KERRY SF: Best of luck to Kerry on next Sunday and here’s hoping that Kieran will return to the Kingdom on Monday evening in company with the Sam Maguire Cup – he would be the first Rock man to do so since Ger Power did it in 1980 – 35 years ago.
Next Sunday will be the 28th meeting in SF Championship between the two sides. Of the 27 meetings to date Kerry have won 17, Dublin have won 8 and 2 games have been drawn. In All Ireland Finals the sides have met on 13 occasions (that’s counting their meeting in the 1908 Home Final). We have won 8 of those contests (1904, 1924, 1955, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1984 and 1985), while Dublin have defeated us on 5 occasions (1892, 1908, 1923, 1976 and 2011). There have been no draws in Finals between the two sides.
It’s an incredible statistic. Kerry, with 37 All Irelands, and Dublin with 24 titles (61 wins combined) have, between them, won over 48% of all Finals played (that’s 127 to date). The 61 wins by both counties exceeds the combined total of titles won by 29 other counties (13 of that 29 have never won a title).
KERRY MF: Here’s wishing the Kerry Minors (including our own Jack Morgan and Ferdia O’Brien) the best of luck also on Sunday next. While Kerry and Tipp have met on 12 occasions in Munster Finals (Kerry winning 9 and Tipp winning 3) this will be the first meeting between the two sides in an All Ireland Final. They met of course in this year’s Munster Final – Kerry coming out on top that day by 2-14 to 1-11.
Kerry lead the All Ireland Roll of Honours with 12 titles (Dublin have 11; Cork 10 with Tyrone next on 8) while Tipp have been Champions on two occasions (1934 and 2011).
If both Kerry teams do it on Sunday it would only be the second time in history for both sides to win back to back titles in the same years – the first was in 1931 and 1932. All Kerry supporters throughout the globe hope they will do it on Sunday.
HURLING: After an eleven weeks absence (last game on 3rd July) from competitive action our Hurlers are due to get back on the playing field on this coming Friday (18th Sept) when we travel to Fossa to play St. Pats (East Kerry) in the semi final of the County JH Championship, with Duagh awaiting the winners in the Final. The game throws in at 6pm.
We then have a meeting with Ballyheigue in the Co. League Final (Div 3). A new date for this contest has yet to be confirmed with the weekend after next (w/e 26th Sept) a possibility.
All in the Hurling Squad offer sincere sympathy to Team Manager, Mike O’Halloran on the death of his brother, Maurice (see Sympathy column).
JUNIOR B FOOTBALL: Kerins O’Rahillys 3-15; Austin Stacks 0-8.
Rahillys had a comfortable win in this Town League semi final played in damp and breezy conditions in Strand Road on this Monday evening (14th Sept).
We opened the scoring, courtesy of a pointed free by Kyle Fitzgibbon, eighty three seconds into the game. But by the 11th minute the home side had really put this game to bed when they scored 3-4 without reply.
In fairness to our lads they never gave up and matters were even between then and half time with both sides scoring a further four points each – Seamus Bastible and Martin Courtney with two each for us. This left Rahillys with a 3-8 to 0-5 lead at the break.
Within 8 minutes of the resumption we had added a further 3 points – all from play by Martin Courtney, Cian Liston and Colin Griffin. But that was as good as it got for us while the home side closed out the game with seven more points to leave them with 16 points to spare at the end.
Team: Paddy Fitzgibbon, John Murphy, Colin Griffin (0-1), Daniel Teahan, Brandon Patterson, Denis O’Neill, Andrew Morrissey, Louis Ryle, Seamus Bastible (0-2), Shane O’Neill, Dale Counihan (Capt), Cian Liston (0-1) Martin Courtney (0-3), Kyle Fitzgibbon (0-1 free), Alan Griffin..
Our next outing will be on the weekend after next (w/e 26th Sept) when we are due to have a home game against Ballylongford in the 2nd last round of the Co. League.
U21 FOOTBALL: Our Club Championship (Shield Section) semi final tie against Ballydonoghue, due to be played last Friday (11th Sept) had to be called off due to that day’s torrential downpour. As we write we are awaiting a new date for the fixture.
MINOR FOOTBALL: Milltown-Castlemaine 2-4; Austin Stacks 5-5
Our 5th and final round game in the Central League played in Milltown on this Sunday afternoon (13th Sept) ended in a double-score victory for our lads, thus ensuring a semi final spot against either Dingle, An Ghaeltacht or Laune Rangers.
The first 40 minutes of the game was played in a downpour, which made handling difficult, but credit to both sides for an entertaining hours football. We led by a point at half time (2-3 to 2-2) with our goals coming in the 4th and 19th minutes from Cian Liston and Darragh Scanlon, with Darragh also on target for one of our three points and Calvin Foley putting over the remaining two.
With none of our regular keepers available it fell to Michael Linnane to hold the fort in the first half with Pádraig Looney manning the gap in the second half. While Michael was in no way at fault for the two well-taken Milltown goals in the opening period, Pádraig was called on to make two brilliant saves in the second half which held the opposition to just two more points for the rest of the game, while we added a further 3-2 during this period – two goals by Louis Ryle and the third by Darragh Scanlon. Calvin Foley and Shane O’Neill scored our two second half points.
Team (13 a side): Michael Linnane, Daniel Teahan, Colin Griffin, No No. 4, Darragh Scanlon (2-1), Seán Fitzmaurice, Padraig Looney, Philip Quilter, Michael O’Donnell, Louis Ryle (2-0), Sean Dukes (Capt), Fergal Ryan, Cian Liston (1-0), Calvin Foley (0-3), No No. 15.
Subs used: David Fitzmaurice (ht), Shane O’Neill (ht) (0-1), Shane Walsh (48m), Tomás Sheehy (48m).
MINOR RECORD: or should that heading be ‘MAJOR RECORD’. For indeed it is a major record – set by Seán Dukes when he made his 38th competitive MF appearance in last Sunday’s game in Milltown. Seán broke the record which had been held by John Dennis since 2006 and which was equaled at the end of last season by Ciarán Flanagan. – both of whom have 37 appearances. Well done Seán.
BINGO: continues on this and every Saturday night commencing at 8.30pm.
CLUBHOUSE: As always the Clubhouse is available for all types of Parties. For Bookings phone Des at 066 7126942 after 8pm any evening.
CARDS: The 45 Card Sessions continue in the Clubhouse every Monday and Thursday Nights, commencing at 9.30pm each night.
LOTTO: Last Night’s (14th Sept) Jackpot worth €5,000 was not won. The numbers drawn were 3, 11, 20, and 27.
The €20 Prizes went to Mick Ryan, c/o Club Rockies; Mary Foley, c/o The Bingo; Kitty Bolger, c/o Brendan O’Regan; Betty Moriarty, c/o Richard Healy; and Gene O’Donnell, c/o The Minors.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently – Fr. Kevin Browne CSSP, Dublin and late of Tralee; Alice Milner (nee Mulcahy), Curravogh South and late of Dungarvan; Neil Flynn, Lohercannon and late of Knockmanagh, Kilcummin; Seosaimhín De Paor (nee Talbóid), Coolfin, Portlaw (Waterford) and late of Riverside, Oakpark; Kathleen Lynch (nee Kennedy), Lisbeg and late of Lispole; Thomas Kirby, Ballyseedy and late of Ballingowan; Jim O’Driscoll, Alderwood Road; and Maurice O’Halloran, Ballyduff and Upton (Co. Cork) (brother of our Senior Hurling Manager, Mike O’Halloran).