SPORTS REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2017: APRIL

A four th Hogan Cup crown in as many years made its way to the Kingdom with the victory of St Brendans College, Killarney over Wexford outfit St Peters in the final in Croke Park. Gary McGrath’s side ran out 0-18 to 0-12 winners to win back-to-back titles for the school, following on from Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne’s double.

In the Lidl Ladies National League the Kingdom’s top four hopes took a serious knock with a 2-11 to 3-9 defeat at the hands of Mayo in Swinford.

The Kerry Under 16 girls team bowed out of the Munster championship following a heartbreaking one-point loss to Tipperary in Ballyseedy. The Kerry girls went down to a 4-5 to 1-13 defeat.

The Under 14 girls, meanwhile, saw off Tipperary to secure a place in the Munster final. They ran out 5-9 to 1-2 winners.

The glory days were back again for basketball in Tralee when the new Garveys Tralee Warriors claimed a famous Champions Trophy seeing off Templeogue in the final in Letterkenny, 74 points to 73. Trae Pember ton delivered 21 of the Kerry side’s tally, while Kieran Donaghy accounted for fifteen. The Warriors had previously seen off Swords Thunder 66 to 64 in the semi-final. Keane’s Supervalu Killorglin, meanwhile, saw off BFG Neptune to claim the Division 1 title, again in Letterkenny. The Laune-siders saw off their rivals comprehensively, 97 to 72 points.

Killarney RFC were celebrating promotion to the J-League 2 having won a promotion play-off against Kerry rivals Killorglin in Listry.

In the Airtricity League the Kerry Under 17s went down to a heavy defeat to Waterford, 2-6 in Mounthawk Park. A week later they got their first league point with a one-all draw away to UCD. They later got their first league win seeing off Cabinteely 1-0 at home.

April was a red-letter month for the game of cricket in the county with the opening of the Kerry Cricket Club’s new grounds in the Spa, Tralee. The Oyster Oval opened for business at the beginning of the month.

There was heartbreak for the Tyrone / Kerry duo of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle as they were forced to retire from the lead of the French round of the World Rally Championship, the Rally of Corcica (Tour de Corse). The two men held a relatively healthy lead before a blown engine forced their withdrawal from the event on Saturday morning. The British/Irish pair later emerged unscathed from a horror crash at the Rally of Argentina.

Killarney Celtic’s rollercoaster ride in the FAI Junior Cup came to a sudden and shuddering halt in the semi-final, but not before the Kerry men gave their more vaunted Dublin rivals Sheriff YC a real game of it.

They held firm and brought the Dublin side to a nil-all draw after ordinary time and, despite going a goal down in extra-time, managed to battle back to parity through a Pa McGrath goal. Alas it was hear tbreak in the shoot-out with Sheriff emerging 4-3 winners.

The Kerry side then saw off Boyle Celtic one-nil in the qualifying round for the FAI Senior Cup at Mounthawk Park.

Tributes poured in from throughout the county and beyond for the Vincent Linnane, the Austin Stack Park grounds man and Kerry team kit-man, after he passed away at the beginning of the month. The Mayo native became know to many as “the guardian of the green and gold”. His legacy assured, he will continue to be missed.

All Ireland junior club winning manager Jimmy Keane was appointed as new Kerry junior football boss.

The county club championships got underway this month.

In the senior club championship first round there were wins for Kenmare over Kerins O’Rahillys (1-14 to 1-13) and Dr Crokes over Austin Stacks (0-10 to 0-4); Dingle and Legion drew their first game 2-14 apiece, before Legion ran out 1-12 to 1-11 winners.

In the first semi-final Dr Crokes saw off Rathmore (1-15 to 1-10), while Austin Stacks comfor tably saw off Kerins O’Rahillys in a relegation play-off 1-15 to 0-9.

In the intermediate championship there were first round wins for Glenbeigh / Glencar (2-9 to 0-10 over St Michaels / Foilmore); Templenoe over Waterville (2-9 to 0-9); An Ghaeltacht over Gneeveguilla (1-15 to 0-11); Ardfer t over John Mitchels (0-8 to 0-7); St Marys over Currow (1-11 to 0-11); Glenflesk over Brosna (2-9 to 0-14); Castleisland Desmonds over Spa (5-16 to 1-12); and Laune Rangers over Milltown / Castlemaine (1-13 to 0-10).

In the quarter-finals St Marys saw off Desmonds 4-10 to 2-12; Templenoe saw off Glenbeigh 1-10 to 0-10 and An Ghaeltacht saw off Ardfer t 1-14 to 0-12.

In the premier junior championship first round there were wins for Churchill over Ballydonoghue (2-10 to 1-10); Dromid over Renard (0-17 to 1-11); Na Gaeil over Beaufor t (1-15 to 1-11); Skellig Rangers over St Pats (2-8 to 1-9); Fossa over Ballymac (3-12 to 1-9); Keel over Finuge (0-15 to 2-5) and Listowel Emmets over Annascaul (1-21 to 2-14).

In the quar ter-finals there were wins for Dromid over Fossa (1-16 to 1-15); Firies over Keel (3-16 to 2-13); Skellig Rangers over Listowel Emmets (0-12 to 0-9); and Na Gaeil over Churchill 0-17 to 2-6).

In the junior championship there were wins for Duagh over Kilgarvan (1-15 to 0-11); Tuosist over Valentia (1-11 to 1-10); Ballyduff over Sneem/Derrynane (4-15 to 0-10); Castlegregory over Scartalgin (1-16 to 0-8); Tarbert over Moyvane (1-12 to 0-11); Lispole over Cromane (2-15 to 0-8); Cordal over Beale (1-18 to 1-15); and Listry over Asdee (1-17 to 1-12).

In the quarter-finals Lispole saw off Cordal (3-13 to 0-11); Listry saw off Tarbert (0-12 to 0-11); Castlegregory saw off Duagh (1-10 to 1-9); and Tuosist saw off Ballyduff (1-5 to 0-7).