Commiserations to the South Kerry team

COMMISERATIONS to the South Kerry team and management on their loss to Dr Crokes in the recent County Senior Football Final. For Kerry GAA followers the county final is a must, second in importance to the All-Ireland final.

On that auspicious occasion in the Kerry GAA domestic calendar people can readily recall those with whom they travelled to the final down through the years.. The scribe had the pleasure of this year travelling with two prominent Valentia Island dairy farmers, Donal O’Donoghue (the chauffeur) and Tim O’Driscoll. Having crossed the Valentia Bridge, discussion on the price of milk and the impact of Brexit on farming soon gave way to talk of the impending match. We arrived to the stand in Austin Stack Park but found difficulty in finding seats. My two travelling friends soon obtained very scarce seats but I was left at a loose end.

However, from high up in the back of the stand, my predicament was observed by Joe Lynch from Coromore. A prompt phone call from Joe told me that a few seats were to be had quite close to him. Sure enough they were and I left my comfortably seated two island friends behind.

Joe was in good company surrounded by islanders and a few outside neighbours who included the Tralee domiciled Danny Walsh, Pat and Seamus O’Connor, Brendie Murphy, his daughter Karen, the Mullingar domiciled Micheal O’Donoghue, the Portmagee publican Anthony Keating, his wife Mary and their son Jack and last but by no means least Pat McCrohan and his wife Martina from Renard.

Not too far away were Valentia’s Alan Egan and John Daly. From our lofty perch we observed Caol men Sean Curran and Seamus O’Donoghue arriving. “We will take all support on this day,” said Danny Walsh on seeing them. True for Danny, and no doubt we will see them from now onwards in their usual well worn positions at O’Connor Park, Chapeltown.

Valentia Island was also well represented on the field. Our three players Brendan O’Sullivan, his brother Paul and their first cousin John Curran acquitted themselves quite well.