The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Well done to Peter and the entire Kerry minor panel
THIS scribe and friends took our place high up in the Davin Stand for the recent All-Ireland senior football and minor matches.
Not far away were former All-Ireland senior football winning captains Richie Connor (Offaly, 1982) and Kieran McGeeney (Armagh, 2002).
On entry to the grounds we met Frank Coffey, the Chairman of Beaufort GAA. Frank was looking to a good display from his clubman Mike Breen, the midfielder for the Kerry minors. The Davin turned out to be quite a good vantage point as we witnessed the two own goals of the first half and some very significant and defining Mayo missed chances in the latter stages of the second half.
We were sincerely hoping that Mayo would at last decommission all the ghosts and goblins of that long established curse but once more it was not to be, at least on this occasion. Ach bfhéidir fós go mbeidh lá eile ag an bPaorach.
It was indeed very satisfying to see the Kerry minors under the management of Peter Keane of Cahirsiveen complete the three in-a-row. Well done to Peter, son of Nuala and the late Tom Keane of the former Ringside Rest Hotel in the west end of Cahirsiveen, and nephew of the well established St Marys GAA Cahirsiveen men Junior and Peter Murphy.
Peter Murphy is a long time GAA administrator. Junior Murphy was a Kerry minor selector for a total of 10 years and was a selector with Charlie Nelligan when the Kerry minors defeated Galway in the All-Ireland final of 1994. Coincidentally, of course, Peter’s success was also versus Galway. His father, the late Tom, was a former Chairman of the South Kerry Board, referee, and all things GAA at club and district board level.
Peter, now the owner of PK’s retail outlet in Killorglin, played an All-Ireland semi-final with the Kerry minors in 1989 and is the holder of four under 21 County Championship medals with South Kerry. They were achieved in 1987, 88, 91 and 92 (as captain). He also won an All-Ireland Vocational Colleges medal with his former Alma Mater, Coláiste Iosagáin of Ballyvourney. His training skills also incorporated guiding his home club St Marys of Cahirsiveen to an All-Ireland Junior club title, South Kerry championships and he almost guided Killarney Legion to County championship success over his native South Kerry.
Congratulations also to Graham O’Sullivan of Dromid Pearses on winning his second in-a-row All-Ireland medal. Is he the only Dromid man with an All-Ireland medal? Is he the only South Kerry man with two? Well done also to Darren Casey of St Marys who was a substitute.
Dr. Crokes had four on the starting 15. Dingle had four in 2014. In 1975 three Cahirsiveen men were on the winning starting 15 versus Tyrone. They were Joe Joe O’Connor (wing back), a man called Jack O’Shea at full forward and Paudie Sheahan (corner forward).
On leaving the grounds we met a hurried Jackie Tuohy and John Morgan O’Sullivan of Kenmare. They were elated with their Kenmare Kerry minor captain Sean O’Shea. “We will have a great night in Kenmare’’, they stated. And so they had.
We paid the traditional visit to the Gresham Hotel in O’Connell Street. A tinge of sadness on such an occasion now as we remembered deceased friends of recent years who frequented it annually for the All-Ireland. People such as Pat Joe Cooper, Sean Lynch and John Joe (The Mason) O’Sullivan of Valentia as well as Jim Foley of Keel and New York and Bart Murphy of The Glen. May the Lord rest them.
Footnote: Tomás Murtagh from Bohola in County Mayo is a long suffering and passionate Mayo football supporter who eagerly looks forward to an All-Ireland win. He was not even born when Mayo last did so in 1951. Tomás is married to Dympna O’Sullivan, formerly of the Creamery Shop in Renard. Kerry supporters would like to thank them for their hospitality in Glasnevin at the weekend.
Cassidy’s pub in Camden Street is operated by the former Dublin footballer Fran Ryder in association with Jamesie O’Donnell (brother of the singer Daniel). It’s also a Mecca for GAA followers and Jamesie O’Donnell’s friend G.G. O’Sullivan from Valentia is never slow to bring friends there on big GAA match weekends.
This occasion proved no different.