SportS review of the Year 2017: May

KDL Secretary John O’Regan reacted strongly to an opinion piece in this newspaper by our soccer correspondent Mike Rice and to cer tain comments made about the league in various online fora. At an emergency delegates meeting O’Regan declared that the KDL “always strive to keep the interests and welfare of clubs to the fore” and that they were “not a dictatorship”.

The Kerry Under 17 footballers qualified for the inaugural Munster final in the grade by seeing off Tipperary comfortably in the semi-final. Peter Keane’s men ran out 3-11 to 1-16 winners.

They later saw off Cork in that final on a scoreline of 0-15 to 0-10, but not without some controversy. A number of scuffles broke out at half-time and upon the full-time whistle, leading the Munster Council to instigate an investigation.

The Kerry minor footballers mean while saw off a fancied Cork outfit quite comfor table, although not without a battle, in the semi-final of the Munster championship. The Kingdom ran out 2-17 to 1-10 winners.

In the semi-final of the County Senior Club Football Championship Kenmare saw off Legion in Fitzgerald Stadium on a scoreline of 3-12 to 1-13. In the preliminary round of the County Novice Football Championship Cromane defeated Clounmacon on a 3-19 to 2-12 scoreline, while Moyvane accounted for Asdee 0-24 to 3-9.

The Kingdom advanced to the Munster Junior Camogie Championship final with a 1-12 to 1-9 victory over Waterford. In that final the Kerry girls faced Cork and after a great battle in Kileedy ran out winners by the bare minimum – 0-14 to 1-10. Star players Patrice Diggin scored thirteen of Kerry’s total (nine frees, one ‘45), with Aoife Beehan scoring the other point for Kerry.

The Kerry Under 14 girls saw off Cork to claim the Munster A title on a scoreline of 1-12 to 1-8.

Waterville’s David Higgins successfully defended his Irish PGA Irish Club Professional Tournament title. The 44-year-old fired two consecutive rounds of 72 at Dromoland Castle to retain his crown.

Fenit Samphires became the first team to claim back-to-back Jimmy Falvey Memorial Cup titles with a 2-1 victory over The Park in Mounthawk Park. “It was a very hard-earned win as The Park had as much chances as us and we were under the cosh in the last fifteen minutes of the game,” Fenit boss David Staunton commented.

Intermediate School Killorglin claimed the All Ireland Schools Under 15 A Boyls up final at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. They did so by seeing off the challenge of another Kerry school, Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore in the final on a scoreline of 53 points to 42.

Mercy Mounthawk’s first year side, meanwhile, saw off St Patricks, Castleisland 29-26 in the final at UL.

In the John Murphy Under 12 schoolboys soccer cup final Park A saw off Killorglin 2-1 to take the title, while in the final of the Under 14 Shield Iveragh United saw off Ballyhar 5-4. The Under 14 Cup final saw Killorglin beat Killarney Celtic 2-0.

The Under 15 Cup went to the Park who saw off Tralee Dynamos 6-1. The Under 15 Shield title went to Rattoo Rovers in a 2-1 win over Ballyheigue. The Under 16 Shield went Listowel Celtic’s way after a 3-1 win over Ballyhar.

The Kerry Under 17s lost out to Cobh Ramblers in the Air tricity League 2-1, but bounced back with a huge win over Limerick FC at home, 5-1. They saw off Wexford Youths 1-0 and to round out the month had a very creditable 1-1 draw with Shamrock Rovers in Mounthawk Park.

The Denny Division 1B crown went to Strand Road as they saw off Spor ting Listowel 2-1 in the final in Mounthawk Park.

The Kerry ladies championship campaign got off to a somewhat inauspicious star t when they went down to a shock defeat by Waterford on a scoreline of 2-9 to 1-9 in the Munster championship.

There was disappointment for Kerry/Tyrone duo Paul Nagle and Kris Meeke at the Rally of Por tugal. The Citroen pair hit a bridge during a stage on Saturday of the event. A really disappointing turn of events as they had been in a rally-winning position at the time. They later suffered a major crash at the Rally of Argentina.