ALL IRELAND SF CHAMPIONS: Hard luck on Kerry and well done to Dublin after a pulsating All Ireland Final on Sunday. Between them they now have a combined total of 69 Senior titles out of the 136 Finals played since the first one in 1887 (Kerry 38; Dublin 31) – that’s two more that the combined total of the other 17 counties put together who have won Senior Finals down the years.
SENIOR FOOTBALL: For the first time in the Club’s 106 years history our Seniors will be playing outside the Senior County Championship this season. On next Saturday week (12th Aug) we will be in Listowel to meet Ballydonoghue in the first round of the Co. Intermediate Championship. Throw-in is at 7pm.
JUNIOR B FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 1-14; Kerins O’Rahillys 2-11.
After wins in our opening two rounds of the Tralee/St. Brendan’s League away to John Mitchels (1-12 to 0-11) and at home to Ballymac (3-16 to 1-10) our B Team were in Strand Road on last Friday evening (28th July) in the third and final round of the competition and after a ding-dong affair the game ended in a draw.
We opened the scoring in the first minute when Damien Hogan pointed from a free after a foul on Donnacha Sayers. Seven minutes elapsed before Rahillys equalized and then a minute later Gearóid Fitzgerald was through for a brilliant goal. Two more points by the home side left us ahead by just one at the end of the first quarter (1-1 to 0-3).
Rahillys then dominated the second quarter when they out-scored us by 2-2 to 0-2 (our two points coming from a Pa McCarthy free and one from play by Andrew Morrissey. This left them ahead by five at half time (2-6 to 1-4).
We had reduced that lead to three by the end of the third quarter (2-8 to 1-8) with our four points coming from Pa Mac (2) and second half substitute David Fitzmaurice (2). In the next eight minutes Rahillys went four ahead again when they added two more to our one – Pa Mac on target again.
But in the closing minutes of the game we took complete control adding five unanswered points to leave us ahead by one deep in extra time – those five coming from Calvin Foley (2) and one each from David Fitzmaurice, Donnacha Sayers and Noah Townsend. But in the 9th minute of added time Rahillys equalized.
Team: Brian Horgan, Andrew Morrissey (0-1), Ruairí O’Connell, Greg Scanlon, Luke Chester, Luke Casey, Evan Foley, Ciarán O’Connell, Calvin Foley (0-2 – one free), Noah Townsend (0-1), Donnacha Sayers (0-2), Gearóid Sheehan, Pa McCarthy (0-4 – two frees), Geaóid Fitzgerald (1-0), Damien Hogan (0-1- free).
Subs used: Joe Looby (h/t), Colin Griffin (ht), Joe Reidy (h/t), David Fitzmaurice (38m) (0-3), Seán Moynihan (45m).
After the game Ruairí O’Connell was presented with the Celsius Mensware Man of the Match Award. In the 12 games played to date by our B Team forty seven players have lined out and Ruairí is the only one who has lined out in all 12 games.
THE C TEAM Austin Stacks 4-11; St. Pats 1-11.
With a draw against Ardfert in the opening round and a defeat to Annascual in round 2 our C Team came out with a good win against St. Pats in Connolly Park on last Thursday evening (27th July).in round 3 of the competition.
Report by Kevin Carroll:
ESCAPE TO VICTORY
Thursday night 27th, saw our “Dream Team host St Pat’s in a “winner take all match”. Played on a cool dry evening and with excellent Sportsmanship, a very clean, well contested match with a decent scoreline was played out, throw in 8-15pm.
We had a strong panel of 24, which gave Aidan, Kevin Francis O’Carroll and Tommy a headache when it came to team selection, after much deliberation and chopping and changing the final selection went with, Brian Ó Hargàin , Tom McLoughlin Joe Reidy, Billy Stack Dean Scanlon Joe Looby, and Evan Foley in defence, while Damion Hogan Enda Cahill held midfield, up front was Joe Kinsella Sean Dukes and Marc Carmody
Gavin Slattery David Leonard and Jack Doyle, while our strong bench had James Charles , Darragh Moriarty Shane Kelliher Matthew Browne Adam Conway Brian O’Sullivan David Clifford,Tom Crowley and Jamie O’Shea.
As early as the 2nd minute a good pass from Marc Carmody (who had a very good 1st half) found Joe Kinsella who pointed well from play. Next 3 scores were all points from play for St Pat’s in 3rd,4th and 5th minutes. In the 9th minute saw the 1st of 3 points from play in the half from corner forward Gavin Slattery who had an excellent game too.
Pats a pointed free was cancelled out by a pointed free from Hogie, after good work from Evan saw him fouled, this was followed by another from Gavin followed good play from Dean, The 17th minute saw a great individual point from Enda who tirelessly carried the ball throughout the night. Pats responded with a point before 3 in a row from the Rock, Hogie from play after good work again by Evan, Joe Kinsella from play and another from Gavin when Evan picked him out again Pat’s got final score of the half in 27th minute, to leave us ahead 8 pts to 6 pts at the break.
A lively and very good start to the 2nd half saw Pat’s point in 1st minute to pull back to a point, but a Superrockie blitz in next 3 minutes saw Damien Hogan firstly put through by Evan for a point, before a great pass from Joe Kinsella found Hogie again, who, calm as you like, rounded 2 defenders and the keeper to finish to the net, this was immediately followed by brilliant individual work by Jack Doyle who also goaded from a very difficult end line position, to put us 8 points in front after 35 minutes.
A never say die attitude by our rivals saw St Pat’s reply with 1-2 from play in next 5 minutes, to leave 4 point difference with 40 minutes gone. Up stepped cousins Enda and Joey Kinsella for points in 44th from play and 47th a free to put 6 between us. At this stage we had introduced Jamie O’Shea for Marc (43rd min), David Clifford for David Leonard, (45th) Brian O’Sullivan for Gavin (50th) and Darragh for Jack Doyle (52nd minute).
Jamie was fouled for a penalty in the 54th minute and duly stepped up to take it himself and finished it low and to the left clinically, a final point from play by Pat’s in 58th minute was answered with our final score, a goal from Sean Dukes, to leave final scoreline of 4-11 for Dream Team to 1-11 to St Pat’s. Very intertaining to say the least in a win that should secure our place in the final. With many, many outstanding performances on the night made our Celsius Menswear man of the match a very open and difficult contest, with Brian outstanding and excellent kick outs and marshaling from goals, Joe Reidy a good difficult job on St Pat’s “man to go to” and Billy solid in full back line, while Evan had an outstanding 1st half and into 2nd golf, both lads midfield had big games while up front solid as always Joe Kinsella, great 1st half by Marc Carmody and also Gavin Slattery, but, in the end for a non stop contribution throughout went to Jack Doyle.
MINOR FOOTBALL: Austin Stacks 1-11; East Kerry 2-9.
In a David V Goliath battle in round 2 of the Co. Championship in Connolly Park on last Monday evening (24th July) it took a goal in the 54th minute to separate Austin Stacks from the district juggernaut that is East Kerry (Legion, Listry, Glenflesk, Fossa, Dr. Crokes, Kilcummin, Kilgarvan, Spa, Firies, Rathmore & Gneeveguilla). Following an excellent first half display which saw the Rock two points to the good in the 27th minute (our scores coming from Daniel Kirby 0-1), Paddy Lane 1-3 , Ronan Carroll (0-1 f), Stacks were hit with a fortuitous East Kerry goal in the last action of the half to leave the HT score Austin Stacks 1-5 East Kerry 1-6.
Again, the Rock contested brilliantly all throughout the second half with the midfield duo of Ben Murphy & Daniel Kirby mopping up a lot of ball around the middle and setting up attack after attack. With 20 minutes of the second half played the sides were level 1-8 a piece – our 3 scores all coming from play, 2 by Paddy Lane & a beauty from distance by Gavin Casey (younger brother of Kerry senior player Dylan). Stacks had regained a one-point lead (a Paddy Lane free) when East Kerry struck for the decisive goal in the 24th minute. Ronan Carroll responded for Stacks with a very good point from play and it was back to a one-point game with injury time beckoning. East Kerry chipped in for one more point to extend their lead. The Stacks lads having left it all on the pitch at this stage still had one more kick in them and when Ben Murphy broke down an East Kerry attack and quickly turned and raced for the East Kerry goals, the home supporters were on their feet. However, Ben was stopped in his tracks by a heavy hit which unfortunately saw him leave the pitch injured. Ronan Carroll pointed the resultant free in the last action of the game. FT Austin Stacks 1-11 East Kerry 2-9. It is a joy to watch this developing team, well done to mentors Ritchie, William, Dave, Shane, Darragh & Co. We face West Kerry in RD 3 on Tuesday Aug 1st in Lispole at 7.30pm. In the other group game West Kerry drew with Mid Kerry 1-10 a piece.
Team: Stephen Conway, James Fisher, Donnacha Horgan, Ciaran Kavanagh ,Sean Heaslip, Fionnan Ryan, Padraig O’Halloran, Daniel Kirby (0-1), Ben Murphy, Gavin Casey (0-1), Ronan Carroll (0-3) 2f), Thomas Derege, Ryan O’Driscoll, Paddy Lane (1-6 2f) and Rory Lynch. Subs used Alex Tuohy for Rory Lynch (HT), Cormac Bastible for Sean Heaslip (49min) and Sean Heaslip for Ben Murphy (33 min).
In round 3 we travel to Lispole on this Tuesday evening to play West Kerry for a 7.30pm start.
Our thanks to Elma Nix for this comprehensive Report.
BOOK LAUNCH: Noel O’Regan (son of Denis and grandson of the late Martin Bracker O’Regan) is having his first Novel formally launched in the Rose Hotel on this Wednesday evening (2nd Aug) at 7.30pm. The Book is a marvelous read about the lives of a family living in a rural cottage at the end of Kerryhead and is already getting rave reviews in some National Newspapers.
CLUB CARDS: Our Card sessions continue in the Clubhouse on Mondays and Thursdays with the starting time of 9pm sharp. .
CLUB LOTTO: This week’s (31st July) Jackpot worth €4,450 was not won. The winning numbers were 4, 5, 17, 23. The €20 winners were Anne & Seán Myers and Betty Barrett, both c/o The Club; Sarah O’Riordan, c/o John O’Riordan; Martin Donovan, c/o Richard Healy; and Bunny Heinrich, c/o John Breen.
Next week’s Jackpot will be worth €4,500.
Continued thanks to the following businesses for selling our Lotto tickets on a weekly basis – Kevin Barry’s Shop, Commanes Bookshop (PC Books), O’Flynns Interiors, Hussey’s, Princes St., The Burger Shack, Monavalley and Kirby’s Brogue Inn. And continued thanks to everyone who purchase tickets week-in week-out.
SYMPATHY: Sincere sympathy is offered to the families of the following who died recently: Marion Lambe (nee Edwards), Liosdara; Margaret Mason (nee Leen), Arabella and formerly Mason’s Bar, Castle Street; Pat Finn, Scrahan Cross and formerly St. John’s Park (father of former Club Footballer, Mike); Laurence Looby, Cnoc Gorm and formerly Cahersiveen; and Mary Corridon (nee Griffin), Knockmoyle and formerly Liscahane.