Footballers face long trip to Letterkenny to take on Donegal

KERRY open their Allianz Football League campaign with the long trip to Letterkenny to take on Donegal on Sunday next (2pm). It will be a much changed Kerry side from that which did duty against the same opposition in Austin Stack Park in the first week of March last year.

For a start, those two outstanding defenders, Marc Ó Sé and Aidan O’Mahony have called a halt to their intercounty careers while the likes of the Dr Crokes contingent of Colm Cooper, Johnny Buckley and Fionn Fitzgerald are all club tied as is Darran O’Sullivan. Mention of Colm Cooper, and the Killarney man has reiterated his decision to wait until Dr Crokes’ involvement in the Club Championship is over before making a decision on his future on the inter-county scene.

Bryan Sheehan and Anthony Maher are confined to gym work right now and neither will be available for the first two rounds of the League. Alan Fitzgerald, controversially dismissed in the early part of the game in Tralee last year, has stepped out of the squad for the time being as he continues rehabing from an injury he received last season but welcome news for Kerry supporters is that Kieran Donaghy is back training with the squad on a one night a week basis while continuing his basketball activities and may even play a part in the concluding stages of the League.

James O’Donoghue and Paul Murphy, who both took knocks in the McGrath Cup final, will be available for selection as will three or four members of the U-21 squad such as Jason Foley, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Tom O’Sullivan and Barry O’Sullivan, but Stephen O’Brien, who played only a bit part in the All Ireland Club semi-final with his native Kenmare on Sunday last due to injury, will be an absentee.

Dr Crokes, who have the honour of naming the Kerry captain for the coming year, will not do so until their Club Championship campaign comes to an end and in the meantime Peter Crowley of Laune Rangers will captain the team.

While Donegal have only recorded one victory on Kerry soil (back in 1988, Kerry have only won one of their last five games in Donegal, that in 2003 in Ballyshannon, so there is no denying the task facing the Kingdom. Donegal fielded their U-21s in the pre season McKenna Cup competition and like Kerry, they have lost the services of a number of experienced players over the Winter months. It will be interesting to say the least to see the makeup of both teams that will do duty on Sunday as both sides embark on the task of replacing some household names. From a Kerry perspective it will be a chance for some of the U-21 side to stake a claim on the team before they return to the U-21 squad after Round 2. It promises to be an intriguing battle between two sides who usually bring the best out of each other; the game will be refereed by Maurice Deegan of Laois.

The Kerry team will be announced after training on Friday at 8:30 and posted on the Kerry GAA Website and will also be carried on Radio Kerry after the 9pm news.

The remaining League games are home to Mayo in Austin Stack Park on February 11 under lights; home to Monaghan in Fitzgerald Stadium on February 26; away to Roscommon on March 5 and then, after a two-week break, three games on the trot starting with a home game against Dublin in Austin Stack Park under lights on March 18; away to Cavan in Breffni Park on March 26 and home to Tyrone in Fitzgerald Stadium on April 2. The final is fixed for April 9.

Former Killarney publican and well known GAA and traditional music personality Jimmy O’Brien was the winner of the first prize of a new Opel Insignia Car in the Kerry GAA Car Draw held during the Annual Convention of Kerry GAA just before Christmas. Jimmy was presented with the keys to the new Insignia in Aherns Opel Garage in Castleisland during the past week. Pictured from left: Pat Ahern, Aherns Opel Dealers, Paudie Dineen, Kerry GAA Assistant Treasurer, Jimmy O’Brien, Barry Ryan and David O’Brien, Aherns Opel, Joe Wallace, Kerry GAA Car Draw Committee, James O’Brien, and John O’Leary, Kerry GAA PRO.