The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Munster awards for Kerry footballers
KERRY had three recipients of Munster GAA Council Awards presented last Saturday in Cork.
PAUL WALSH
THE Minor Munster Football Player of the year was presented to Paul Walsh. Paul has been the iconic young player of this year’s Minor Football championship, attaining a national profile due to his distinctive hairstyle and exquisite football ability while wearing the no.10 jersey.
Paul hails from the Brosna club located in North Kerry adjacent to the Limerick border, attended Knockaclarrig Primary School and is currently attending Colaiste Ide agus Iosef Abbeyfeale. Paul was Kerry’s top scorer with a fine score of 3-25 including his goal in Munster semi-final. His amazing point from under the Hogan Stand helped to regain the winning lead in All Ireland semi-final. His scores are scores that shall live long in the memory.
Certainly Paul’s scoring exploits both from play and free kicks allied to his high work rate contributed significantly to the achievements of Kerry Minor footballers during 2018.
Paul’s gentle and affable personality along with his exceptional sporting talents has earned him much attention and many admirers and is a player with a bright future in the green and gold of Kerry.
DONAL O’SULLIVAN
THE U-20 Munster Football Player of the Year was presented to Donal O’Sullivan. Donal, who has only recently turned 18 continues to show the potential that he has shown from a young age when he started playing with his club Kilgarvan.
Fresh from winning an All-Ireland minor title in 2017, Donal seamlessly fitted into the Jack O’Connor managed U-20s. He scored a total of 1-7 in the early games against Limerick and Waterford and contributed another four points on a scorching summer evening in Austin Stacks Park against a strong Cork team in the Munster final.
Donal was the proudest man in town that night as he lifted the cup to the delight of Kerry supporters. Unfortunately, he was not to lift the first All-Ireland U-20 trophy, but he has two more years to rectify this. The current UL student is ultra-consistent and rarely plays a poor game. Donal has a big future in the green and gold provided he continues to work hard in developing his current skill-set and undoubted talent.
SEAN O’SHEA
THE Munster Senior Football Player of the Year was presented to Seán O’Shea. Sean O’Shea was another glittering star to emerge from the rich harvest of the successful Kerry minor teams of the last five years. The 2016 All-Ireland minor winning captain Sean O’Shea is carrying expectation on his shoulders since his exploits on the 2015 and 2016 minor winning sides.
In first League game in Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney in late January O’Shea proved that he had come of age in a tough baptism against Donegal and from there his year went from strength to strength. He finished with 0-7 to his credit on that January day but it was the quality of his composure that stood out as well as his kicking skills.
The Kenmare player nailed three frees in a second half phase where the stakes were raised. He proved himself throughout the league and then excelled in the Munster Championship.
O’Shea was one of seven debutants handed a Kerry shirt by Eamonn Fitzmaurice on June 3 in Killarney when Kerry beat Clare 0-32 to 0-10 with O’Shea contributing 0-7.
Three weeks later Kerry had a win over Cork, winning 3-18 to 2-4 with O’Shea kicking anther four points. 2018 may well be looked back on as the year that Sean O’Shea a superb young football talent and scoring forward came of age.