Templenoe are a real stiff test for Éire Óg
Eire Óg v Templenoe
IT’S in at the deep end then for Éire Óg. No nice, comfortable first round test against a Waterford or a Tipperary side – no disrespect to the representatives of either of those two counties, but they’ve never actually won this competition – to get warmed up against. Instead it’s a clash against the favourites to win the All Ireland.
In a way there’s no harm in that. If you’re to win this competition you’re more than likely going to have to beat the Kerry champions along the way and they’ve got a pretty fearsome record in it do the Kingdom champions – winning twelve of the last thirteen titles.
So is it a case of abandon hope all ye who enter? Of course not. Éire Óg have a serious shot this weekend against Kerry champions Templenoe. Getting to play them on their home patch in Ovens is a real boon, but they’ve got to be clear-eyed about the task that awaits them.
Templenoe are amongst the most impressive intermediate sides to emerge from the Kingdom in the last couple of years and given that three of the last five sides to win the Kerry championship (prior to Templenoe) have gone on to win the All Ireland and all of them have won the Munster championship that’s saying something.
The slightly strange thing about it is that Templenoe won their county title in May – with the Kerry county board running off their club championships in their entirity over the month of April (the County Championship, which contains district combinations was run off from September culminating with East Kerry’s triumph over Dr Crokes last Sunday afternoon).
That Templenoe haven’t played a championship fixture of note – bar a fairly predictable victory over Waterford side St Savious 5-12 to 2-9 on their home patch – since the first weekend of May, should give Éire Óg an edge given how recent their county final victory over St Michaels was.
Still Templenoe have a certain amount of football played – their provided the core of the Kenmare District side in the County Senior Football Championship – and looked sharp enough in seeing off Saviours last weekend.
Manager John Rice has a real embarrassment of riches at his disposal.
Templenoe may be a tiny club, but they’ve got one hell of a team at the moment. Peter Keane selected four Templenoe players this summer – starting them all at once on a couple of occasions – with full-back Tadhg Morley, centre-back Gavin Crowley, midfielder Adrian Spillane and the goal-scoring hero of the drawn All Ireland final, Killian Spillane.
When you consider that both Dr Crokes and East Kerry had fewer Kerry starters between them on their starting fifteens you begin to get an idea of the scale of the task that awaits Éire Óg. And it’s not just the county men that makes Temple fearsome.
Brian Crowley, twin brother of Gavin, scored a hat-trick last weekend against the Déise champions. Inside forward Stephen O’Sullivan has All Ireland medals at minor and junior level and is a real handful.
There’s so much talent there – Josh
Crowley Holland, Teddy Doyle and Cian Hallissey will also taking watching – and there’s a real hunger and desire to make the most of the opportunity they have at their disposal down there on Kenmare Bay.
In the last decade Templenoe have gone from Division 5 to Division 1 of the Kerry County League; they’ve gone from Novice (junior B essentially) to senior; they know that this is a golden generation. They know it won’t last forever and that they’ve got to make the most of it while they have the chance. It’s not altogether that dissimilar to Éire Óg , who were a junior club not so long ago (2007).
The smart money will be on Templenoe. As of Wednesday afternoon the bookies had the Kingdom kingpins installed as overwhelming 1/6 favourites. We think it’ll be a little bit closer than that, but you don’t see too many broke bookmakers now do you?