The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
A Club in Profile: Lenamore Rovers
MICHEÁL Dennehy is the chairman of the club and a founder member and he has given over two and a half decades of dedicated service to the club helping out in many capacities. Four of his sons Kieran, Micheál, Ruairi and Tomás played for the club while his daughter Sinead done tremendous work selling the clubs lottery tickets.
“When we began with underage teams it was a rehearsal for having a senior team in the KDL. While we rented a field at the start our main aim was to purchase a pitch with scope to expand to secure the future of the club.
“We were very fortunate to buy a field in a very good location and it was very helpful to have kind neighbours who accommodated us with the project and did not hinder it in any way. We wanted to buy a large field that would give us options of various developments down the road and we were delighted to accomplish this.
“Of course we knew money would be a big factor ahead of any development so we got our fund raising going and were fortunate to get a lot of grant aid along the way. We have good facilities now but we will always be striving to enhance them in any way we can.”
He is high in his praise of the club committee who he says is making his job a lot easier.
“They are doing a lot of great work out of the public eye to try and ensure the club will thrive and prosper. The weekends are busy as all the players need to be contacted about games and things can change fast during the winter if there is adverse weather conditions. I get very good co-operation from the players and that makes life easier.”
Micheál had to take a break from soccer back in 2015 when he was diagnosed with cancer but thankfully he made a full recovery and is now in the best of health again.
“When something like this happens your priorities change, but I am delighted to have come through it all and get back to pursuing the game I love again. It’s getting harder to field teams in recent years due to the amount of young people emigrating in search of work. Consequently clubs have to look outside their own parishes to recruit.”
Asked if he had any notion of taking a break from his position he said: “I wouldn’t be doing the job unless I enjoyed it and at present I have no plans to hang up my boots.”
He says the main priority of the club is to build up a strong panel of players who are capable of winning league titles.
“We have moved down the divisions in recent years and we are determined to start rising up the ladder and maybe get back to the Premier League again. It’s not going to be easy, but we have to have the self belief that it can be achieved.
“Having our own facilities is a major asset and will ensure that the game will stay strong in the area. We have to keep moving with the times as newer generations have different expectations and we must be ready to keep abreast with these” he added.