Near neighbours go to battle in South Kerry first round

IT’S that time of year again when eight teams go to battle for the Jack Murphy Cup in a hotly anticiapted South Kerry Senior Football Championship.

This year is a bit special as it is still the 1916 centenary celebration year with the final fixed for the Con Keating Park at St Mary’s request for Saturday, December 3 at 3pm.

A big day of pageantry, orations, pipe band and parades is being organised by the St Mary’s club with Christy O’Connell and Junior Murphy heading up the sub-committee.

We wish them good luck and knowing the gentlemen involved I’m sure they will give us a day to remember.

SOUTH KERRY SFC ROUND 1 Sunday, November 6 Renard 2pm

ON the football side All-Ireland intermediate champions St Marys go in as red hot favourites and they have the added motivation of going for three-in-a-row.

They also have a management team led by the great Maurice Fitzgerald that would not be out of place in the Premiership. Some of the players, Dan Casur, Noddy Driscoll and Austin Constable are going for their third three-in-a-row having achieved their first in 2001-03 and the second from 2009 to 2011.

It will be a truly remarkable feat should they achieve it. Constable is going for his 10th senior South Kerry championship medal having claimed one in 1995, after playing forward, midfield, full back and now in goal in the course of his illustrious career.

The current St Marys team is recognised as having one of the most potent forward lines in the county with Bryan Sheehan at midfield pulling the strings. Bryan is up there as one of the greatest county and South Kerry championship players of all time and his free taking skills have delivered many a trophy to club and district. Win, lose or draw this team is an absolute joy to watch playing football and its great that this style of play has been justly rewarded over the past few years. However, St Marys will be well tested in their first round tie with their old foe Renard who have home advantage. Renard have a very successful youth system in place for the last few years and they are now reaping the benefit with promotion last year. Full forward-cum-midfielder Mark Sugrue and Cian O’Leary can have a big say in this game. Renard can probably boast having the most competent defence starting out in the championship, with Killian Young, Rob Wharton (left) and Brian Sugrue all representing the county this year and in Alan Curran they have one of the best upcoming young defenders in South Kerry.

If the Renard backs can contain the Marys forwards early in the game it could make for an intriguing contest. The extremely vocal home crowd under the tutelage of Joe McCrohan always raise the volume a couple of decibels when they see the blue and white and this could well play a part, if the game is close.

St Marys to win but a lot closer than most pundits would have it. NOVEMBER 19/20 SEMI-FINALS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3 Final in Con Keating Park at 3pm FIXTURES