Compiled by Brian Caball
PEIL FAOI 7/8/9:
Our Under 7/8/9 football at 11am next Sunday, 22nd September, in Caherslee. Never too late to join!
WEB GALLERIES:
Take a peep at Adrienne’s album on the club website gallery. See nice photos snapped at Sunday’s juvenile academy (boys), including Kilcummin boys who were our visitors to Connolly Park. Also search for pictures by Eddie Barrett and by Adam Kowalczyk. Black‘n’Amber everywhere! Click Here For Gallery Section.
PEIL FAOI 11:
Football in Connolly Park at 10.50am on Sunday next (22ú Meán Fómhair) and again on Thursday (26ú).
PEIL FAOI 13/14/15:
(i) A very successful Lee Strand Football U14 Tournament took place on Saturday last (14th) in Connolly Park. Some outstanding teams participated in the proceedings. Finalists: the Austin Stack Club and the John Mitchel Club. A great local derby! The Lee Strand final was won for the first time ever by Na Mistéalaigh who played very good football and were deserving victors. Promising for local football but very disappointment for our young Rockies! The Rock Club was represented by two teams….with nearly 40 boys involved. Austin Stack Club Team 1: captain…David Ahern; squad…Oran O’Regan, Conor Maguire, Ryan O’Flaherty, Diarmuid Hennessy, Shea Horan, Mark Riordan, Alex O’Flaherty, Jayden O’Dowd, Michael Carmody, Liam Swords, Billy Kirby, Blake Bowler, Danny Lane, Noah Reidy, Conor Murphy, Tadhg Lucey, Oisín Horan, Kian Cronin. They played in Group A against An Ghaeltacht (AdeS 6-5; An Ghaeltacht 0-5) and Nemo Rangers (AdeS 3-3; Nemo Rangers 2-5). They defeated Na Gaeil in the Cup semi-final (AdeS 5-7; Na Gaeil 2-2) and were beaten by Na Mistéalaigh in the Cup final (AdeS 0-7; John Michels 1-12). Austin Stack Club Team 2: captain…Eliot Calleja; squad…Shane Carey, Séamus Keenan, Ediart Topali, Conor Hanafin, Ben O’Leary, Harry Maguire, Ryan Moriarty, Dylan McEvoy, Tadhg O’Regan, Matthew Murphy, Tom Dawson, Jamie McEvoy, Darragh Moriarty, Mark Foley, Coby McMahon, Hugh Brassil, Finn McKenzie, Jamie Quillinan, Rian McCoy. Team 2 played in Group C against the Kerins-O’Rahilly Club boys and Salthill/Cnoc na Cathrach. They played in the Plate semi-final against Churchill.
What great great football experience for so many boys! Read here next week for accounts of games. All our coaches were and are very proud of their young footballers’ performances. All boys gave their best in true Rock fashion! We wish the best of luck to all for the rest of their seasons with the U13s and/or U15s. ‘Well done’ to all who were involved in the running of another very successful Lee Strand Tournament! Lá iontach oibre ag oibrithe iontacha díograiseacha dílse! It was so nice to see Nóra O’Connor, wife of the late Dinny O’Connor, and son, Denis Junior, presenting the Denis O’Connor/Lee Strand Cup to the winning captain, Calvin O’Sullivan. (Beannacht Dé le hanam Denis). And a bit of Rock history from Adrienne: out of the 37 Lee Strand Tournaments that have taken place since 1986, Rock teams have won ten….a great record. The years and team captains are as follows: 1986…Armin Heinrich whose son, Armin, is on the Kerry senior panel; 1987…Brian Shanahan, a lover of the ash and leather, who worked hard for many years promoting the ‘skilful game’ within our club; 1994…Conor Carroll; 1995…Andy McAllen (beannacht Dé dhilís lena anam); 1996…Martin Courtney who has served the club well; 1998…Stephen O’Mahony; 2003…Craig O’Hara; 2004…Fergal Maunsell; 2012…Robbie Murphy; 2016…Shane Bastible who still kicks the leather sphere.
(ii) ‘Well done’ to our U15 players who contributed significantly to the minor team’s County Championship efforts all the way to that truly spirited final performance v Bordcheantar Naomh Ciarán i Staid an Ghearaltaigh. Three of our U15s made the starting 15! Good experience gained in the county’s biggest stadium! Huge disappointment but setbacks improve character! They should be very proud of their efforts, commitments and achievements.
(iii) ‘Well done’ to our lads who gave of their almighty best on Wednesday September 18th in the U15 Central League Division 1 Final v Na Gaeil in Austin Stack Park. Another great effort and performance by our boys!
(iv) We’re still hoping that a Town League will be held in the coming weeks. We’re hungry for more football as we head into the final stages of the season. (Ger Hobbert, Dan Ahern, Adrienne McLoughlin, Ed O’Regan)
MINORS:
(i) ‘Well done’ to our minors who did us proud in the Keanes Supervalu Minor County Championship, only barely losing the final to St Kierans in Fitzgerald Stadium. These are our Rock minors who played superb football throughout the season, defeating several quite strong DIVISIONAL teams, and were only pipped in the county final by…..three seconds: Ryan O’Driscoll (capt), Oliver Lata, Eoin Mangan, Fionán Ryan, Aodhán Horgan, Jayden Moriarty, Gavin Casey, Darragh Lyons, Alex Tuohy, Ben Murphy, Rory Lynch, Ronan Carroll, Harry Murphy, Jack Diggin, Cormac Bastible, Jake Carmody, Jamie Casey, Ben Litchfield, Conor O’Regan, Adam Johnson, Leon Sweeney David Mullins, Jack Shanahan, Max Gryzbowski, Jayden O’Dowd, Gabriel Maszorak, Tadhg Falvey, Brian Kavanagh. Final score…AdeS: 1-13; St Kierans: 2-12. They were very unlucky in that final after another fine performance. Great effort, boys! But, remember, boys that you are deserving Kerry County CLUB Champions for 2024.
CLUB GEAR:
Available from O’Neills
CLUB LOTTO:
Thanks once again to all club lotto supporters and promoters and especially to (i) Hussey’s Deli and Newsagency, Cé an Phrionsa, (ii) Carmel Cuiltéir, AdeS, (iii) The Burger Shack, Móin an Bhealaigh, (iv) The Brogue, Sráid na Carraige, (v) Siopa Chaoimhín de Barra, Ollmhargadh, Sráid na Carraige Uachtarach, (vi) Commane’s Bookshop (PC Books), Sráid na Carraige and (vii) O’Flynn Interiors, Sráid na Carraige.
MNÁ CHIARRAÍ:
We’ll welcome the Kerry Ladies, All-Ireland champions 2024, to Connolly Park on Sunday. Lá speisialta a bheidh ann.
THE ROCK STILL IN THE RACE:
Best wishes to our club senior team in their preparations for their replay on Sunday November 10th! Up The Rock! And ‘well done’ to the Naomh Breandán divisional team, with 9 Rockmen on board, in their victory over South Kerry.
GEARÁN:
How come? Our national tv sports news mentioned and showed a ‘clip’ and an interview of only ONE county championship match in Ireland on Sunday night…hurling in Kilkenny…and showed several on across-the-water football! This seems usual practice from ár stáisiún náisiúnta! Shouldn’t we be shown many championship games played in IRELAND? Ca’il an mórtas cine?
NA MISTÉALAIGH:
The Tralee John Mitchel Club was in existence in 1886, two years after the founding of the GAA. It is believed that the Club was founded in OAKPARK. Now! They won their first County Championship in 1897 (or rather shared it with Cathair Saidhbhín). They have won 10 senior football championships.
NA STACAIGH:
We were founded in 1917. We are the ONLY club in Kerry to have won Senior County Championships in both hurling (4) and football (13), including doubles in 1928 and 1931.