“Paul Lucey’s Black n’Amber Army” . . . . . .
1994 Senior Co. Championship Replay: It was on this date 25 years ago (Sunday, 23rd October 1994) that the Club achieved its 11th SF Co. Championship title to put us on top of Roll of Honours for the first time, now one ahead of our neighbours John Mitchels who had held the record since 1966 and who had shared the record with us since 1986, the year we won our 10th title.
Our first Co. Championship game that year saw us set another record that stands to this day. In that opening round against Beale we scored 6 goals, 22 points and that is still our highest SF Co. Championship score in our 92 Championship seasons to date. In our build-up to that year’s Final we had narrow wins against West Kerry (1-10 to 2-5 in the quarter final) and East Kerry (2-7 to 1-8 in the semi final before going on to meet Dr. Crokes in the Final.
A toss of a coin that year saw the Final fixed for Austin Stack Park. Played in summer-like conditions the game could have gone either way. We trailed by two points at half time (0-7 to 0-5). But a powerful second half display, with Cormac Kennedy giving a man-of-the-match performance at centre-field, saw us outscore the Killarney boys by 0-8 to 0-6 in that second period and bring the match to a replay in Killarney two weeks later after the game ended on 13 points each.
The replay in Fitzgerald Stadium saw an even greater display by our lads. The first half could not separate the sides, going in at the break on level terms (Stacks 0-6; Crokes 1-3). But we took total control in the second half – out-scoring the opposition by 0-6 to 0-2 and bring back the Bishop Moynihan Cup to the Club for the first time in eight years.
The celebrations that night, and in the days and nights that followed, are still talked about to this day. The celebrations, especially in the Brogue Inn, The Greyhound Bar, The Castle Bar and The Clubhouse were something to behold and no doubt our brilliant supporters in both finals contributed in no small way to our success that year.
The following twenty players got Championship game-time that year and a further twelve, who were most unlucky not to have played, were nonetheless a vital cog to our success.
The 20 players: Michael Hussey, Liam Liddy, Jerry Fitzmaurice, Pat Slattery (Capt), John Galvin (RIP), Kieran Browne, Malachy Nagle, Cormac Kennedy, Pa Laide, Gerry Lynch, Darren Aherne, Denis Sayers, Owen Moynihan, Martin McKivergan, Donal McEvoy, John Barry, John Walsh, Kevin Barry, John Browne, Eddie Dowling.
The other 12 members of the panel: Barry Masterson, Billy O’Lehan, Brian Shanahan, Cathal Naughton, Danny McCannon, Don Shanahan, Ger Teahon, Hugh O’Donnell, John Harrington, Liam O’Carroll. Michael McKenna, Pat Costello.
Management Team: Paul Lucey (RIP). Ger Power, Brian Neenan, Jim Naughton, Mickey Hickey.
1994 Senior Co. Championship Winners Austin Stacks
1994 Team Captain, Pat Slattery, leads his team in the pre-match parade.
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS: As is usually the case the Kerry Co. Board will be honouring the SF Co. Champions of 25 years ago during the Co. Championship Final on next Sunday fortnight (10th November) and as well as the function on that Sunday the Club will be having a double celebration in the Clubhouse on the night before the final (Saturday, 9th Nov) to honour not alone the 1994 Senior team but also the 1969 Co. MF Championship winning team of that year as well. Our Co. Board delegates, Eddie Barrett and Jim Naughton, are coordinating this event.
here is the link to view the 1994 final again –