Premier Junior final is curtainraiser to seniors

THE clash of Na Gaeil and Glenbeigh-Glencar in the Castleisland Mart Junior Premier Football final will be a unique curtain raiser on Sunday next.

This is the first year of this competition which came about following the deliberations of the Senior Football Championship Review Committee who decided to re-name the Junior championship to Junior Premier and the Novice to Junior.

All club teams outside of the Senior and Intermediate grades competed in a qualifier round where Junior teams in 2015 were drawn against last year’s novice teams. The winners of those qualifiers were graded as Junior Premier while the losers were graded as Junior for the current year.

Glenbeigh-Glencar have a painful history in the Junior Championship and have the unenviable record of being defeated by the eventual winners of the competition in the last five years including a couple of finals. On their way to the final they have accounted for Knocknagoshel, St Pats, Dromid Pearses and Ballydonoghue in the semi final. They possess a very experienced side many of whom have graced county final day at senior level.

In comparison, Tralee side Na Gaeil are a young and up and coming side who topped Division 4 of the Senior Football League with Fossa but do not let the fact that they operate out of the lower half of the league fool you; once they accounted for Cromane and Ballymac in the opening rounds they have made a habit of beating teams above them in the League defeating Annascaul from Division 3 in the quarter finals and Emmets from Division 2 in the semis.

The winners on Sunday will also have the distinction of winning the Tom Keane Perpetual Cup which was presented by the Keane family of Cahersiveen in memory of that great GAA stalwart, the late Tom Keane. The throw in for Sunday’s game is 1:30pm and referee is Donal Casey of Scartaglin.