is his quality as a hurler that his reintegration with the Kerry senior hurling squad bodes well for the year ahead. Kerry will again challenge for a place in the league final – again that should prove a difficult ask – and again Kerry will challenge for a place in the Joe Mac Final. Kerry are the coming side at that level and with Mahony back look well-placed.
11. JJ HANRAHAN
The months leading up to the first lockdown in March and April of last year were arguably the most productive of the Currow man’s career. The break probably came at just the wrong time for him.. and yet it doesn’t seem to have done him any harm whatsoever. With Joey Carbery still on the injured list, Hanrahan is still the main man at ten for Munster. Some sterling performances from him and from Munster of late have put them in contention for the PRO 14 title this year – Hanrahan kicked 11 points against Connacht on Monday evening. With the Jonathan Sexton era drawing to a close, Hanrahan might well force his way into consideration for Ireland if he keeps this type of form up.
12. KILLIAN SPILLANE
For a man who didn’t start a championship match last year, Killian Spillane nevertheless managed to stake a claim as both Kerry’s player of the championship and, indeed, one of the top forwards in last year’s race for Sam. His four points from play Kerry the Kingdom in the hunt in Páirc Uí Chaoimh against the Rebels and, really, he deserved better than to be dumped from the championship after the heroics he performed.
Heading into the new season we suspect a lot of Kerry fans will want to see a lot more of the Templenoe man in the green and gold and not off the bench either – his repeated impressive showings off the bench could lead to him being seen as a super sub potentially – people want to see this guy get starts and get more game time during the National League campaign when it kicks-off (whenever that may be). We count ourselves amongst those. The 2014 All Ireland minor championship winner has come of age.
13. DECLAN O’SULLIVAN
We’ve long been admirers of Declan O’Sullivan as a coach. The work he’s done with Dromid Pearses over the last couple of years has been absolutely top rate. He’s brought them a county title – going ever so close to a second provincial title –and reclaimed the Jack Murphy Cup for the men of the Inny. He’s also spent time on Jack O’Connor’s coaching ticket with the Kerry Under 21s. This is a guy who’s going about it the right way, learning his trade before taking on a big job. Late last year he took the plunge, taking over the Kerry Under 20 footballers for the next couple of seasons. It’s a big job at the best of times but at the moment with so much uncertainty about when games stand to be played it’s even more difficult. Still it’s going to be fascinating to see how it plays out for him and for Kerry this year at U-21 level where the Kingdom should be pretty strong.
14. SARA MURPHY
Murphy has become a rock of the Kingdom’s camogie squad, lining out either at full-back or centre-back. She was a leading figure in Ian Brick’s squad last year and will look forward to the 2021 campaign – whenever it does get underway – with confidence. It’s been a really good time for camogie in the county and the Kingdom’s fine performance in last year’s intermediate championship suggests there’s more to come. Murphy and co will be hoping to retain their Division 2 status for another season (there is a possibility it’ll be played on a regional basis) and will hope to go one better than their quarter-final appearance in the intermediate championship, which seems likely to be played without B teams again this year.
15. SHANE CONWAY
The little magician from Lixnaw by no stretch of the imagination had a bad 2020. He retained the Fitzgibbon Cup with UCC and made two national finals with the Kingdom. True enough both of those finals were lost and to the same opposition, but there was signs of meaningful progress for Fintan O’Connor’s men last year. Conway also got his first taste of action in Croke Park and, unsurprisingly, he lit the place up with his array of skills and vision. Having tasted life in the big house once, we really do feel that Conway will be all out to get back to there as soon as possible this year. Kerry should be in contention for a place in the Division 2A league final again this year and they will arguably be amongst the favourites, if not the favourites, for a place in the Joe Mac Final. A player of Conway’s calibre deserves to be playing in Division 1 and in the Liam MacCarthy, this might be the year he makes that dream a reality.
16. PADDY KENNEDY
Even though he’s probably the oldest of the professional jockeys from the Kingdom on the circuit at the moment, in a lot of ways Paddy Kennedy is the new kid on the block when it comes to opportunities in his career. The Dingle man, elder brother of Jack, has been making real strides in his career over the last couple of months. A big part of that is Robbie Power’s move to the UK. Power’s move has left a space in Jessica Harrington’s roster for Kennedy to take advantage of. With Harrington’s number 1 jockey not available all the time, Kennedy has been picking up a lot of rides. So far this season he’s won a career best fifteen races with the prospect of many more to come. Kennedy stands on the cusp of a real breakthrough.
17. ULTAN DILLANE
Another big year for the Tralee man. He’s currently in the last year of a two-year deal with Connacht and the IRFU. Presumably his contract would have been renewed by now only for the pandemic – which seems to have forced a delay in a lot of the Union’s contract negotiations – but there has to be a chance that the big man at this stage of his career, he’s 27 years of age, might look to a move abroad. Either way his form with Connacht is as strong as it’s been, he’s arguably in the form of his career, and, despite a set-back against Munster earlier this week, the western province have been going really well of late. Looks all but certain to play some part in the 6 Nations.
18. TIM MURPHY
Does a County Board Chairman need an All Ireland title under his watch for his tenure to be considered a success? To be honest no, that’s a little too simplistic, but at the same time every chairman of the Kerry County Board wants one, and for obvious reasons. It can be seen as a manifestation of all the good work that’s been done, but we have to acknowledge that the work of an All Ireland takes a bit of time. If Kerry don’t win an All Ireland this year, his last as chairman, it won’t mean that Murphy hasn’t played his part if and when they finally do get over the line. The last two years of Murphy’s term look set to be dominated by the pandemic. After an assured handling of the crisis in 2020, Murphy will be hoping for more of the same this year and if Sam can make his way to the Kingdom, all the better.
19. PARIS McCARTHY
McCarthy is a real up and comer in the Kerry basketball scene. The Castleisland guard has been capped for Ireland at Under 15 and Under 17 level and is described as an all-action, swashbuckling type of player with brilliant balance, great skills and a phenomenal work-ethic. McCarthy is also a very impressive Gaelic footballer and was a Kerry minor footballer last year, playing against Tipperary in the Munster championship before Covid restrictions called a halt to underage competition.
20. STEFAN OKUNBOR
Last year was a big one for the AFL man off the pitch with his outspoken and brave comments on race in Ireland and in the GAA. On the pitch an achilles injury halted his progress, but the lock-down period allowed him to recuperate nicely. After he turned heads in the Victorian Football League in 2019 there was a hope that he might push on to the senior ranks with Geelong in 2020. He’ll be hoping to nail down a place in the squad this year with last season’s runners-up.
21. PETER KEANE
Not to riff again on the old Páidí Ó Sé line about Kerry football supporters, but they really are a demanding bunch. It was only a few months ago that Kerry were being spoken of as potential All Ireland champions, it’s only a few months ago that Kerry reclaimed the National League title, and yet one gets the sense that as we head into the 2021 campaign that Peter Keane is under a bit of pressure to deliver... to deliver what though? An All Ireland title? Yeah that’s always an expectation in Kerry, but given Dublin’s dominance it might be a touch out of reach at the moment. If Peter Keane was to get Kerry back to where they were before the catastrophe in Cork then that probably would be considered a strong season. Yes, everyone in Kerry wants to win the All Ireland title, but if Keane and Kerry were to reach an All Ireland final this year and run Dublin close that should be enough to get everyone back on side.