mossie
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Post by mossie on Apr 18, 2017 22:16:14 GMT
I agree with all of that except the bit about South Kerry. There is hurling talent down in Kenmare and Kilgarvan that should be in and around the panel. I don't know if they have been asked. Perhaps they were and couldn't commit. Football is at its strongest in a long time in the distict with the district team and club teams doing well, doesn't leave much time for hurling. I might be wrong but i find it hard to believe fellas from South Kerry were even asked. Would any of the mangers from the last few years even know there was hurlers in SOuth Kerry? This year there are 4 clubs from South Kerry playing Intermediate so could be time to have a look at them. Much like in football people will say they are good enough etc but how do we know they aren't if they dont actually get a chance? With Kenmare gone from the district team this year they wont be anywhere near as good as they were in 2016, meaning hurling might get a better look in this season. The Kerry minor hurling panels have had plenty of players from Tralee, Killarney, Kenmare and Kilgarvan in recent years, the under 21 panel had a Dingle player last year and previous years. One of the selectors on the senior panel now was with these minor and under 21 teams so I doubt any talent from the South is being ignored or the selectors are blissfully unaware of talent in South Kerry. Mike Milner from Dr Crokes was on the senior in 2016. I would be surprised and indeed disappointed if some players from South Kerry were not asked. Some of those with the most potential are also very talented footballers. In the early 1990s when Kerry were strongest in hurling the squad had great representation from South Kerry - The Foley's from Kilgarvan, Mike Shea and Seamus McIntyre from Kenmare, Martin McKivergan Tralee, Seanie Shea Crokes, Gerry Sullivan Firies all players that were in and around the starting 15. Back then though there were 3 teams from South Kerry in the senior championship. Now there is none.
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mossie
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Post by mossie on Apr 18, 2017 22:23:30 GMT
I agree with all of that except the bit about South Kerry. There is hurling talent down in Kenmare and Kilgarvan that should be in and around the panel. I don't know if they have been asked. Perhaps they were and couldn't commit. Football is at its strongest in a long time in the distict with the district team and club teams doing well, doesn't leave much time for hurling What players in particular from South Kerry should be on the hurling panel? I would look at John Mark Foley, Patrick Shea and Fionan Sullivan. I think one or two of them are injured though. If fit, I d like to see them on the training panel. Kieran Fitzgibbon is a good keeper as well.
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Post by hurlingman on Apr 19, 2017 8:07:27 GMT
What players in particular from South Kerry should be on the hurling panel? I would look at John Mark Foley, Patrick Shea and Fionan Sullivan. I think one or two of them are injured though. If fit, I d like to see them on the training panel. Kieran Fitzgibbon is a good keeper as well. Andrew Foley from Stacks is worth a look as well. What happened to Patrick O Keeffe from Corkes who was on the Christy Ring winning team in 2011? Also for a lot of the minor All-Ireland winning teams there was a lot of Crokes players. I cant remember any of them even moving on to the U21 teams
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mossie
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Post by mossie on Apr 19, 2017 21:42:37 GMT
I would look at John Mark Foley, Patrick Shea and Fionan Sullivan. I think one or two of them are injured though. If fit, I d like to see them on the training panel. Kieran Fitzgibbon is a good keeper as well. Andrew Foley from Stacks is worth a look as well. What happened to Patrick O Keeffe from Corkes who was on the Christy Ring winning team in 2011? Also for a lot of the minor All-Ireland winning teams there was a lot of Crokes players. I cant remember any of them even moving on to the U21 teams I haven't seen Patrick O'Keefe feature for Crokes at club level. I think he is from Glenflesk but did his hurling with Crokes. He might be away. I don't know really Hopefully the player base on the county team can broaden, In some ways it is - Jordan Conway plays hurling with Crotta but football with Blennerville, Tomas Connor football with Ballymac , hurling with Crotta Anyway as an earlier post mentioned, John Egan's retirement very much felt lately. huge loss
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Post by Mickmack on Apr 23, 2017 14:53:09 GMT
Half time in navan, Meath lead by three points and are full value for that. Shane Nolan got a goal in the first minute and added a point shortly after but Meath came into it more and more as the half wore on. Meath got a goal direvtly from a line ball. Kerrys problem that they are being beaten from the own puckout out. The oleary brothers are subs. They are needed on the field
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Post by Mickmack on Apr 23, 2017 15:43:25 GMT
The first 20 mins of the second half Meath pull eight points. Kerry brought on the second leary and back came kerry. Meath and kerry swopped points and a mikey boyle goal brought in back to three points with 3 mins to go. Then we had a few unbelievable passages of play as the meath keeper brought off two great saves as kerry went for the leveller but meath held firm and broke away for a goal. 3.20 to 2.17 to meath.
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Post by hurlingman on Apr 24, 2017 10:08:26 GMT
Disappointing result and very flat display yesterday. Sums to the way the year has been to date. A win next day out is now a must
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Post by gahman100 on Apr 26, 2017 21:50:40 GMT
Andrew Foley from Stacks is worth a look as well. What happened to Patrick O Keeffe from Corkes who was on the Christy Ring winning team in 2011? Also for a lot of the minor All-Ireland winning teams there was a lot of Crokes players. I cant remember any of them even moving on to the U21 teams I haven't seen Patrick O'Keefe feature for Crokes at club level. I think he is from Glenflesk but did his hurling with Crokes. He might be away. I don't know really Hopefully the player base on the county team can broaden, In some ways it is - Jordan Conway plays hurling with Crotta but football with Blennerville, Tomas Connor football with Ballymac , hurling with Crotta Anyway as an earlier post mentioned, John Egan's retirement very much felt lately. huge loss Patrick Keeffe only ever played one year with the crokes. Went playing with Banteer i think then. Hasnt played hurling in a few years id say. Due to football/college commitments 3 of the 4 minors didnt play much hurling the last few years but theres a few back this year.Jack Linehan playing away i would have thought he would be well good enough for kerry u21s probably crokes best player last year.not sure what the story was there.
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Post by hurlingman on Apr 27, 2017 8:27:10 GMT
I haven't seen Patrick O'Keefe feature for Crokes at club level. I think he is from Glenflesk but did his hurling with Crokes. He might be away. I don't know really Hopefully the player base on the county team can broaden, In some ways it is - Jordan Conway plays hurling with Crotta but football with Blennerville, Tomas Connor football with Ballymac , hurling with Crotta Anyway as an earlier post mentioned, John Egan's retirement very much felt lately. huge loss Patrick Keeffe only ever played one year with the crokes. Went playing with Banteer i think then. Hasnt played hurling in a few years id say. Due to football/college commitments 3 of the 4 minors didnt play much hurling the last few years but theres a few back this year.Jack Linehan playing away i would have thought he would be well good enough for kerry u21s probably crokes best player last year.not sure what the story was there. Was he from Kerry? Im pretty sure he won minor and U21 B tiles with Kerry and was on the senior panel till about 2013 or so.
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Post by Mickmack on Apr 30, 2017 14:27:16 GMT
The two oLeary brothers start today v westmeath so kerry are likely to be miles stronger than last sunday against meath. Shane harty not listed at all so he must be injured.
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Post by Mickmack on Apr 30, 2017 16:11:11 GMT
Leinster SHC: Laois edge closer to quarter-final, Kerry defeat Meath
All four teams will go into the final weekend of games in the Leinster round robin series with aspirations of reaching the knockout stages of the Leinster senior hurling championship after wins for Kerry and Laois today.
Kerry held on in the face of late Westmeath pressure to record a crucial 0-20 to 2-12 win over their hosts at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar this afternoon, while Patrick Purcell fired a remarkable 3-06 as Laois coasted to a 15-point victory over Meath at Pairc Tailteann.
By Kevin Egan
Kerry bounced back from last week's reversal to Meath, and settled to the task with the aid of a strong first-half breeze.
The Kingdom wasted no time in surging into an early lead, rattling off seven points in the opening 10 minutes to rack up an 0-7 to 0-3 lead.
They were handed a further boost when Westmeath lost their talented full forward Niall O’Brien to a second bookable offence in the 15th minute, and while some errant shooting prevented them from fully capitalising on the breeze, manager Fintan O’Connor will have been delighted to go into the dressing room with an 0-12 to 0-5 interval advantage.
Shane Nolan scored seven points in Mullingar The home side made a bright start to the second half, posting the first two points after the break, but they struggled to contain the lively Kerry forwards, particularly Mikey and Pádraig Boyle, who racked up 0-7 from play between them.
Shane Nolan fired over a string of frees and while the midlanders were handed a lifeline when Niall Mitchell found the net after 53 minutes, it wasn’t until the closing moments when a second goal was added by Killian Doyle from a penalty that they really looked capable of snatching a result.
Both sides finished with fourteen men after Jack Goulding joined O’Brien on the sideline following his second booking, but despite this Kerry’s defence held firm and prevented Westmeath from finding their much-needed third goal.
Westmeath: P Maloney; C Shaw, T Doyle, T Gallagher; G Greville, P Greville, A Clarke; C Boyle, J Boyle; A Devine (0-08, 0-06 frees, 0-01 ’65), K Doyle (1-02, 1-00 pen, 0-01 free, 0-01 ’65), R Greville (0-02); N O’Brien, N Mitchell (1-00), D Egerton.
Subs: J Galvin for J Boyle (HT), D McNicholas for Egerton (HT), A Cox for G Greville (43)
Kerry: M Stackpoole; J Buckley, R Horgan, S Weir; J O’Connor (0-01), D Dineen, T Murnane; J Goulding (0-01), P O’Connor (0-01); J Conway (0-02), M O’Leary (0-01), B O’Leary; P Boyle (0-03), M Boyle (0-04), S Nolan (0-07, 0-01 ’65, 0-04 frees).
Subs: J Griffin for M O’Leary (64), M O’Connor for P Boyle (67), K Carmody for B O’Leary (70+3)
Referee: Paud O’Dwyer (Carlow)
By Paul Keane
Patrick Purcell fired a remarkable 3-06 as Laois took a giant step towards the Leinster senior hurling championship quarter-finals.
Purcell was on top form at Pairc Tailteann and dovetailed superbly with fellow midfielder Ross King who also weighed in with 0-11, taking the duo's tally to 3-17, 3-10 of which came from open play.
The Royals were hunting back to back wins themselves after surprising Kerry in Round 1 in what was their first provincial championship game since playing Laois way back in 2004.
But after an evenly contested first 20 minutes that saw the sides locked on 0-05 apiece, Laois took off and surged to a massive 15-point half-time lead, all but securing the win.
Purcell was terrific from the off and was unlucky not to claim four goals by half-time as he also drew a terrific save from the Meath goalkeeper.
Laois wrap up their qualifier group campaign against Kerry in Tralee on 14 May and will be confident of progression to face Wexford or Offaly in the Leinster knock-out stages.
As for Meath, all is not lost though they will need to overcome Westmeath in Mullingar on the same date to keep alive their own hopes of progression.
The big win was all the more impressive from Laois as they lost experienced defender Cahir Healy to an apparent hamstring pull after just 14 minutes.
Meath were similarly without captain and full-back Damien Healy due to his own hamstring complaint which forced him out early in last weekend's tie against Kerry.
Neil Foyle was a late addition to the Laois team and scored two points from play Meath approached the game with momentum after winning all of their previous League and Championship games and held their own early on.
The sides were level four times up to the 20 minute mark but Laois, and Purcell in particular, moved into overdrive between there and half-time.
Neil Foyle, one of three late additions to the Laois team, fed Purcell for 21st and 34th minute goals while the Rathdowney-Errill did it all himself for the second goal, flicking the ball out of a crowd into space and soloing clear.
Laois led 3-13 to 0-7 at half-time and stretched the gap to 16 with another King point after the restart.
Meath, realistically, were playing for pride and showed their heart with a 40th minute goal from sub Neil Heffernan when he was picked out with a brilliant crossfield pass by Mark O'Sullivan.
Joey Keena pulled back a second goal in the 54th minute but even that only reduced Meath's arrears to 11 points.
Laois pulled clear again late on with six points in a row to wrap up the win at their leisure.
Laois: E Rowland; L Bergin, C Healy, D Palmer; M Whelan, C Collier, L Cleere; R King (0-11, 0-06f, 0-01 65), P Purcell (3-06); S Downey (0-01), C Dwyer, S Maher; W Dunphy (0-01), P Whelan, N Foyle (0-02).
Subs: B Conroy (0-01) for Healy (14), A Dunphy (0-01) for Whelan (48), A Corby (0-02) for Foyle (60), E Killeen for Dwyer (63), S Bergin for Maher (67).
Meath: S McGann; S Whitty, S Brennan (0-01), C Reilly; S Geraghty, K Keoghan (0-01), D Kelly; A Forde (0-01), J Keena (1-00); S Quigley (0-01), S Clynch (0-06, 0-04f, 0-0165), J Kelly; G McGowan, M O'Sullivan (0-01), A Gannon (0-01).
Subs: N Heffernan (1-01) for Quigley (h/t), K Keena for McGowan (h/t), C McCabe for Kelly (59), P Farrell for Clynch (60), D Reilly for O'Sullivan (65).
Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow).
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Post by southward on Apr 30, 2017 16:14:58 GMT
Great win!
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Post by gahman100 on May 7, 2017 22:04:29 GMT
Patrick Keeffe only ever played one year with the crokes. Went playing with Banteer i think then. Hasnt played hurling in a few years id say. Due to football/college commitments 3 of the 4 minors didnt play much hurling the last few years but theres a few back this year.Jack Linehan playing away i would have thought he would be well good enough for kerry u21s probably crokes best player last year.not sure what the story was there. Was he from Kerry? Im pretty sure he won minor and U21 B tiles with Kerry and was on the senior panel till about 2013 or so. Glenflesk. Don't think the idea of playing for crokes appealed to him. His older brother on the other hand plays and is heavily involved in d underage structure.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2017 6:44:21 GMT
Hard luck to one and all yesterday. Good game in the main. Unfortunately the first 15 minutes of the second half coupled with missed fees cost us. Excellent standard of hurling from both teams in general. It appears that these two teams enjoy playing each other and the many meetings over the past few years are bring them both on in leaps and bounds. Great that Kerry maintained their leinster status but the system is a joke. Kerry are now finished for the year and won't have another competitive game until next year! The GAA would want to seriously wake up and help and support the counties who are genuinely trying to progress like Kerry. A system that sees both Kerry and Meath finished in mid May is farcical. It really does seem that the hurling elite and the boys on Jones road really couldn't give a toss.
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Post by Mickmack on May 15, 2017 7:11:42 GMT
Hard luck to one and all yesterday. Good game in the main. Unfortunately the first 15 minutes of the second half coupled with missed fees cost us. Excellent standard of hurling from both teams in general. It appears that these two teams enjoy playing each other and the many meetings over the past few years are bring them both on in leaps and bounds. Great that Kerry maintained their leinster status but the system is a joke. Kerry are now finished for the year and won't have another competitive game until next year! The GAA would want to seriously wake up and help and support the counties who are genuinely trying to progress like Kerry. A system that sees both Kerry and Meath finished in mid May is farcical. It really does seem that the hurling elite and the boys on Jones road really couldn't give a toss. Have you a proposal to fix the system. Little point in laois and kerry playing one of the top 8 elite counties. Kerry, meath, westmeath, laois, offaly, antrim all playing each other during the summer in a league with the top two playing in a final before one of the senior hurling semi finals is what I would go with
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2017 8:52:38 GMT
Hard luck to one and all yesterday. Good game in the main. Unfortunately the first 15 minutes of the second half coupled with missed fees cost us. Excellent standard of hurling from both teams in general. It appears that these two teams enjoy playing each other and the many meetings over the past few years are bring them both on in leaps and bounds. Great that Kerry maintained their leinster status but the system is a joke. Kerry are now finished for the year and won't have another competitive game until next year! The GAA would want to seriously wake up and help and support the counties who are genuinely trying to progress like Kerry. A system that sees both Kerry and Meath finished in mid May is farcical. It really does seem that the hurling elite and the boys on Jones road really couldn't give a toss. Have you a proposal to fix the system. Little point in laois and kerry playing one of the top 8 elite counties. Kerry, meath, westmeath, laois, offaly, antrim all playing each other during the summer in a league with the top two playing in a final before one of the senior hurling semi finals is what I would go with In the same vain, I would propose a secondary competition for all the counties eliminated from the Liam McCarthy or possibly a longer league system than the current round robin format that eventually sees the winner entering the All-Ireland series. Why not get each of the counties to play each other home and way, a fifth team maybe, and postpone the start of QFs of the leinster championship. The priority for teams like Kerry is to continue playing competitive hurling, especially during the summer months when all teams are at peak fitness and the ground is hard. Looking at the Kerry team yesterday, they are incredibly fit and obviously after doing a serious amount of graft during the winter months and now its all over already.
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Post by hurlingman on May 15, 2017 11:13:01 GMT
Hard luck to one and all yesterday. Good game in the main. Unfortunately the first 15 minutes of the second half coupled with missed fees cost us. Excellent standard of hurling from both teams in general. It appears that these two teams enjoy playing each other and the many meetings over the past few years are bring them both on in leaps and bounds. Great that Kerry maintained their leinster status but the system is a joke. Kerry are now finished for the year and won't have another competitive game until next year! The GAA would want to seriously wake up and help and support the counties who are genuinely trying to progress like Kerry. A system that sees both Kerry and Meath finished in mid May is farcical. It really does seem that the hurling elite and the boys on Jones road really couldn't give a toss. Have you a proposal to fix the system. Little point in laois and kerry playing one of the top 8 elite counties. Kerry, meath, westmeath, laois, offaly, antrim all playing each other during the summer in a league with the top two playing in a final before one of the senior hurling semi finals is what I would go with I've felt for a while now that the intercounty Intermediate championship is underutilised. For example this year Kerry could go into Munster, and Meath along with Carlow, Kildare and Wicklow in Leinster. As is there's only 3 teams in Leinster so extra games would be good and it would be another step up for the likes of KErry
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mossie
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Post by mossie on May 15, 2017 18:42:06 GMT
Daniel Collins a massive loss through injury as was John Egan through retirement
Glad Kerry held their place and are not down in the Christy Ring again
Players like John Buckley, Jordan Conway, Jack Goudling are developing nicely. Need to bring through a few more next year like Brandon Barrett, John Mark Foley, Shane Conway and a few others
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Post by Mickmack on May 15, 2017 22:30:23 GMT
Billy Keane: 'Maybe' often the first word in the story of Kerry hurling
B Kerry played Laois in the Leinster Championship in Austin Stack Park in Tralee yesterday. Yes, Tralee is in Leinster. New York and London are in Connacht and The Glens of Antrim are part of Greater Leinster. The hurling world has been realigned in the much the same way as Europe was after a world war. Kerry had to beat Laois to get through to the next round of the Leinster Championship. The maths are beyond me; it seems Laois didn't have to win, but they did.
Kerry went it at half-time to a huge ovation. Shane Nolan scored two brilliantly worked goals. A Laois man, in the toilet, told me he was thinking of heading home. We met up with Mary Dunphy from Ballybrophy "where the train stops". Mary married off her son Michael to the lovely Eileen Ryan on Saturday. But she wasn't going to miss the game. Her boy William would have been playing but for a concussion picked up against Meath. The hurling people in the minority counties are staunch.
Fair play to Mary. She wasn't going anywhere, even though she was dressed up in her post wedding day, going-away finery. Laois took over after half-time. Eamonn Kelly used to train Kerry and he is now in charge of Laois. His team talk would raise the Titanic based on the evidence of that early second-half charge. Kerry came out flat. Maybe it was down to losing concentration. 'Maybe' has often been the first word in the story of Kerry hurling.
Laois took over with clever hurling and well-taken scores. That was that. Kerry had a player sent off and down below us a man asked who would be the next Kerry hurling manager.
Kerry have had more managers than Aston Villa. One or two in the past have been removed by player revolt. This was the curse of the coup. In times of turmoil we always talk about the weather. The rain held off all through the game. The groundsmen and the farmers were praying for rain all week.
The San Andrean cracks in the scorched earth were such that a small bird or a badly tossed referee's coin might fall in to a crevice and never be seen again. The hurling people were worried. The more pagan of the farmers danced naked under the yellow rays of the waning moon and paid homage to old weather Gods from the far distant Celtic twilight.
Then, on match day, there were showers to take the hardness out of the field.
In Kerry, hurling is the game of the country people from the left bank of the River Feale. The big towns of Tralee and Listowel are only a short journey away from the hurling lands, but there is little, if any, hurling played in either place. Football is the religion. There is a story of a man who said hurls were only used for "baten lazy donkeys out of the bog". So all the more credit is due to the hurling folk for keeping the game alive. They carry on regardless, from generation to generation. As we drove through the hurling lands on the way to Tralee, the wavy pastures of the North Kerry pampas stood no taller than the top of a soft sweeping brush. The land is mostly good, as good as anywhere, with cornfields and cows' udders swinging with the weight of the milk.
Ballyduff is the gateway. The land of my ancestors won an All-Ireland hurling championship back in 1891. They hurl hard and never take a backward step.
Ballyduff is home to the Boyles, who are excellent at every sport. Two of the clan played yesterday. Mikey and Padraig would grace any team in any county. Padraig caught a high one and let go a rasper, but Enda Rowland in the Laois goal made the flying save of the year in the first-half.
For Laois, Patrick Purcell's runs caused trouble throughout. Like a good Cossack rider, he can shoot on the run.
Kerry fought back to get within a goal from a Mikey free. No Kerry player gave in. You would have to be proud of them, but Laois were the better team. Kerry missed six frees, though, and conceded too many.
They were in it right until the last puck. Kerry used to run out of gas, but these lads trained hard and played hard throughout.
For Laois, Ross King was deadly accurate. They are a tidy team, but on yesterday's showing they will be up against it in the quarter-final. You would fear for them. They had great support and I'd say the second day of Mary's young lad's wedding was a double celebration.
I have half a mind to head off for Ballybrophy.
We will drive home instead through the village of Ballyheigue on the Wild Atlantic Way. And then on to the lush lands of Kilmoyley, the county champions. Neither place has a Gaelic football team. They prefer hurling around here in these North Kerry enclaves and the greatest game of all is given as much respect as in Bennetsbridge or Holy Cross or The Glen itself.
Status
Our team care. People strive to keep the game alive and for that alone they deserve our support. And Kerry did manage to retain their Leinster status. There will be no Kexit.
Since time immemorial Kerry hurlers preferred to best the neighbours with pyrrhic victories in local wars. Parishes are separated only by jumpable streams, low ditches and Brehon Law.
The hurling kids mostly go to the Causeway Comprehensive, where hurling is the big game in this excellent school. Their united Kerry team have had great success, winning several All-Irelands and playing open hurling.
Kerry, the county, are well respected now in the hurling world. We have some fine hurlers. If only we had more. Mikey Boyle was sad and heavy-legged as he walked off the field following an interview. The stands were cleared and the mask was gone now. He did his best. And more than that
Outside the ground, in the Dunne's car park, four young lads from Laois were pucking the sliotar up against the back wall of Austin Stack Park. One small lad had a hurley no bigger than a wooden spoon.
Mikey won't be giving in any time soon and the youngsters from Laois will keep on knocking down walls. Hurling is in the blood, you see. It's bred in to them and the hurling people will keep on going, as long as there is a maybe
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Post by Mickmack on May 24, 2017 22:47:09 GMT
Martin Breheny: Gooch v Tweek - Two Kerry legends, two different farewells Both served Kerry with distinction for many years but the adulation on their farewells was all one way
This is the story of 'Gooch' and 'Tweek', two 33-year-old Kerrymen whose inter-county careers overlapped for 13 years. They retired within six weeks of each other, Colm Cooper ending his days as a Kerry footballer in early April, John Griffin signing off from the hurling scene late last week. The departure of 'Gooch' transcended GAA and indeed sport. Newspaper supplements were published, radio packages broadcast and, as tributes flowed and arguments began as to where he ranked on the ladder of all-time greats, there was scarcely anyone in the country who didn't know that the Killarney man had retired.
More followed. A call-up to the 'Sunday Game' panel and a newspaper column ensures that Cooper will remain very much in the public eye this summer. Autumn brings the publication of his autobiography, no doubt accompanied by a 'Late Late Show' appearance and a range of radio and newspaper interviews. It's exposure on an industrial scale for 'Gooch', whose inter-county career ran from 2002 to last year.
It's different for Griffin, affectionately known as 'Tweek', who hurled for Kerry between 2003 and last year. His retirement, announced in an email from Kerry PRO, John O'Leary, last Friday, drew little media reaction. O'Leary gave plenty detail about the Lixnaw man's career, the longevity of which underlined his commitment to hurling. Kerry county chairman Tim Murphy spoke of how Griffin brought a "unique single-mindedness to the promotion of the game in Kerry and became a shining light of how best this could be achieved".
Career highlights included two Christy Ring Cup wins, the second as captain in 2015, promotion to Division 1B of the League and to the Leinster championship 'round robin' series. 'Tweek' was also selected as a replacement All-Star for the trip to Texas in 2015. It's a modest haul by comparison with 'Gooch' but then there's a vast difference in the opportunity range for Kerry footballers and hurlers. The same applies elsewhere too, while many counties operate at the lower end of the scale in both codes. 'Tweek' signed off by urging young Kerry hurlers to "make yourselves available (for the county), work hard, be ambitious, and enjoy what it has to offer". It wasn't necessary for 'Gooch' to urge the Kingdom's youth to pledge themselves to the football cause, but then the tradition - not to mention the possibility of success - is very different.
By the end of this year, there will be few facets of football life on which 'Gooch' won't have commented in the various media outlets and his book. All very interesting I'm sure, but will it be any more perceptive than Griffin on hurling? We won't know because players outside the top strata in any sport rarely get asked for their opinions. It's as if on-field success automatically equates to off-pitch expertise, which is a truly daft concept.
In an age when players from top counties are regularly offered for interview by companies as part of commercial deals, we have the ludicrous situation where relative newcomers have their opinions on championship formats, rules and other issues of the day hoisted on the public while far more experienced players from weaker counties are ignored. Opinions
Effectively, the success or otherwise of a county decides the merit of its players' opinions. If Griffin had been born in Cork, Kilkenny or Tipperary, would he now have a newspaper column, a slot on 'The Sunday Game' and a book deal?
And if Cooper had been born in Leitrim, Wicklow or Carlow, would anyone care what he thought, irrespective of how much he had contributed to his county and to football? Good luck to 'Gooch', who is a very likeable and interesting character, in all his endeavours. I have used him merely to illustrate the difference between the experiences of two players in the same county, whose careers ran parallel for so long. Players - and indeed ex-players - from weaker counties can often be a lot more interesting than their counterparts at the elite end but their voices remain largely unheard. Carlow football manager Turlough O'Brien said on Monday that he found it most annoying to hear pundits (most of whom are from successful counties) running down the football championship, simply because not all games in the early stages are competitive.
"If they find it so bad, why be involved at all? Nobody is forcing them to watch," he said.
He fears that negative talk can have a dispiriting influence on players from weaker counties as it comes with the clear implication that they are wasting their time. Thankfully, it hasn't happened in Carlow, whose footballers are now preparing for a clash with Dublin after a splendid win over Wexford. Still, O'Brien has a point. Players from weaker counties deserve respect, not snide one-liners. It's their Association too.
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Post by himself on May 25, 2017 9:15:47 GMT
Interesting article. I especially like the way that he writes about how it's a shame that Irish sports journalists don't interview the likes of John about his opinions on hurling....while not interviewing John about any of his opinions on hurling. Obviously, its a pity that he's not a sports journalist himself, because obviously he would approach the job completely differently......
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Post by Mickmack on May 25, 2017 18:56:06 GMT
No matter what the circumstances its worthwhile giving John Griffin a bit of recognition for wearing the jersey with pride. He gave splendid service to Finuge too and has a few NK championship i would say as well as Intermediate county medal..... as well as a few county hurling medals with lixnaw. Not sure if he was on the Finuge side that won the junior all ireland.
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Post by kerrygold on May 25, 2017 22:13:31 GMT
What are the origins of the nickname tweek?
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Post by Mickmack on May 26, 2017 21:31:52 GMT
Dunno that. I do know how John Bubbles Dwyer is called Bubbles. T he story of how Tipperary hurling star John O’Dwyer got his nickname ‘Bubbles’ has been revealed.
In yesterday’s Irish Independent, it was explained by Newstalk’s ‘Off the Ball’ team how a caller to the show, who claimed to be a Killenaule man living in Dublin, had told a story of how he met John O’Dwyer’s dad over a pint and asked him where the name ‘Bubbles’ originated from.
Mr O'Dwyer explained to the caller: "As a child, John was quite a hairy baby and so people began to call him Bubbles, as in Michael Jackson's chimp".
Later, a slightly embarrassed ‘Bubbles’ confirmed on twitter that the story was true.
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mossie
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Post by mossie on Aug 13, 2017 12:55:53 GMT
mixed results yesterday
the minors pipped by Kildare - no doubt if they had Barry Mahony, Michael Slattery, Donal O'Sullivan they would have won. A pity as Kerry have a great record in this competition
The under 21s predictably bt Donegal easily. Tougher tests ahead. Barry O'Sullivan from Dingle was an interesting inclusion at midfield and scored a couple of points.
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Post by hurlingman on Aug 18, 2017 9:36:42 GMT
Kerry Under 21 Hurling Team V Meath – All Ireland Under 21 “B” Hurling Semi Final
The Kerry Under 21 Hurling team to play Meath in the All Ireland Under 21 “B” Championship Semi Final in Semple Stadium Thurles on Saturday at 2pm is as follows:
1. Stephen Murphy Causeway
2. Stevie O'Sullivan Abbeydorney
3. Daragh Shanahan (C) Lixnaw
4. Billy Lyons Causeway
5. Eoin Ross Ballyduff
6. Jason Diggins Causeway
7. Liam Mullins Lixnaw
8. Barry O'Sullivan Dingle
9. Tomás O'Connor Crotta O'Neills
10. John Buckley Lixnaw
11. Michael O'Leary Abbeydorney
12. Jordan Brick Kilmoyley
13. Maurice O'Connor Kilmoyley
14. Shane Conway Lixnaw
15. Ronan Donovan Abbeydorney
Fir Ionaid
16. David Silles Lixnaw
17. Adrian O'Mahony Crotta O'Neills
18. John Hussey Ballyduff
19. Brandon Barrett Causeway
20. Jack Lenihan Dr. Crokes
21. Darragh Ryan Crotta O'Neills
22. Kieran McCarthy Kilmoyley
23. Kieran O'Regan Kilmoyley
24. Ger Stackpoole Lixnaw
Bainistíocht
Bainisteoír: Ian Brick (Kilmoyley)
Coach/Selectors: Fintan O’Connor & Brendan Cummins
Roghnoirí: D.J. Leahy (Causeway), John Lucid (Ballyheigue), Aidan O’Mahony (St Brendans)
Extended panel members not available for this game
Eric McHale Causeway
Jack Goulding Ballyduff
Daniel O’Carroll Ballyduff
Rehabbing:
Colin Sheehy Lixnaw
Robert Collins Kilmoyley
Jordan Conway Crotta O’Neills
Jeremy McKenna Lixnaw
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mossie
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Post by mossie on Sept 8, 2017 20:30:26 GMT
strong Kerry under 21 team tomorrow
2 members of this year Kerry under 21 football playing Barry O'Sullivan and Brandon Barrett
Tomas Connor and Jack Goulding dual Kerry minors in recent years as well.
John Buckley, Michael O;Leary and Shane Conway to be match winners for Kerry
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Post by Mickmack on Sept 9, 2017 9:52:32 GMT
www.gaa.ie/hurling/news/interesting-adventure-for-promising-kerry-dual-star/It will be interesting to see how Barry fares tomorrow. Two other minor football All Ireland winners in action too....Brandon Barrett and Jack Goulding. This is what Barry said about football in another interview O’Sullivan holds an ambition himself to feature at senior level for Kerry but is pragmatic enough for now to focus on his studies in Dublin. “Look, I don’t know. Down the line the dream is to play with Kerry and we might give it a go if the chance comes along. I am up in Dublin with the veterinary now. “You have to be severely organised with the veterinary and it is tricky to do everything but if you are organised, you have a chance and the managers have been very accommodating over the last few years. “I will try and play college and try to get on the Sigerson team again and go from there.”
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Post by kerrygold on Sept 9, 2017 10:03:38 GMT
A busy lad, he looks like an outsider on that hurling team sheet.
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mossie
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Post by mossie on Sept 9, 2017 11:09:36 GMT
A busy lad, he looks like an outsider on that hurling team sheet. Not the first Dingle man to play in an all Ireland under 21 hurling final Paul Geaney and Dara O'Sullivan did a few years back. Both of them played a lot of club hurling up to 19\20 with Kilmoyley Kerry really short odds today - 1\6 !!!
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