The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Kerry crowned All-Ireland Minor champions for third year in a row GAA Scene
County Board PRO John O’Leary with all the GAA news
KERRY’S Minor footballers completed a hat trick of All Ireland titles in the grade when overcoming a dogged Galway side in trying conditions at Croke Park on Sunday last. Kerry went into this game as raging favourites, a tag that is often very difficult to live up to, and were up against a side that set out their stall in a very defensive fashion, however, Kerry once again proved that they were the outstanding team in the grade this year.
The wet conditions, which resulted in a very greasy ball and surface, meant that we were never going to see the free flowing football that both sides displayed during the summer but Kerry were more than prepared to get down and dirty when it was needed and they were well worth that seven-point winning margin, 3-7 to 0-9.
In some ways, this was their best performance of the year; they came into the game with that heavy burden of expectation and very few within the county were prepared to give Galway the credit they deserved but the winners displayed some magical touches that lit up a dreary afternoon and two or three of these will live long in the memory.
It was a special day for the likes of team captain Sean O’Shea, Billy Courtney, Mike Breen, Daniel O’Brien, Graham O’Sullivan and Bryan Sweeney who were winning their second Minor medal and it was nice to see Cormac Linnane, who suffered a serious injury in last year’s Munster final, complete his recovery by making an appearance in Croke Park.
Well done also to the management team; Peter Keane and his selectors Tommy Griffin and James Foley were on a hiding to nothing taking over from twotime winner Jack O’Connor and they more than justified the faith placed in them to complete a three in a row – a feat only once before achieved by Kerry and that way back between 1931 and 1933. So after a drought of twenty years without a title Kerry are now basking in the glory of three titles on the trot in what has been a glorious period for the grade both at county and colleges level.
Their achievement of completing an historic three in a row of All Ireland titles for Kerry will be recognised by the County Committee during the County Senior Football Championship double bill in Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday, October 2 when players and management will be introduced to the crowd.