The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Milltown / Castlemaine and Na Gaeil qualify for Féile football finals
FÉILE PEIL NA NÓG
THE national Féile Peil na nÓg will be held in Monaghan, Cavan and Fermanagh while the Division 1 County Féile will be held in Sligo at the end of June. Kerry will have three qualifiers for the national weekend - Kerry B, C and D. Kerry A will be in Sligo.
Milltown / Castlemaine’s U-14s are in the B qualifiers. Last Wednesday, Milltown / Castlemaine hosted Group 2B of the Kerry Coiste na nÓg Féile Peil na nÓg qualifiers. Milltown / Castlemaine played Na Gaeil in the first game.
Na Gaeil had a very fast start with two goals in the first minute. Milltown Castlemaine rallied and as the game went into the second half they had levelled the match. However Na Gaeil lifted their game in the last few minutes to score three consecutive points to win on a scoreline of Na Gaeil 3-3 to Milltown Castlemaine 1-6.
The second game was Na Gaeil v An Ghaeltacht. Na Gaeil qualified for the Division 2 Féile final as top seeds from this group with a controlled win. Na Gaeil led from pillar to post with again an early goal having them in control.
An Ghaeltacht rallied but the speed of the breaking Na Gaeil forwards meant that Na Gaeil won on a scoreline of Na Gaeil 3-5 An Ghaeltacht 1-2.
The final place in the Féile semi-finals was to be decided by the last game of the evening. Milltown / Castlemaine and An Ghaeltacht served an end to end game with Milltown / Castlemaine’s very young defence setting the platform for their teams win.
Milltown / Castlemaine’s forwards got the room in the second half to ensure that they qualified with a win on a scoreline of Milltown / Castlemaine 2-3 An Ghaeltacht 0-4. Well done to the players of all three teams for some very entertaining and enjoyable football.
Na Gaeil and Milltown / Castlemaine qualify for the Division 2 semi-finals, which will be held on Wednesday May 3. Times and venues to be confirmed.
KERRY HURLING FÉILE PLAY-OFFS
THE Kerry Hurling Féile play-offs took place in Ballduff, Kenmare, and Kilgarvan at the weekend.
In Ballyduff, the home side and Crotta O’Neills both defeated Lixnaw, and Ballyduff’s 2-7 to 0-4 win saw them top the group, with Crotta O’Neills second. In Kilgarvan, Ballyheigue and Kenmare/Kilgarvan both had wins over a young St. Brendans side, and a thriller of a decider saw Kenmare / Kilgarvan edge the group by a solitary point, 0-8 to 1-4.
Crotta O’Neills will play Kenmare/Kilgarvan and Ballyduff will play Ballyheigue at the A semi-finals next Saturday (time and venue to be decided).
In Rathmore, Tralee Parnells, South Kerry, Abbeydorney, and Kilmoyley played off for the right to contest the Kerry B Final. The possibility of a three-way play-off still exited going into the final round of games, but in the end Tyralee Parnells topped the group with three wins and South Kerry, with two wins, took the second spot.
Tralee Parnells will now play South Kerry in the Kerry B Final in Kilmoyley of May 1 at 6pm, followed by the A Final. This is always a great occasion and a highlight of Kerry’s hurling calendar.
Thanks to competition co-ordinator Ger Hussey, venue co-ordinators John Ross, Johnny Conway, and Liam Goggins, referees, mentors, supporters, and especially the young and enthusiastically skilful players who made it such an enjoyable day of hurling.