SIDELINES

Mikie Galvin became the first Kerry man to win the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. The Killarney native was co-driver for west Cork pilot Keith Cronin. The south west pair claimed the title by taking four th spot in the Cork 20 International Rally in their Citreon D3 R5. Superleague Basketball returned to the Kingdom this month with the debut of the Tralee Warriors. The new side, coached by former Tralee Tigers coach Mark Bernsen, with Kerry star Kieran Donaghy just one of the stars on the playing roster, hosted their first game against Belfast Star at the Tralee Sports Complex. Bernsen’s side ran out 63-56 winners in front of a bumper crowd. Liam Dowling’s College Paradise – a 5/1 shot – claimed the Mulvaney Memorial 600 Sweepstake at Shelbourne Park. Dingle Bay bowed out of the Munster League Champions Trophy at the quarter-final stage. The west Kerry outfit went down to a 3-1 defeat against west Limerick outfit Abbeyfeale United. Lixnaw – who had claimed back to back county minor hurling titles in recent years – delivered upon their potential with a nine point victory over St Brendans in the final of the County Under 21 hurling championship. Under the management of inter-county star John Griffin the green and gold were powered by goals from Colin Sheehy and rising star Shane Conway who bagged for himself 2-10 – 1-2 of that from play. “Delighted,” was John Griffin’s initial reaction. “I thought going into it we probably had an excellent hurling team, very balanced.” Tralee added their name to the Dr Billy O’Sullivan Shield for the fourth time with a convincing 4-1 victory over Killorglin in the final played at Killarney’s O’Mahony’s Point course. The final was played in ideal conditions. The rugby community in Kerry, Munster and beyond was in deep mourning this month with the news that Anthony Foley passed away suddenly in Paris. The Munster head coach passed in his hotel room bed the night before the reds were due to face Racing Metro in the Champions Cup. Kerry selector Diarmuid Murphy stepped down from his role as selector with the Kerry senior football team. Murphy had been a selector with the side since 2011, serving under two managers, Jack O’Connor and present boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice. Names linked with the open position included Tommy Griffin, Seamus Moynihan and Maurice Fitzgerald. Tralee native Ultan Dillane penned a two year contract extension with Connacht Rugby, ending speculation linking him with a return to his native Munster for the star t of the 2017/2018 season. Former Kerry footballer and renowned pundit Pat Spillane was honoured at the Gaelic Writers Awards with a Hall of Fame award. Out-going Kerry ladies football manager Alan O’Neill was appointed to coach the Legion senior football team for the 2017 campaign. A star-studded East Kerry side, managed by Kerry legend Seamus Moynihan, had to dig deep to see off Mid Kerry in the final of the County Minor Football Championship in Fitzgerald. Moynihan’s men ran out comfor table winners in the end – 3-16 to 0-9 winners – but that scoreline fails to do justice to the efforts of Seán O’Sullivan’s Mid Kerry side who were doing really well in the game before a goal before half-time by East Kerry’s David Spillane set the tone for what was to come. In the Munster Junior Club hurling championship Kilgarvan gave a very creditable account of themselves in a ten point defeat to Waterford’s Ballyduff Lower in Walsh Park in Waterford City. They went down 0-15 to 0-5. In colleges football there were wins for St Brendans College – over PS Corca Dhuibhne 1-16 to 2-12 – in the O’Sullivan Cup and Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine – over Gaelcolaiste Ciarraí 0-17 to 3-7 – in the Moynihan Cup final. Castlegregory’s Tommy King rose to claim The Kerryman’s Captain’s Challenge on his home turf in Castlegregory. The ladies prize was claimed by Jenny Pigott of Dooks. Fossa and Beale played out a draw in the final of the County Junior Football Final in Austin Stack Park. After an enthralling and high-scoring game the clubs finished all square at the end of extra-time with Fossa taking 3-10 and Beale 1-16. The clubs had qualified for the final earlier in the month with Fossa seeing off Scartaglin in Farranfore 2-7 to 0-7 and Beale seeing off a strongly fancied Listry side 0-12 to 0-11 in Strand Road.