Club hurling

[Shannonman]

Jul 22, 2022 19:51:37 GMT thehermit said:

So the Famine continues, gave up too many goal chances and only for Sullivan there would have been 2-3 more in the Crotta net.

What is it about Ballyduff they just know how to win, year in year out

The Boyle's I guess and before them the Hennessy's. To be fair last night they were well assisted by Eoin Ross, Kieran O'Carroll and the Goulding's. Crotta fought hard and have a good team, still a chance for a county title in this team. 

[Whosinmidfield]

Very bright future ahead for Ballyduff. This year they had the biggest representation on both the Kerry minor and u20 teams.

[thesquareball]

ballyduff had workrate,intensity,a game plan,and men who could stand under a dropping ball and gain possesion,whereas crotta were lacking in these areas., what is the mentality of a club to get to a county league final and give a walkover,surely this would have benifited the team.Mikey boyle is some warrior ,hard to bet against the duffers in a final

[homerj]

Ballyduff v Causeway final.

[kerryexile5]

Kilmoyley will be wondering how they didnt win that game in normal time.

Maurice O'Connor was a big loss not starting.

Should be a good final, and hopefully the winner gives munster a good rattle.

[moth]

Hard luck on Kilmoyley. They have been great champions and did us proud outside of the county.

No great shock to see 2 teams emerge from the group of death to contest the final.
It would be good to see Mickey Boyle get another medal, as he has been such a great servant to both Kerry & Ballyduff and I think that Ballyduff are better equipped to get a win outside the county. However, finals are impossible to predict and this one is no different.
Both camps will also be a little distracted this week with the intermediate semis. They could also end up facing each other in that final.

[mossie]

The Boyle's were just immense for Ballyduff on Friday night, were supreme in the aerial battles fielding time and time again. Eoin Ross also very strong in the air and a real physical presence , the return of Paud Costello from injury has also been a huge boost for Ballyduff. Look very much like a team hell bent on winning the championship in 2022 and some lovely young hurlers in the O'Connors, Adam Segal, Kevin Goulding, Kieran Carroll

For Crotta O'Neills the long wait goes on. Making progress no doubt but still work to do to claim that elusive title.

Kilmoyley and Causeway was an epic encounter, Kilmoyley looked to be cruising but sloppiness gifted Causeway two goals to send the match to extra time and after that Causeway were the better team. Brandon Barrett, Gavin Dooley and Paul McGrath were Hot up front for Causeway and what a catch by Jason Diggins at the end of extra time as Kilmoyley came looking for a late winning goal. For Kilmoyley 18 year old Robert Monohan looks some prospect, he was man of the match on a beaten team scoring 1-6 from play, some of his scores of sublime quality. Barry O'Sullivan, Kilmoyley was heroic also scoring 3 points and always in the thick of the aerial battles. To play hurling Saturday at 2pm having played extra time for Dingle on Friday night in the football league final was some going.

I cannot recall such a high scoring kerry semi final as the Kilmoyley v Causeway semi final, a great advertisement for the county championship

[mossie]

Jul 23, 2022 11:24:58 GMT thesquareball said:

ballyduff had workrate,intensity,a game plan,and men who could stand under a dropping ball and gain possesion,whereas crotta were lacking in these areas., what is the mentality of a club to get to a county league final and give a walkover,surely this would have benifited the team.Mikey boyle is some warrior ,hard to bet against the duffers in a final

Ballyduff are very strong in the air especially the Boyles

[mossie]

Jul 25, 2022 14:14:52 GMT moth said:

Hard luck on Kilmoyley. They have been great champions and did us proud outside of the county.

No great shock to see 2 teams emerge from the group of death to contest the final.
It would be good to see Mickey Boyle get another medal, as he has been such a great servant to both Kerry & Ballyduff and I think that Ballyduff are better equipped to get a win outside the county. However, finals are impossible to predict and this one is no different.
Both camps will also be a little distracted this week with the intermediate semis. They could also end up facing each other in that final.

I would be very hopeful Ballyduff or Causeway could emulate Kilmoyley's run or at the very least give the Munster club a right rattle

[mossie]

Kilgarvan and St Brendans B to contest the intermediate hurling final after semi final wins tonight

I hope they play the intermediate final as a curtain raiser to the senior final. It makes sense, a reward to the intermediate players and would boost the attendance as well, also gets a south kerry hurling club involved on county hurling final day

[moth]

Jul 27, 2022 23:00:07 GMT mossie said:

Kilgarvan and St Brendans B to contest the intermediate hurling final after semi final wins tonight

I hope they play the intermediate final as a curtain raiser to the senior final. It makes sense, a reward to the intermediate players and would boost the attendance as well, also gets a south kerry hurling club involved on county hurling final day

Agreed - it would be great to have a decent crowd at the Intermediate final.
Did Donal O'Sullivan feature for Kilgarvan last night?

[mossie]

Great win for St Brendans in the minor final last night

The general view was that Ballyduff would be too strong and St Brendans had too many under 16s and would have to wait until 2023. St Brendans blew that theory out of the water. Great hurling by both sides and both will be very strong at minor again next year.

Evan Boyle , Ballyduff and Liam Og Connor St Brendans look like too fine hurling prospects, could also be the Kerry minor football midfield pairing in 2023 !

[Mickmack]

Brilliant St Brendans claim County Minor crown from holders Ballyduff

Liam Óg O’Connor takes man-of-the-match award after blistering first half display which saw him shoot 1-7


Damian Stack

July 29 2022 09:20 PM

KEANE’S COUNTY MHC FINAL

St Brendans 3-13

Ballyduff 1-13

They survived the storm. They were the storm. They were blood and thunder. They were determination made manifest. They were, quite simply, magnificent.


St Brendans were more than worth winners of this county final. Early on they made the weather and when the tide started to turn against them, they had the wherewithal to face it down, tacking into the wind and sailing for home.

Quite easily they could have buckled in the wake of a simply brilliant goal by Luke Rochford in the third quarter – Rochford picking up a deflection from Jake Moriarty after ball into the danger zone by Evan Boyle, before finishing with real aplomb.

Instead, the Saints responded themselves practically within seconds for a goal of their own and with it took control of the game to a greater or lesser extent.

And if they didn’t with Maurice Lenihan’s goal on 43 minutes, they certainly did with Keelan best’s on 45. It pushed them seven clear – 3-10 to 1-9 – and well on course for their first title in nine years.

×
In hindsight, it’s clear they were never going to be denied. Seven seconds, that’s all it took. That’s all it took for St Brendans to make their intentions plain. That’s all it took for Liam Óg O’Connor to make his plain in sweeping the ball over the bar into the Horan’s End to get the show on the road.

And boy did St Brendans put on some show in the first half. Coming into the game as underdogs – having lost twice already this year to Ballyduff – the Ardfert men looked nothing like underdogs in the first half hurling with pride, passion and real intent.

There was a ferocity to the way they approached the game. A cussedness and a flintiness. The way their manager, Liam O’Connor, had them set up was next to near perfect, dropping back Adam McDonagh to mark Luke Rochford, having Hugh Lenihan act as sweeper.


It was more than that, though. All over the park it seemed like they were out-working their rivals from up the North Kerry coast. Once in possession of the ball then they hurled sweetly, with the aforementioned O’Connor leading the way with a powerful first half display.

By the end of the first quarter St Brendans were five clear, 0-8 to 0-3 and full value for it. A couple of points from Ballyduff from Jack Enright (on 17) and a ‘65 from Killian Boyle (19) brought it back to a more manageable margin and all of a sudden, Ballyduff were lurking with intent.

Sensing this St Brendans turned on the afterburners once more with O’Connor slamming home an insanely good goal from about 25 yards out to the left of the goal.

St Brendans rounded out the half with another two points (both from a simply inspired Liam Óg O’Connor who hit a remarkable 1-7 in the first half) to leave them eight clear, 1-10 to 0-5.

Even though you couldn’t say such a lead wasn’t deserved, Ballyduff had reason to be frustrated having hit a whopping nine first half wides, while dropping another two short.

Whatever was said to the young Ballyduff charges at half-time was of the short-sharp variety as they emerged from the tunnel less than seven minutes after entering it.

Nevertheless, when the green and white hit an additional two missed chances inside the opening two minutes of the second half one was left fearing the worse.

To be fair to John Hennessy’s charges, however, they kicked on in a major way after that. Showing no ill effects of all those wides to shoot four on the spin, including a pair of identical points from Evan Boyle from the railway sideline into the Horan’s end.

Brendans were now struggling somewhat to do what they did in the first. Ballyduff’s work-rate was visibly higher, O’Connor having much less time on the ball, and with Boyle thundering into the game it felt as though they could be able to stage a remarkable revival.

Absolutely it felt that way in the wake of Rochford’s goal, which brought it back to a one point game on 41 minutes, 2-10 to 1-9, but it’s as if that goal sparked something in St Brendans.

Two minutes later they had their second goal with Liam Óg O’Connor and Keelan Best combining for Maurice Lenihan’s finish. Their third goal, two minutes later, saw O’Connor and Lenihan combine for Best. At 3-10 to 1-9, this race was run.

Sure Ballyduff never threw in the towel – and Evan Boyle tried for goals with two close in frees later on – but the Brendans always had their at arm’s length with points from Tiernan O’Sullivan, Maurice Lenihan and a ‘65 from Liam Óg O’Connor ensuring their victory.

That the better team won is no shame on Ballyduff, who relinquish their title after two years. We haven’t heard the last of these hurlers, of Evan Boyle and Luke Rochford in particular, that’s for sure.

This night, though, belongs to St Brendans. The cheer which greeted the full-time whistle near raised the roof on the John Joe Sheehy Road. The Ardfert people enjoyed this win.

Something tells us they’re going to be enjoying this young team for years to come.

ST BRENDANS: Jack Moriarty, Ryan Hickey, Gary O’Riordan, Art O’Sullivan, Odhran Ferris, Tom Flaherty, Hugh Lenihan, Will Bellchambers, Keelan Best (1-0), Liam Óg O’Connor (1-8, 2f, 2 ‘65s), Harry Wallace, Maurice Lenihan (1-2), Adam McDonagh, Tiernan O’Sullivan (0-2), Eoin Flaherty (0-1) Subs: Billy Doyle for W Bellchambers, 44 Blood: Niall McMahon for A O’Sullivan, 58-full-time

BALLYDUFF: Cillian Murphy, Gavin Murphy, Aaron Whyte, Rory Whelan, Ray McGrath, Luke Kennelly, Ryan O’Rourke, Oisín Healy, Evan Boyle (0-4, 1f), Stefan Carrig, Jack Enright (0-1), Cian Sheehy, Luke Rochford (1-2), John Curtin, Killian Boyle (0-6, 4f, 2 ‘65s) Subs: Adam Lynch for R O’Rourke, 24, Jack Rochford for C Sheehy, 41, Shay Murphy for J Curtin, 61, Callum Carey-Sheehy for G Murphy, 61

REFEREE: Mike Sexton (Limerick)

[mossie]

nice win for Dr Crokes tonight in the North Kerry Senior hurling championship v Lixnaw

Fair play to Dr Crokes for applying to enter this competition and to the North Kerry Board for facilitating it

Crokes have found the senior grade a bit too hot on occasions so this win will give a fillip to push on at senior level

Also, whilst I wouldnt be jumping for joy at the fact that the county hurling championship is over so early, the clubs have the north kerry championship to play now, 10 teams in it, potential for a lot of games. It is not fair to say the hurling club season finishes next Sunday. It is up to clubs to get stuck into this competition now.

[mitchelsontour]

The county final is on TG4 coverage starts at 2.45

Hope it's a great game to show the rest of the country how passionate the hurling community is in the county.

[hurlingman]

Intermediate final tonight in Killarney. Would be great if Kilgarvan were to win and move up to senior.

[hurlingman]

Aug 3, 2022 15:53:53 GMT hurlingman said:

Intermediate final tonight in Killarney. Would be great if Kilgarvan were to win and move up to senior.

Good win for Kilgarvan tonight. Hopefully they'll make the step up to senior next season.

[Mickmack]

John Mike and Gavin Dooley: the Causeway father and son bidding for Kerry hurling glory

With his goal against Kilmoyley in the semi-final, Gavin Dooley showed some of his legendary father’s steel and finesse in front of the sticks

kerryman

Damian Stack

August 03 2022 06:00 AM

He was always likely to go into the family business: scoring goals.

Other than maybe that of Boyle, no other family name has been more synonymous with raising the green flag around these parts than that of Dooley.

No matter the venue, no matter even the sport, when a Dooley is on hand expect goals. Not just any old goals either. Good goals. Special goals. Important goals.

Goals like the one Gavin Dooley scored against Kilmoyley in the County Championship semi-final late last month.


It was the sort of goal that will go down in local folklore. The reason Causeway are now preparing for this County Final and the sort of goal his legendary father, John Mike, would have been proud to call his own.

Standing down the other end of the pitch, still lining out in goal for the club twenty five years after his championship debut and well into his forties, the pater familia was bursting with pride and joy at his son’s skill and courage.

That the two of them have ended up on the same side, chasing the same prizes, is not something many fathers and sons get to experience. It’s a truly special thing. These really are the days for the Dooley clan.

“Yeah more or less to play with Gavin, but it kind of only happened really,” John Mike recalls.


×
"I wasn’t hanging on either to make it happen. If it happened it happened. It happened in 2018 then and we were beaten in the semi-final by Lixnaw. The year after I kind of retired, but was asked back again then.”

Playing with your son is special enough you’d have to imagine. Winning a championship with him, though, that another level entirely and came about through happenstance for the man who played in goal at underage level before his move to full-forward later on.

“Our goalie got injured there in 2019 and they just asked me to fall into goals and I’ve been there since,” John Mike says.


"I actually had retired that year, but the goalie got injured, tore his hamstring, and we’d no other goalie. Steve [Goggin] gave me a phone call so at the end of the year it turned out a right good one.

"That [winning with my son on the team] was unreal. That was probably the best hurling achievement out of all the years. You can’t bottle that really.

"And Maurice [Leahy, John Mike’s father-in-law] was involved and his uncle was selector, Maurice’s son David. Then we had my own nephew was on the panel as well, Cillian Dooley. It was a right family occasion really.”

For Gavin to win that 2019 title with his dad was coming almost full circle from his early days. The fruition of years of hard-work, and guidance. Right back to those days of pucking ball in the back garden.

"Even underage here he coached us,” Gavin remembers.

"Nearly every year I was involved underage he was manager or involved in some way. He’s been involved since I started young anyway, the whole time on the pitch or somewhere anyway around.”

His father’s status and reputation wasn’t lost on the young man either growing up. After all he could see with his own eyes just how good he was and is.

“When you’re going in [to Tralee] watching games and you see him sticking two or three goals a game that’s what you want to be doing,” he continues.

"It's an inspiration really. When you’d be going into school then and all your friends would be talking, 'oh your dad scored two or three goals’ at the weekend.

"You’d be proud more than anything and hoping to pick up the knack of scoring them yourself.

“He was my inspiration and even the grandfather there [Maurice Leahy] you’d want to hit the heights that they hit and try maybe to push on further.

"It’s just nice to keep the tradition going and keep looking up to the boys and try carry on what they left before me.”

Still there must have been a certain amount of pressure growing up in the shadow of John Mike for Gavin. There would have been an expectation almost that he could follow in those famous footsteps.

“To be honest now I don’t really look at that… there probably is a bit of a pressure alright, but even when you’re in games you don’t really think of that aspect of it,” Gavin says.

"Even coming into games it wouldn’t be in the back of my mind. Just go out, do my own thing, perform as well as I can, you know? Work hard and what happens happens.”

If there’s a common thread between both men’s careers, it’s that ability to adapt, to learn, to grow.

Even though, John Mike started at in goal at an early age, the role of goalkeeper has moved on significantly in the meantime. After a generation spent outfield, it must have taken some getting used to for the one-time Kerry star.


“It’s a lot different [to playing outfield],” he says.

"You're watching their six forwards and you’re watching our six boys, are they on top of them. You’ve a better view of the whole game anyhow. The puck-out strategy is not too bad. Some days you’d have good days, some days you’d have bad days.”

Gavin, meanwhile, has kicked his game up another level or two this season under the tutelage of Stephen Molumphy with the Kerry seniors.

“In fairness now since the boys came in they’re top-class,” he enthuses.

“The training sessions, everything. You really look forward to it. There was nothing repetitive, it was always new. Everyone brought into it. It really lifted everyone then, the sessions were good because of that.

"In fairness to the boys they were top class. Everything they did was professional and it was just brilliant to be part of really. It brought me on then. The strength and conditioning side especially.

"Even before this year, to be honest, I rarely would have gone into a gym. I would have been sick at the sight of it! I put on a bit of weight alright now. The boys coming in would have improved the whole lot. Kerry hurling is on an even better track than it was before.”

Throughout this championship with the odd rare exception, the county players have roared into the fray and looked very much a cut above. The speed at which they’re playing at inter-county level, having tangible benefit in club competition.

“They’re very high-paced games,” Gavin continues.

"Even when you miss a game in there you're nearly sluggish to get going again. That would bring you on a pile. Even the likes of Antrim there, they’re well able to compete as a Liam MacCarthy team and playing against them is a pleasure.

"And playing against Wexford in Tralee there was an unreal occasion and if you’re playing against teams like that every week it’d bring you on even more. The likes of Cork and Wexford. You’ll get a few beatings, but eventually you’ll get there. That’s where you want to be.

“The all around skills have improved really. We’re getting good challenge games there against Waterford and teams like that. It would bring you on a pile playing at that higher standard just above you.

"It would make you think faster on the spot and improve your reactions and everything. When you have two or three men up your back if you don’t have the touch for it, the ball is gone. Even just focussing on that, it’s bringing it all together on the field then.”

John Mike, of course, had a stories career with the Kingdom playing under a host of managers, including a couple of spells under his father-in-law Maurice Leahy, another legendary figure in the Kingdom's hurling firmament.

At club level John Mike started like a house on fire, winning the title in just his second year on the senior squad. Little did he realise at the time it would take a while before he got back to winning ways, 21 years as it turned out.

“We had lost four or five finals on the way,” John Mike recounts.

"We were always in and around the semi-final. We lost 2006 to Ballyduff, we lost 2004 to Kilmoyley they won the four in-a-row. Then we lost 2008 again. We lost one in 1997 as well, before I won it in 1998. It was Ballyheighue that year.”

After the 2019 success, 2020 and 2021 were disappointing ones for the Causeway club. There or thereabouts as ever, just not getting over the line, not pushing on from that breakthrough success.

Oddly enough they’re probably going to go into this weekend’s final as underdogs, but in the wake of Gavin's goal in the semi-final and the manner in which Causeway dug out that victory, the buzz in the camp must be huge.

"There’s always been a good buzz around the place, even from before that game,” the 22-year-old Gavin says.

"We’re enjoying our time this year. We weren’t really looked at very much at the start of the championship with all these guys gone away the likes of Billy [Lyons] and Jason Leahy and all of them, we just came down and said we’d enjoy ourselves, hurl away, go into town and play our game and work hard on the pitch.

"If you can outwork the other team that's half the battle and we’ve skilful enough players that will come to the top in the end.”

From top of the pitch to the bottom, the Dooleys have it covered. Their journey is not yet at and end. Not by a long shot.

[southward]

Great colour, as always, around the North County ahead of the game. Looking forward to it.

[moth]

Congrats to Kilgarvan.
Pity game was not played as curtain raiser to senior final on Sunday.

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Report from the Kerryman Website:
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COUNTY IHC FINAL

Kilgarvan 3-13

St Brendans B 0-11

First things first it has to be said that Kilgarvan were deserving winners of the latest Intermediate County Championship when they emphasised their supremacy in this grade against St Brendans’ B side in the Fitzgerald Stadium on Wednesday night.

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They had five players who played with the Kerry Senior hurlers not so long ago pitted against young lads starting out and old lads finishing up, in essence a B side in name and in makeup.

Then when you take into account that Kilgarvan have now three of the last five intermediate titles and have played in the Division 1 of the county league in the recent past, the result was inevitable from a long way out.

In fact the contrast between both sets of forwards adds to the argument that it’s time for Kilgarvan to step up to the senior ranks, despite the fact they will claim as a dual club they will be shown no mercy by the CCCC.

All six Kilgarvan forwards scored plus two points from midfielder Ronan Foley, while only teenager Fionán Egan got on the St Brendans score sheet, 0-11 in total and just one from play. Naturally Fionán did not lick his scoring prowess off a stone as he son of the great John Egan so no further explanations necessary.

There was another talking game pre and post game regarding the length of the grass at the Fitzgerald Stadium, which must be a first, but it appears there were crossed wires somewhere as the Fitzgerald stewards claim they were not told about the game until that morning because they would have cut the grass if they knew they were hosting the final.

Leaving the Stadium the general consensus was that the final should have been played on Sunday before the SHC final and not on a Wednesday night, but most likely the CCC would counter that by saying that there is the football club championship games to be played and Kilgarvan are playing Duagh in a must-win game this weekend.

In fact as the hurling and football teams are one and the same, it will mean that seventeen Kilgarvan players will have played four championship games (two hurling plus two football) in 11 days, which is taxing enough with such a small panel.

To the game itself, Kilgarvan with no Dónal O’Sullivan, Flor O’Sullivan nor Glyn Egan were quick into their stride after Fionán Egan had converted a second minute free for St Brendans and the only time they actually led in this game.

Cian O’Connell soon levelled from a free after a foul on himself and a minute later Kilgarvan struck for their first goal when saw Gearóid Fennessy gain possession, but TJ Stack made a great stop, but the ball came back out, Daniel Casey was on hand to fire low to the St Brendans net.

John Mark Foley was at centre-back with Gearóid Fennessy at full-forward as Kilgarvan shot two wides and Fionan Egan kept St Brendans B in touch with his free taking.

Kilgarvan were physical at the back with Gary Randles, Liam Twomey, Ger Donovan and John Mark Foley in control, but up front they were not putting it together and not sailing into the sunset.

To be fair the St Brendans defence must be given credit for sticking to their task, with Killian Wolff, Gavin Raggett and Pádraig Mulrennan impressive, but the floodgates eventually opened in the third quarter.

Points from Cian O’Connell and a John Mark Foley special from distance saw Kilgarvan move 1-3 to 0-3 ahead with Fionán Egan responding with two frees for the Ardfert side.

By the 20th minute is was 1-5 to 0-5 with Ronan Foley and O’Connell adding a pint each while Egan converted two more frees. Egan reduced the gap to two in the 23rd minute, but as if sensing danger two Cian O’Connell frees left Kilgarvan leading 1-7 to 0-6 and they were anything but impressive.

Kilgarvan, however, were a different side in the second half as they upped the tempo and suddenly Ronan Foley took over around midfield driving through the St Brendans defence for a superb point before Kilgarvan struck for the decisive goal and it was oozing with quality.

Daniel Casey raced goal wards from the left flank and when it looked as if he was running out of road, he spotted Richard O’Sullivan raiding on the right and a quick swing of the hurl saw the sliotar reach O’Sullivan who blasted the ball past a helpless TJ Stack.

Three unanswered points followed from Daniel Casey and Cian O’Connell (two) and midway through the half, Kilgarvan led 2-11 to 0-6 and it was game set and match to the boys from the Roughty.

Fionán Egan continued to plough a lone furrow adding five more points while Kilgarvan appeared to ease off with the weekend in mind no doubt but in the 57th minute they finished off another Intermediate title with Keith Harrington adding a third goal for a comfortable eleven point win.

Clearly Kilgarvan’s theme song must be ‘The only way is up’.

KILGARVAN: Tadgh O’Donoghue: Gary Randles, Liam Twomey, Ger Donovan; Shane O’Sullivan, Gearóid Fennessy, Eoin O’Shea; Ronan Foley (0-2), Jack Foley; Keith Harrington (1-0), Daniel Casey (1-1), Richard O’Sullivan (1-0); Corey Murphy (0-1), John Mark Foley (0-1), Cian O’Connell (0-8, 7f) Subs: Con Godfrey for D Casey (inj), 57, Dion Murphy for C Murphy, 61, Pádraig Dillon for G Randles, 61

ST BRENDANS: TJ Stack; Cian McCarthy, Killian Wolff, Shane O’Mahony; Gavin Raggett, Paul Mulrennan, Eoghan Kearney; Mikey Davis, Fiachra Ennis; Jack McCarthy, Seamus O’Halloran, Kevin Orpen; Fionan Egan (0-11,1f) Darragh Courtney, Shane Griffin Subs: Chris Lawlor for S Griffin, 18, Jerry Wallace for C McCarthy, 37, David Fitzgerald for F Ennis, 51, Dan Finnegan for D Courtney, 52, John Davis for K Wolff, 57

REFEREE: Mike Hennessy (Ballyduff)

[Mickmack]

Jul 30, 2022 13:39:02 GMT mossie said:

Great win for St Brendans in the minor final last night

The general view was that Ballyduff would be too strong and St Brendans had too many under 16s and would have to wait until 2023. St Brendans blew that theory out of the water. Great hurling by both sides and both will be very strong at minor again next year.

Evan Boyle , Ballyduff and Liam Og Connor St Brendans look like too fine hurling prospects, could also be the Kerry minor football midfield pairing in 2023 !

[mossie]

Aug 4, 2022 11:40:29 GMT moth said:

Congrats to Kilgarvan.
Pity game was not played as curtain raiser to senior final on Sunday.

###################################################################
Report from the Kerryman Website:
################################

COUNTY IHC FINAL

Kilgarvan 3-13

St Brendans B 0-11

First things first it has to be said that Kilgarvan were deserving winners of the latest Intermediate County Championship when they emphasised their supremacy in this grade against St Brendans’ B side in the Fitzgerald Stadium on Wednesday night.

This is Kerry Newsletter
The top stories from the Kingdom in news and sport, direct to your inbox every week

Enter your Email Address

Sign Up
They had five players who played with the Kerry Senior hurlers not so long ago pitted against young lads starting out and old lads finishing up, in essence a B side in name and in makeup.

Then when you take into account that Kilgarvan have now three of the last five intermediate titles and have played in the Division 1 of the county league in the recent past, the result was inevitable from a long way out.

In fact the contrast between both sets of forwards adds to the argument that it’s time for Kilgarvan to step up to the senior ranks, despite the fact they will claim as a dual club they will be shown no mercy by the CCCC.

All six Kilgarvan forwards scored plus two points from midfielder Ronan Foley, while only teenager Fionán Egan got on the St Brendans score sheet, 0-11 in total and just one from play. Naturally Fionán did not lick his scoring prowess off a stone as he son of the great John Egan so no further explanations necessary.

There was another talking game pre and post game regarding the length of the grass at the Fitzgerald Stadium, which must be a first, but it appears there were crossed wires somewhere as the Fitzgerald stewards claim they were not told about the game until that morning because they would have cut the grass if they knew they were hosting the final.

Leaving the Stadium the general consensus was that the final should have been played on Sunday before the SHC final and not on a Wednesday night, but most likely the CCC would counter that by saying that there is the football club championship games to be played and Kilgarvan are playing Duagh in a must-win game this weekend.

In fact as the hurling and football teams are one and the same, it will mean that seventeen Kilgarvan players will have played four championship games (two hurling plus two football) in 11 days, which is taxing enough with such a small panel.

To the game itself, Kilgarvan with no Dónal O’Sullivan, Flor O’Sullivan nor Glyn Egan were quick into their stride after Fionán Egan had converted a second minute free for St Brendans and the only time they actually led in this game.

Cian O’Connell soon levelled from a free after a foul on himself and a minute later Kilgarvan struck for their first goal when saw Gearóid Fennessy gain possession, but TJ Stack made a great stop, but the ball came back out, Daniel Casey was on hand to fire low to the St Brendans net.

John Mark Foley was at centre-back with Gearóid Fennessy at full-forward as Kilgarvan shot two wides and Fionan Egan kept St Brendans B in touch with his free taking.

Kilgarvan were physical at the back with Gary Randles, Liam Twomey, Ger Donovan and John Mark Foley in control, but up front they were not putting it together and not sailing into the sunset.

To be fair the St Brendans defence must be given credit for sticking to their task, with Killian Wolff, Gavin Raggett and Pádraig Mulrennan impressive, but the floodgates eventually opened in the third quarter.

Points from Cian O’Connell and a John Mark Foley special from distance saw Kilgarvan move 1-3 to 0-3 ahead with Fionán Egan responding with two frees for the Ardfert side.

By the 20th minute is was 1-5 to 0-5 with Ronan Foley and O’Connell adding a pint each while Egan converted two more frees. Egan reduced the gap to two in the 23rd minute, but as if sensing danger two Cian O’Connell frees left Kilgarvan leading 1-7 to 0-6 and they were anything but impressive.

Kilgarvan, however, were a different side in the second half as they upped the tempo and suddenly Ronan Foley took over around midfield driving through the St Brendans defence for a superb point before Kilgarvan struck for the decisive goal and it was oozing with quality.

Daniel Casey raced goal wards from the left flank and when it looked as if he was running out of road, he spotted Richard O’Sullivan raiding on the right and a quick swing of the hurl saw the sliotar reach O’Sullivan who blasted the ball past a helpless TJ Stack.

Three unanswered points followed from Daniel Casey and Cian O’Connell (two) and midway through the half, Kilgarvan led 2-11 to 0-6 and it was game set and match to the boys from the Roughty.

Fionán Egan continued to plough a lone furrow adding five more points while Kilgarvan appeared to ease off with the weekend in mind no doubt but in the 57th minute they finished off another Intermediate title with Keith Harrington adding a third goal for a comfortable eleven point win.

Clearly Kilgarvan’s theme song must be ‘The only way is up’.

KILGARVAN: Tadgh O’Donoghue: Gary Randles, Liam Twomey, Ger Donovan; Shane O’Sullivan, Gearóid Fennessy, Eoin O’Shea; Ronan Foley (0-2), Jack Foley; Keith Harrington (1-0), Daniel Casey (1-1), Richard O’Sullivan (1-0); Corey Murphy (0-1), John Mark Foley (0-1), Cian O’Connell (0-8, 7f) Subs: Con Godfrey for D Casey (inj), 57, Dion Murphy for C Murphy, 61, Pádraig Dillon for G Randles, 61

ST BRENDANS: TJ Stack; Cian McCarthy, Killian Wolff, Shane O’Mahony; Gavin Raggett, Paul Mulrennan, Eoghan Kearney; Mikey Davis, Fiachra Ennis; Jack McCarthy, Seamus O’Halloran, Kevin Orpen; Fionan Egan (0-11,1f) Darragh Courtney, Shane Griffin Subs: Chris Lawlor for S Griffin, 18, Jerry Wallace for C McCarthy, 37, David Fitzgerald for F Ennis, 51, Dan Finnegan for D Courtney, 52, John Davis for K Wolff, 57

REFEREE: Mike Hennessy (Ballyduff)

well done Kilgarvan. Put mighty work in at underage in both codes to get back from a dire situation not so long ago where the football team didnt field for 2 seasons and the hurlers were struggling at intermediate level. They have a great record in the intermediate hurling championship generally, a hint in the kerryman article that they are too strong for the grade and must go up to senior but the reality is Causeway second string beat them in the final in 2021 and Parnells beat them in the semi final in 2020 and Parnells were then beaten by Crokes in the final. They havent dominated the grade despite good success in it.

In 2022, they hammered the North Kerry B teams in 3 games and defeated Tralee Parnells narrowly which suggests they are that bit ahead of the pack alright but is it enough to go up senior? The reality is they operate off a small panel of entirely dual players and if one or two key players get injured or a few go travelling or a weeks holidays, they are not well equipped to deal with that and would be hammered at senior level. They were beaten in the divison 2 league final in 2022 by St Brendans second team so people advocating they go to the senior championship need to weigh all these things up as this is what Kilgarvan will have to do in deciding how to proceed. Huge talent in Kilgarvan no doubt The like of John Mark Foley, Gearoid Fennessy , Daniel Casey are good enough for the Kerry senior hurling panel and Kilgarvan have capacity to competitive at senior but the panel is thin to cope with losses of any personnel

There are other dual clubs in the county, but I cant think of another club where there is almost 100% overlap on hurling and football teams. Ballyduff have a big overlap but have much bigger squads overall and are not reliant on small panels. So all in all , well done to Kilgarvan , mighty stuff what they are doing and have achieved across football and hurling. They will fancy a cut off the Munster junior hurling club championship as well, have claimed a scalp or two here in the past

In summary I suppose what i am saying, it would be great for hurling in kerry to have another senior club in the county championship and while it makes sense initially to say Kilgarvan should go senior, when ones looks at the situation in depth , it is not as simple a call to make as the kerryman article hints at.

[mossie]

"There was another talking game pre and post game regarding the length of the grass at the Fitzgerald Stadium, which must be a first, but it appears there were crossed wires somewhere as the Fitzgerald stewards claim they were not told about the game until that morning because they would have cut the grass if they knew they were hosting the final.

Leaving the Stadium the general consensus was that the final should have been played on Sunday before the SHC final and not on a Wednesday night, but most likely the CCC would counter that by saying that there is the football club championship games to be played and Kilgarvan are playing Duagh in a must-win game this weekend"


taken from the kerryman article

Truly not good enough re the grass if this is an accurate account in the kerryman, Kilgarvan put in a massive effort to prepare to win this title, St Brendans are fielding 3 adult hurling teams in 2022 which is an indication of how they are promoting hurling. Both clubs deserve better, bad enough the intermediate hurling final couldnt be facilitated as the curtain raiser to the senior final and relegated to a mid week slot, surely after that blow, it could have been ensured that the grass in the Fitz Stadium was the appropriate length. Players from both clubs had to travel home midweek to play a county final mid week, probably had to take time off work so they deserved better

I dont always buy into this hurling is just an after thought and nuissance to the GAA in Kerry and always gets the thin end of the wedge type of talk. I tend to defend the board when this talk emerges and focus on the positive work being done , but the like of the above well it is no wonder people hold such views

Maybe just a simple mistake and breakdown in communication and lesson learned for the next county hurling final fixed for fitz stadium please god.

[Mickmack]

There are some big local rivalries in Kerry hurling: Ardfert v Kilmoyley, Crotta v Lixnaw, Kilgarvan v Kenmare and Causeway v Ballyduff being the prime examples.

It seldom happens that these rivalries end up in the county hurling final but its happening tomorrow and it happened last year too.

Hopefully the TG4 viewers will see a great contest.

The weather looks great and hurling is always better with a dry ball and firm ground.

This is another good reason for playing off the competition in July and early August.

[Annascaultilidie]

Apparently the ref is going to be mic'd up on TG4.

Brave producer!

[thehermit]

Aug 6, 2022 8:41:10 GMT Annascaultilidie said:

Apparently the ref is going to be mic'd up on TG4.

Brave producer!

Class, hope the match does Kerry hurling proud. You'd get sick of ignorami in certain parts off this country (ie beyond Munster) who assume because we're what we are in football we obviously threat hurling with the same contempt so much of Leinster/Connacht and Ulster does!

We're actually in top ten dual counties I reckon.

[Annascaultilidie]

Aug 6, 2022 10:21:39 GMT thehermit said:

Aug 6, 2022 8:41:10 GMT Annascaultilidie said:

Apparently the ref is going to be mic'd up on TG4.

Brave producer!

Class, hope the match does Kerry hurling proud. You'd get sick of ignorami in certain parts off this country (ie beyond Munster) who assume because we're what we are in football we obviously threat hurling with the same contempt so much of Leinster/Connacht and Ulster does!

We're actually in top ten dual counties I reckon.

The below OP is out of date but I think we still get Top Five:

kerrygaa.proboards.com/thread/7174/dual-counties

[thehermit]

Aug 6, 2022 8:27:02 GMT Mickmack said:

There are some big local rivalries in Kerry hurling: Ardfert v Kilmoyley,Kilgarvan v Kenmare and Causeway v Ballyduff BUT Crotta v Lixnaw IS the prime example.

Fixed that for you Mick 😉

[mossie]

Aug 6, 2022 10:26:40 GMT thehermit said:

Aug 6, 2022 8:27:02 GMT Mickmack said:

There are some big local rivalries in Kerry hurling: Ardfert v Kilmoyley,Kilgarvan v Kenmare and Causeway v Ballyduff BUT Crotta v Lixnaw IS the prime example.

Fixed that for you Mick 😉

The last Crotta v Lixnaw county final was 1999 , went to a replay , Paul Galvin was man of the match,Eamon Fitzmaurice was midfield for Lixnaw,and I think it was Pat Cronin shot he winning point

[hurlingman]

Aug 4, 2022 23:41:14 GMT mossie said:

Aug 4, 2022 11:40:29 GMT moth said:

Congrats to Kilgarvan.
Pity game was not played as curtain raiser to senior final on Sunday.

###################################################################
Report from the Kerryman Website:
################################

COUNTY IHC FINAL

Kilgarvan 3-13

St Brendans B 0-11

First things first it has to be said that Kilgarvan were deserving winners of the latest Intermediate County Championship when they emphasised their supremacy in this grade against St Brendans’ B side in the Fitzgerald Stadium on Wednesday night.

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They had five players who played with the Kerry Senior hurlers not so long ago pitted against young lads starting out and old lads finishing up, in essence a B side in name and in makeup.

Then when you take into account that Kilgarvan have now three of the last five intermediate titles and have played in the Division 1 of the county league in the recent past, the result was inevitable from a long way out.

In fact the contrast between both sets of forwards adds to the argument that it’s time for Kilgarvan to step up to the senior ranks, despite the fact they will claim as a dual club they will be shown no mercy by the CCCC.

All six Kilgarvan forwards scored plus two points from midfielder Ronan Foley, while only teenager Fionán Egan got on the St Brendans score sheet, 0-11 in total and just one from play. Naturally Fionán did not lick his scoring prowess off a stone as he son of the great John Egan so no further explanations necessary.

There was another talking game pre and post game regarding the length of the grass at the Fitzgerald Stadium, which must be a first, but it appears there were crossed wires somewhere as the Fitzgerald stewards claim they were not told about the game until that morning because they would have cut the grass if they knew they were hosting the final.

Leaving the Stadium the general consensus was that the final should have been played on Sunday before the SHC final and not on a Wednesday night, but most likely the CCC would counter that by saying that there is the football club championship games to be played and Kilgarvan are playing Duagh in a must-win game this weekend.

In fact as the hurling and football teams are one and the same, it will mean that seventeen Kilgarvan players will have played four championship games (two hurling plus two football) in 11 days, which is taxing enough with such a small panel.

To the game itself, Kilgarvan with no Dónal O’Sullivan, Flor O’Sullivan nor Glyn Egan were quick into their stride after Fionán Egan had converted a second minute free for St Brendans and the only time they actually led in this game.

Cian O’Connell soon levelled from a free after a foul on himself and a minute later Kilgarvan struck for their first goal when saw Gearóid Fennessy gain possession, but TJ Stack made a great stop, but the ball came back out, Daniel Casey was on hand to fire low to the St Brendans net.

John Mark Foley was at centre-back with Gearóid Fennessy at full-forward as Kilgarvan shot two wides and Fionan Egan kept St Brendans B in touch with his free taking.

Kilgarvan were physical at the back with Gary Randles, Liam Twomey, Ger Donovan and John Mark Foley in control, but up front they were not putting it together and not sailing into the sunset.

To be fair the St Brendans defence must be given credit for sticking to their task, with Killian Wolff, Gavin Raggett and Pádraig Mulrennan impressive, but the floodgates eventually opened in the third quarter.

Points from Cian O’Connell and a John Mark Foley special from distance saw Kilgarvan move 1-3 to 0-3 ahead with Fionán Egan responding with two frees for the Ardfert side.

By the 20th minute is was 1-5 to 0-5 with Ronan Foley and O’Connell adding a pint each while Egan converted two more frees. Egan reduced the gap to two in the 23rd minute, but as if sensing danger two Cian O’Connell frees left Kilgarvan leading 1-7 to 0-6 and they were anything but impressive.

Kilgarvan, however, were a different side in the second half as they upped the tempo and suddenly Ronan Foley took over around midfield driving through the St Brendans defence for a superb point before Kilgarvan struck for the decisive goal and it was oozing with quality.

Daniel Casey raced goal wards from the left flank and when it looked as if he was running out of road, he spotted Richard O’Sullivan raiding on the right and a quick swing of the hurl saw the sliotar reach O’Sullivan who blasted the ball past a helpless TJ Stack.

Three unanswered points followed from Daniel Casey and Cian O’Connell (two) and midway through the half, Kilgarvan led 2-11 to 0-6 and it was game set and match to the boys from the Roughty.

Fionán Egan continued to plough a lone furrow adding five more points while Kilgarvan appeared to ease off with the weekend in mind no doubt but in the 57th minute they finished off another Intermediate title with Keith Harrington adding a third goal for a comfortable eleven point win.

Clearly Kilgarvan’s theme song must be ‘The only way is up’.

KILGARVAN: Tadgh O’Donoghue: Gary Randles, Liam Twomey, Ger Donovan; Shane O’Sullivan, Gearóid Fennessy, Eoin O’Shea; Ronan Foley (0-2), Jack Foley; Keith Harrington (1-0), Daniel Casey (1-1), Richard O’Sullivan (1-0); Corey Murphy (0-1), John Mark Foley (0-1), Cian O’Connell (0-8, 7f) Subs: Con Godfrey for D Casey (inj), 57, Dion Murphy for C Murphy, 61, Pádraig Dillon for G Randles, 61

ST BRENDANS: TJ Stack; Cian McCarthy, Killian Wolff, Shane O’Mahony; Gavin Raggett, Paul Mulrennan, Eoghan Kearney; Mikey Davis, Fiachra Ennis; Jack McCarthy, Seamus O’Halloran, Kevin Orpen; Fionan Egan (0-11,1f) Darragh Courtney, Shane Griffin Subs: Chris Lawlor for S Griffin, 18, Jerry Wallace for C McCarthy, 37, David Fitzgerald for F Ennis, 51, Dan Finnegan for D Courtney, 52, John Davis for K Wolff, 57

REFEREE: Mike Hennessy (Ballyduff)

well done Kilgarvan. Put mighty work in at underage in both codes to get back from a dire situation not so long ago where the football team didnt field for 2 seasons and the hurlers were struggling at intermediate level. They have a great record in the intermediate hurling championship generally, a hint in the kerryman article that they are too strong for the grade and must go up to senior but the reality is Causeway second string beat them in the final in 2021 and Parnells beat them in the semi final in 2020 and Parnells were then beaten by Crokes in the final. They havent dominated the grade despite good success in it.

In 2022, they hammered the North Kerry B teams in 3 games and defeated Tralee Parnells narrowly which suggests they are that bit ahead of the pack alright but is it enough to go up senior? The reality is they operate off a small panel of entirely dual players and if one or two key players get injured or a few go travelling or a weeks holidays, they are not well equipped to deal with that and would be hammered at senior level. They were beaten in the divison 2 league final in 2022 by St Brendans second team so people advocating they go to the senior championship need to weigh all these things up as this is what Kilgarvan will have to do in deciding how to proceed. Huge talent in Kilgarvan no doubt The like of John Mark Foley, Gearoid Fennessy , Daniel Casey are good enough for the Kerry senior hurling panel and Kilgarvan have capacity to competitive at senior but the panel is thin to cope with losses of any personnel

There are other dual clubs in the county, but I cant think of another club where there is almost 100% overlap on hurling and football teams. Ballyduff have a big overlap but have much bigger squads overall and are not reliant on small panels. So all in all , well done to Kilgarvan , mighty stuff what they are doing and have achieved across football and hurling. They will fancy a cut off the Munster junior hurling club championship as well, have claimed a scalp or two here in the past

In summary I suppose what i am saying, it would be great for hurling in kerry to have another senior club in the county championship and while it makes sense initially to say Kilgarvan should go senior, when ones looks at the situation in depth , it is not as simple a call to make as the kerryman article hints at.

While what you say is true there tends to be a short window of clubs to move up. There's a guarantee they'll win Intermediate next year and could be a missed opportunity for them. How they do in Munster could be a good guide to see where they really are at.