SIDELINES

The controversy over Colm Cooper’s testimonial rumbled on throughout the autumn, but came to a head in November (which took place in late October) due to the intervention of former Kerry footballer Pat Spillane.

Spillane, in his Sunday World column, claimed that he had been “reliably informed” that Croke Park had directed neither the County Board nor Dr Crokes accept any monies donated to them by Cooper resulting from his testimonial dinner. Both club and county denied this was the case.

“Pat’s article is incorrect,” County Board Secretary Peter Twiss told The Kerryman.

Former Austin Stacks boss Wayne Quilinan was announced as the new boss of the club for the 2018 campaign.

Kerry footballer Mark Griffin lined out for Killarney RFC and scored a try in their game with Mitchelstown.

The Finuge / St Senans ladies team went down to Cork side Aghada in the final of the Munster Junior Club Ladies football championship. The Kerry side were defeated on a 3-4 to 0-5 scoreline.

There was semi-final hear tbreak for Killarney Athletic in the Munster League Champions Trophy. The Kerry side went down after extra-time to Limerick side Janesboro, 3-2. The winning goal came with just three minutes on the clock remaining, the ultimate agony for the Kerry kingpins.

Dingle jockey Jack Kennedy rode a remarkable five winners over one weekend in the middle of November. Kennedy rode a double in Naas on the Saturday and a treble the following day at Navan.

Clanmaurice won through to their All Ireland Junior Club Camogie Championship final with a 3-4 to 1-7 victory over Athleague in Ballinderreen. It was the first appearance in an All Ireland final by a Kerry club.

“I must have died ten deaths on the sideline there, it was some dogfight,” their manager Mike Enright commented.

The victory set them up for an All Ireland final with Meath side Kilmessan. It was a game the Kerry girls really should have won, but they were caught at the death by a suckerpunch goal by the Meath side.

They finished the game at 1-4 apiece with a replay following in early December.

Causeway won the County Under 21 Hurling Championship final seeing off Crotta O’Neills in the final. Causeway were the pre-match favourites, but Crotta had won the last two county minor titles back-to-back so they did carry a cer tain amount of hope with them into the game.

That hope proved to be justified as they gave the maroon and white a real game of it. In the end, however, Causeway’s superiority told and by the end of the game had opened out a five point lead – 1-12 to 0-10.

The East Kerry championship (the O’Donoghue Cup) descended into chaos when Dr Crokes conceded their semi-final game with Killarney Legion, meaning the Direen side would contest the final without having played a single game.

An Riocht’s Shona Heaslip claimed gold in the 8,000m at the Irish Juvenile Even Age Cross Country Championships at Abbotstown.

Presentation Milltown saw off a spirited St Josephs, Ballybunion to claim the Joe O’Connor title on a scoreline of 1-9 to 0-10.

Southern Gaels duo Caroline Kelly and Lorraine Scanlon claimed their first ever All Star awards.

Waterville’s David Higgins played a huge role in Ireland’s victory in the European International Team Championship in Greece.

Kerry advanced to the last sixteen of the Oscar Traynor Cup following a 1-1 draw with Limerick in Mounthawk Park. After extra-time the Kingdom won through 4-3 on penalties. “We have got over the first hurdle,” Kerry boss David Hennessy told The Kerryman.

“But even bigger challenges lie ahead if we keep progressing in the national competition.”