Underage structure is thriving at Mastergeeha FC
IN the early 1990s Mastergeeha FC realised that they would have to focus on promoting the game at underage level for the club to grow and prosper.
In 1991/92 the club was approached by the local community games to enter the Under-12 competition. This kick started a major transformation of the club’s activities and since then there have been successes on the field of play at all age levels.
Now the club could see there was a desire to play and interest to compete on the soccer field.
Maurice Guilfoyle coached on the day and deserves huge credit for the development of the underage teams and structure.
It is testament to his dedication that he is still coaching with the Academy kids on Saturdays.
In their first season in the Kerry School Boys and Girls league Maurice coached an Under-12 side in the 1992/93 season.
In the early years the underage game was helped out greatly by the proprietors of the Nursing Home in Kilcummin by allowing the club to play games in their field.
The development of the game continued with the club entering two teams in the second year and three league team the year after.
Success followed in 1995 with double cup wins at U-14 and U-16 age groups.
They scaled new heights reaching the quarter-final of the National Cup in those early years. Further success has followed with the clubs U-12 Premier winners 2005 and U-12 Cup winners in 2008.
Over the years the club had many successful girls teams winning the Harmony Cup in Dublin and the Guilfoyle Cup in the Kerry league.
In more recent times the club has won Division1, Division 2 and a number of Shield Completions in the Kerry Schoolboys league.
Enhanced coaching has also reaped its rewards for the club and many of their players now regularly play for their county at interleague and Kennedy Cup, and Gaynor Cup competitions. It was a great day of celebration when club players Dylan Murphy and Paul O’Shea were part of the first Kerry team to win the Kennedy Cup and even better with Dylan getting the goal to decide the final.
Mastergeeha underage teams have also had success at national level recording many excellent victories in the National Cup and internationally winning the Hurth Cup in Germany and Brukein Cup in Belgium.
The club are very pleased that the game has flourished in the area over the years under the dedicated and wonderful work of the many volunteers and the hard - working coaches.
Now the club host an underage Academy every Saturday morning during the season with over 70 children braving the elements at Kilbrean Park.
In the Kerry Schoolboys and Girls league this year the club have two teams at U-10, U-11, U-12, U-13 and U-14 with teams at U-15 and U-16 age level playing in league and cup competitions.
It is great to see the passion and skill of these young players every Saturday and proud to wear the club colours.
Mastergeeha has had many successes over the years both in the Kerry District League and in the Kerry Schoolboy and Girls Leagues. In the early years the senior team was promoted from Division 4 in 1984 and then from Division 3 in 1988 and from Division 2 in 1991 to reach the Premier Division 12 years after its formation.
In 2004/05 the club again won the Division 1 to be promoted to the Premier B. In 2014/15 the club had the most successful season in the Kerry District League with Mastergeeha senior A team winning the Premier B and the B team being in the league final and
Tommy Cup Final.
Also in the 2014/15 season the club won its first double with the U-17 team victorious in the League and Cups.
Also in the current season the seniors had just qualified for the league final prior to the break and they will be hoping that the present season can be completed when all the restrictions of the present Pandemic are lifted.
Kerry District League
1983/84 Division 4 champions 1987/88 Division 3 champions 1990/91 Division 2 champions 2004/05 Division 1 champions 2014/15 Premier B champions U-17 League champions U-17 Cup champions
Kerry Schoolboys
1994/95 U-14 & U-16 Kerry Cup 1905/06 U-12 Premier title 1906/07 U-16 Girls Cup 1907/08 U-12 Cup
CLUB secretary is Tadhg Brosnan who has held this post for the past 20 years and is delighted the way the club has improved their facilities over the years.
“We played in a few different pitches in the earlier years but when we got Kilbrean Park everything went in an upward spiral. I became secretary two decades ago so I have plenty of experience in the job. Contrary to what people might think you have to be a Jack of all trades in this job and communication with everyone is very important. We have a good team of people involved in the club and they do a great job.
“There is a lot of work maintaining our facilities and we also have to focus a lot of attention on financing the club. We are fortunate to be getting great support from the local community and we are very grateful for that. While we now have great amenities in place we will always be striving to improve them if we can and we will have to keep changing with the times like every other code of sport.”
Brosnan now has an opportunity to see how the game in run in the county as he was elected to the Management Committee of the KDL three years ago and he says he is enjoying the experience.
“It is great to go in and see how the KDL is being run and make a worthwhile contribution. It is here you get to realise the huge amount of work that is required to keep the wheels on industry going. Behind the scenes there are a lot of issues to contend with but everything is run very smoothly.”
He said the KDL were delighted with the success of the big Under-16 International Tournament staged at Mounthawk Park last year and the full house that turned out for the Mark Farren Cup Final.
“It is great also that the Kerry under 17 and under 19 teams done so well last year,” he added.
He has no notion of stepping down as secretary of the club at present but he says if someone is prepared to give it a go he would gladly step aside and make way for new blood at the top table and give them any support they require.