Earliest Kerry memories

[lostinmayo]

Well, we have a few weeks to go to the game and there's not a lot to discuss at the moment in fairness.

I was thinking the other day of my first time seeing Kerry play and thought it'd be an interesting topic here. (not sure if this was ever discussed previously)

Anyway, my first memories of seeing Kerry were i think the 1980 Munster final, maybe someone can confirm. It was on in Killarney and i remember me and my brother sat on the same seat on the town side. The edge seat was split into two, can anyone else remember this? All i can remember from the game was the Bomber was marking Colman Corrigan and he got sent off for clocking the Cork keeper. It was a privilige to have seen this team and at the time of course i didn't realise i was watching one of the greatest teams ever.

I also remember the 83 Munster Final in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, when Tadgh Murphy got the last minute goal, after the game i was walking out with my cousin from Cork and he asked me do i feel like crying coz that's the way he felt every year, i don't think i did. Poor lad though, they're still having it tough, even when they beat us, we end up knocking them out. ;D

I never went to Croke Park during the 3 in a row during the 80's, i guess my father thought i was too young and i guess he thought we would be there every year, so i had a bit of a wait to get there, it was 91 for the semi final against Down, i remember that game well and the long journey home after losing.

[kerryman]

I have some vague memory of the All Stars playing Kerry (I think) in some challenge match. It was hard to tell which was Kerry and which was the all stars though (if it was 1981, we'd 9 all stars).

[Timoleague]

I think the 1980 final was in Cork - it was my first match. The Bomber fisted in a goal before half time over Kevin Kelleher's head - went on to win fairly easily after that.

First memory was the run-up to the 1978 final - my Dad sent me down every day to buy GAA mags in the days beforehand- he had a feckin' smile so big that day!

[austinstacksabu]

A recognised literary historian such as Gawksie will blow us mere street urchins out of the proverbial waters of the Royal Canal when they read this thread. Speaking of historians, is there any sign of JohnBosco any more. The man was a fountain of knowledge and would have completed this years quiz with the ease of Justin Gatlin running 100m in under 10 seconds.

But to childhood memories. I can't remember the first time I saw Kerry play, I think it was in '83, but I remember my first time seeing them in Croke Park. It was the 1984 All Ireland semi final, Galway v Kerry, and if somebody can correct me, I think it was Michael O'Hehir's last commentary before he succumbed to illness. I remember it well, being on holidays the week before in Galway, meeting the great Enda Colleran on the Saturday evening in Galway, heading up on the Sunday, a dirty rainy day, we were in the upper Cusack and I remember looking across with the aid of binoculars to see Michael O'Hehir commentating in the box which was in the middle of the Hogan Stand between the two tiers - that was almost the biggest thrill of the day for this six year old.

We beat Galway fairly handy that day - the same Galway that should have beaten Offaly in the '82 semi final and should have won the '83 All Ireland final only for the teams to end up playing 7-aside.....

[scoobydo]

First ever memory is being brought in by my uncle near the end of what must have been 84 munster final v cork in Killarney. First match attended was Munster Final 86. first trip to croker was Down in 91 ;o(

[lostinmayo]

timoleague said:

I think the 1980 final was in Cork - it was my first match. The Bomber fisted in a goal before half time over Kevin Kelleher's head - went on to win fairly easily after that.

First memory was the run-up to the 1978 final - my Dad sent me down every day to buy GAA mags in the days beforehand- he had a feckin' smile so big that day!

well to be honest i thought it was 81 myself that day in Killarney for my first game, but i worked backwards from 83 which was deffo in Cork and i figured it must have been 1980, there were no draws, sure there wasn't..

[watchdahop]

There was a draw in 1982. There was a draw in Cork and Kerry won the replay handy in Killarney enough. Thats why the 83 final went to Cork.

The 1981 final was in Killarney was that the one where Bomber poleaxed Billy Morgan who was playing in goal for Cork, while going legitimateley going for the ball and Michael Creedon of the Abbey hotel in Ballyvourney came onto replace him in goal.It could be one of the reasons Billy is bitter even now.

The 1980 final was in Cork I am sure and Kerry again won handy enough

[Tadhgeen]

Earliest memory 1975 AI final watching my Dad (God rest him) heading off to Croker on the day before. Unfortunately I was judged too young to travel.
Have vivid recollection of listening to the game on one of the oldstyle wireless machines , pressing my ear up against the large speaker area for every minute of Micheal o'Hehir's commentary whenever I wasn't jumping around with excitement after each Kerry score.

I have to say that o'Hehir's commentary was almost like being there - what a commenatator.

Can't remember if we had a telly at that time or if it was on the blink which frequently seemed to happen our earlier tv's.

Can't remember first Kerry game but would have been sometime in '75 with my Dad who took me to all the local games.

I was lucky enough to see my first AI Final in 1978 (no ticket required , just hopped over style) and I haven't missed one since that Kerry have been involved in.

Oh the memories - up to Dublin on the train on Saturday, great buzz and no other talk but football. Out to north Co. Dublin, stay at the uncles (not far from Malahide where Kerry team used to stay) and up early on day of match for Mass followed by a good fry and then onwards to the Palace where grown-up's drank porter.

Gang's of Jackeens heading down Fleet street chanting, roaring, shouting, we are blue we are white we are f......ng dynamite...

Best was the train down with the team on board - fellas jumping over barriers , slipping fivers to CIE Guards for passage on the victors train.

Absolute sheer bedlam and joy having flushed the Jacks. Then the large bonfires and stoppages for speeches as we neared our destination.

Then of course the half day off school to look forward to and the poster of the winning team issued by the Kerryman the following week.

[shiner]

My earliest memory of kerry, is the 82 semi final.Unfortunately i dont remember much about the game, just the columns in the stand obscuring my view.I wasnt at the final, but my mother tells the story of how she wanted to leave before the final whistle to beat the traffic, and my father had told her to sit down and watch history being made.The rest is history.

[kerryman]

I'm going to be killed for saying this, but the fellah with his earliest all Ireland memories of Mayo victories would have a few years under his belt hah?

[Die Hard Kerry Fan]

My earliest memory is the 1986 All Ireland final against Tyrone if I'm not mistaken

[Owenabue]

Camping near the beach in Muirioch and perfecting our Irish so we could ask for a bar of Dairymilk and a packet of Tayto in the shop! The good old days when you would sill get change out of 50p!
If you mean football… I think it must be the 1987 Munster final. It’s such a long time ago.

[inforthebreaks]

the mind has subconciously blacked out memories of the earlier days then Owenabue...

[Owenabue]

Funny enough it actually was the first football game I was brought to. When you come from a large family, you don't get too many days out! I remember nothing about the game only the Kerry crowd leaving early. When you're small and in the terrace with loads of noise and your dad using words you never heard before what actually happened on the pitch is irrelevant.

[Mickmack]

I feel like an OAP writing this but my first memory is watching the 1968 Final on a black and white telly at home. A lot of neighbours came in to see it on the box. Down won. I can feel the deflation still.

My late father brought me to the 1970 Munster Final in Killarney. The car had to be abandoned between Farranfore and Killarney such was the traffic. He had to keep me on his shoulders to see it. Kerry won....... I remember Mick O Connell and Mick o Dwyer vividly. The minors that day included Ger Power, Ger O Keeffe and sveral more that formed part of the golden years.

That evening in Austins Stacks Park we took in the hurling championship match between the Stacks who had a super team (John Barry et all) and Ardfert.

A wholesale melee occurred and I can remember if the game was abandoned or not or who won but I can still remember the fight as i was looking through the wire and they were up against the wire flaking the liking daylights out of each other.

A great day!

[sullyschoice]

First match I remember on telly was 1975 Final. I think the first match I went to was in Croker in 1978/9 for a league Semi final, I think it was against Roscommon.

I remember going to a game in Newbridge around 1978 when Kerry played the Rest of Ireland. That day there was also a game for Kerry over 40's against some other crowd. Some of teh fellas playing werent half bad for oul fellas.

It was great, I got to go into the dressing room and meet all my heros.

[mafi97]

I must be on the wrong web-site - is this site for children.??
The first All-Ireland I recall was Kerry's win over Armagh in 1953.
Perhaps without the benefit of photographs, the memory would have faded. My Mother had kitted us out in all kinds of gear (hats, flags etc.) - hence the photgraphs. I assume that I absorbed all the excitement because when our next-door neigbours (who were known to be "experts") told me that Kerry had been "disqualified", I was crestfallen, even though I had no precise idea of the meaning of "disqualified".

I have a much better memory of the 1954 Final which we lost to Meath. Again, I may have absorbed my feelings of the game from my Father, but it was the start of learning to accept the fact that Kerry did not win EVERY game.

The Whit Sunday Tournament in Killarney was a serious event. In 1955, Kerry played Dublin and they came with their famed "combination football". I feel that it must have been my first inter-county game. Even to my untutored eye, the Dubs were menacingly moving in non-stop intricate patterns. My first game was decorated with an unusual event. The great Dub, Jim Crowley was sent off by the ref. There was a greater than normal "debate" in the middle of the field to mark this event. Minutes passed with Crowley still on the field and the ref being "interviewed" in a style that presaged Roy Keane's manner of discoursing with a ref. Eventually it emerged that that the Kerry Great - Micksie Palmer - convinced the ref to change his decision and leave Crowley on the field.

My first Munster Final was in Killarney that year and memories include being shown where Michael O'Hehir did his commentaries from a shaky wooden box which would hold about 2 people.
A post scipt to that Palmer/Crowley incident on Whit Sunday in Killarney was that in that year's Final against Dublin, Crowley could not line out and Palmer had a heroic game.

My two memories from 1956 were my first visit to Cork for a Munster Final which ended in a draw with a last minute goal from Jim Brosnan. Cork should have won easily and Kerry did not have a single score in the first half. Cork's shooting was so bad that they resorted completely to punching the ball in the second half.
The replay in Killarney was delayed by a about 6 weeks because of an outbreak of polio in Cork and no matter what strategems I employed there was no way I was going be allowed go to the replay. It was the same for all the other kids - but that was very little consolation. I was reduced to listening on the radio. That was the day that Tom Collins played in the first game, the Junior Hurling Munster Final, then played in the Junior Football Munster Final and then came on as a sub in the Senior Final and THEN "went home and milked the cows". By the way, we lost by a point scored in about the 6th minute of "injury time" - and I still feel a bit sore about it.

[An Fod Mona]

First saw Kerry on TV in the 62 final - first final televised. First time to see them when I was at a game was in 1972 semi final and the first time to see them play in Killarney was 75 Munster final. My earliers memories of Kerry games were of O"Connell's fantastic skill - still the greatest in my book.

[kerrygold]

great post mafi97,great to hear stories like that from the older days,well done.

The 50's,that would be around the time so that my grandfather used to put the hen turkey in the shopping bag and hang the bag over the handle bars of the bike and set off on the ten mile cycle to the turkey cock.All that would be visible would be the turkeys head sticking out of the corner of the shopping bag.
If the cock didnt do the business the hen would be left there for a few days when my grandfather would have to return for her.The fee was one crown for the deed done.My grandmother then would have 10 or12 turkeys for sail at the fair at christmas.
Changed times lads.


my first memory of kerry in an all-ireland final was the 1969 final,i remember members of the family gathering in the kitchen for the trip up to croker in the car.
i was a toddler but still had the scence to know they were trying to give me the slip,when my mother distracted me they all headed for the back door,i immediately made a run for it,right into the middle of the stampeade.All i remember is getting pollaxed against the frame of the kitchen door and the lights went out.


my first all-ireland final attended was the 1975 all-ireland final,i was lifted up over the stile and sat on the steps between the seats.They were the good auld days where young fellows developed a healthy appreciation for beating the dubs at a young age.