SportS review of the Year 2017: August

Ciara Kennelly from Killarney AC continued her upward curve by talking gold in the high jump at the Celtic Games at Santry.

There was plenty of drama in the quar ter-finals of the County Senior Hurling Championship.

Causeway were left to rue a missed opportunity when they were caught at the death by Ballyduff and their second half sub, Gary O’Brien. O’Brien, who had been taken off and then re-introduced pulled on a loose ball in the dangerzone in the last moments of the game to score a match-winning goal – 1-10 to 0-12.

It was a par ticularly difficult pill for Causeway to swallow as they were quite obviously the stronger team over the hour. Unfor tunately for them too many squandered chances came back to haunt them.

The other quar ter-final between Abbeydorney and St Brendans, meanwhile, ended all square at 1-12 apiece. In the replay a for tnight later the teams again could not be separated after sixty minutes of action.

In the end, however, St Brendans managed to see off O’Dorney by 1-22 to 2-18 – a nail-biting conclusion to an epic saga.

Ballybunion’s junior golfers claimed top spot in the Irish Junior Foursomes after seeing off Castletroy in the final.

Mitchels Avenue, who missed out in two finals already this year, claimed victory in the Tommy Healy Cup final. The Tralee out-fit ran out two-nil winners over Castlemaine United B at Mounthawk Park.

“We has lost two finals coming into this game so it was imperative that we won this one,” Avenue boss Barry O’Sullivan said.

“The lads were excellent right from the star t and executed our game plan superbly. The early goal was a great boost and we kept the momentum after that.”

Glenbeigh’s Dominic Lynch claimed yet another Munster title when he saw ff Tipperary’s David Hickey 21-11, 21-6 in the 60x30 Over 35 Single final in Ballymac.

A star was born during the Kerry ladies victory over Armagh in the All Ireland quar ter-final in Nowlan Park. Hannah O’Donoghue bagged 1-4 from play as Kerry ran out 3-14 to 2-11 winners over the Orchard County.

“If you are good enough you are old enough in my opinion,” Kerry boss Alan O’Neill commented after the match. “She’s been superb in training and I knew that she was ready for it.”

The victory over Armagh set the Kingdom girls up for a crunch All Ireland semi-final with Dublin. Alas the date with the Dubs proved to be a chastening experience for the Munster champions.

The goals rained down upon them, with Dublin bagging five over the hour. The game finished 5-10 to 0-11 with Kerry boss Graham Shine left to rue a brilliant star t by the Sky Blues.

“Dublin got a great start and we were always chasing the game after that. They took their five goals very well and I suppose when you meet a team that’s so good on the front foot, like them, you are going to be punished.”

Killarney Celtic bowed out of the FAI Senior Cup when they went down threenil to Cobh Ramblers away from home.

The Kerry minor hurlers bid for a remarkable six All Ireland B titles in-a-row ground to an early halt when they were seen off Kildare at the first hurdle. The Lilywhites ran out 1-14 to 1-12 winners in Dr Hyde Park.

In the semi-final the Kingdom easily saw off Meath in Semple Stadium running out four teen point winners, 1-23 to 1-9 to set up a final against Wicklow.

The Kerry Under 21 hurlers, under the management of Ian Brick, comfortably saw off Donegal in their All Ireland B quar ter-final in Dr Hyde Park, 0-25 to 1-9.

There was real heartbreak for the Kerry camogie side as they lost out on a place in the All Ireland junior final to Dublin. The Kingdom travelled to the Gaelic Grounds with high hopes but the Sky Blues ran out 1-12 to 0-9 winners.

Seventeen year old Ryan Kelliher from Killarney claimed the Kerry Boys Championship at Ballybunion in style.

The Kerry Under 15 soccer team got off to an encouraging star t in the SSE Air tricity Under 15 League going down to Cork City 3-2 away from home. The Kerry Under 17s, meanwhile, saw off Cobh Ramblers 3-1 and Limerick 2-1 to make it four games unbeaten.

Former Laune Rangers, Tipperary and Roscommon boss John Evans was confirmed this month as the new manager of the Wicklow senior footballers. There was a second Kerry appointment in Leinster with the news that South Kerry native John Sugrue was to assume the reins at Laois.

Killarney’s lady golfers got their hands on the

Irish Ladies Senior Cup after a fabulous win over Royal Portrush at the Royal Curragh Golf Club.