The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Kenmare should have enough
WHEN you take a closer look at the recent level of success by Kerry sides in this competition a pattern appears to be emerging.
The last three Kerry sides to win this competition, Finuge (2012), Ardfert (2014) and St Marys (2015) all were previous winners of the Junior competition not too long previously and it is into this breach that Kenmare Shamrocks now step in, looking to be the fourth club from Kerry to do a provincial Junior and Intermediate Club title double.
It’s the last Kerry side not to win this competition in Currow that they should probably take some lessons from, however. When they lost in the 2013 semi-final to Clare side St Joseph’s Milltown / Malbay they lost to a team that had dropped down from senior level much like Kenmare’s opponents on Sunday Adare have in 2016.
After getting a bit of a fright from Bruree in the 2012 Junior Final, Kenmare will enter with some background knowledge of what to expect from a side from the Treaty County and with some Kerry knowledge in the Adare ranks in the form of Milltown / Castlemaine’s Fionan Kelliher, they would do well to keep their focus in advance of throw-in.
The scoreline against Fethard (4-25 to 0-5) speaks for itself. While it was wonderful to marvel at their movement in full flight on the October Bank Holiday Sunday in Clonmel, maybe we saw a bit more from Kenmare in terms of showing a bit of grit and determination after the off day for their forwards against Kilfenora.
For Adare they have only had one match in Munster to make it to this point, that being their three point win over Kiskeam in the semi-final after receiving a walkover into the last four when Waterford were unable to provide a representative in the Intermediate competition much like Glenbeigh / Glencar found out in the Junior equivalent.
While Kerry vs Limerick clashes have been regular occurrences in provincial Junior Club Finals, Sunday’s game will have the distinction of being the first ever time the counties will have faced off in a provincial Intermediate Football decider.
Adare are the first Limerick club in 11 years to have made the Final after St Senans (2003) and Pallasgreen (2005) lost out on the other two occasions Limerick sides have found themselves here.
In spite of the historical significance of the game from a countywide perspective, it’s simply about winning for their own club’s interests for these two teams on Sunday.
In Paul O’Connor, Stephen O’Brien and Seanie O’Shea have a trio a lot of inter-county sides would be happy with while David Hallissey, Tommy, Kevin and Shane O’Sullivan along with Kilgarvan duo John Mark Foley and Patrick O’Shea are others to have impressive for the club in the campaign thus far.
An All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Footballer of the Year Lee Keegan’s Westport is the prize on offer to Sunday’s victors alongside the provincial title. If Kenmare hit form and stop Adare getting momentum then it should be a third consecutive title for the Kingdom at this level.
Verdict: Kenmare Shamrocks