PEIL FAOI 6/8/10: Our Sunday morning sessions are really motoring in the Mercy Mounthawk Gym!! Great enthusiasm! Might football! Training times: the Under 6 boys @ 10am, the Under 8s @ 11am and the Under 10s @ 12.00. Thanks to all!
PEIL FAOI 14: (i) Under 14 boys are the second group of juveniles to start back training in Connolly Park. A panel of 26 in total trained last Sunday afternoon! That’s a brilliant turnout! Our Sunday training time is from 4pm to 5pm. Fáilte roimh chách! (ii) On Saturday February 4th we’ll be sending a strong Under 14 team to the annual Mick O’Brien Tournament at the Nemo Rangers Club, Cork. That’ll be a great Rock day out!
PEIL FAOI 16: Our Under 16 lads are also returning to training which will take place on Fridays at 5pm and on Sundays at 11am in The Rock Gym…where champions are made! These players mean ‘business’!
COMHGHAIRDEACHAS: Congratulations to Jordan Kissane (Tralee Harriers) on winning silver in the recent Irish Life Health National Combined Events in Athlone. Jordan is also a top class footballer and the scorer of a hat-trick in the U13 Lee Strand Cup Final victory v Ballyboden last September.
CORN AN FHRIUNNAIGH – PEIL FAOI 16½: (i) The Mercy Mounthawk v Coláiste Chríost Rí Munster championship Frewen Cup game was played i bPáirc Naomh Abán, Baile Mhúirne, at 1.30pm on Tuesday last (24th). (ii) The Green CBS v Coláiste Choilm, Baile an Chollaigh, Munster championship Frewen Cup game took place at 1.30pm in Rathmore on Wednesday last (25th). Buachaillí na Carraige: Dara de Barra-Breathnach, Leon Shalamba, Mícheál Ó Gadhra, Craig Ó Tíocháin, Donncha Mac Mathúna, Séamus Ó Coigligh, Pádraic Ó Lionnáin (Cnoc an tSeabhaic); Dáithí Couchman, Dean Ó Scannláin, Dáithí Oba, Eoghan Ó Cearúill, Seán Cuiltéir, Conchúr Ó Mír, Daniel Ó Ruairc (An Fhaiche).
CORN UÍ MHUIRÍ – PEIL FAOI 18½: Results from the Munster championship Corn Uí Mhuirí (senior colleges) games played last week: (i) The Green CBS: 2-10; An Scoil Idirmheánach: 1-10. Comhghairdeachas! The Green will face Coláiste Chríost Rí ar an 5ú Feabhra (Satharn) i Leathchraobh na Mumhan. Rock players involved: David Fitzmaurice, Gearóid Mac Gearailt, Brandon Patterson, Joe O’Connor, Joe Looby, David Couchman. (ii) Mercy Mounthawk: 2-12; Coláiste Naomh Flannán: 4-9. Comhbhrón! Heartbreak! (Buann cúil cluichí, faraor!) The very unlucky Rock boys: Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh, Mícheál Ó Lionnáin, Donncha Mac Mathúna, Shane Walsh.
SCÓR: (i) The Bordcheantar Thrá Lí Senior Scór competitions must be finished by Sunday February 5th. (ii) The TDB Scór na bPáistí (for primary school pupils only) competitions will take place in early March.
FADÓ FADÓ: Austin Stack turned 21 in 1900. He had been brought up with the GAA and the dawn of a new century brought new hope for old dreams! Like everyone associated with Kerry football, he wanted to win All-Irelands but he realised that a new approach was needed…spreagadh mór úr.
After a glorious start, Gaelic games had fallen on lean times. The initial start had come when Austin’s father, Moore Stack (a Fenian and Land League leader) founded the county’s first ever GAA club in Tralee. It started with a bang when Moore Stack organised the first athletic meeting under the auspices of the GAA in June 1885. (Bunaíodh CLG in 1884). Running, jumping, throwing events as well as hurling and football were on the menu!
The GAA programme of sports caused uproar in some quarters as it clashed with the annual jamboree of the Kerry Athletic and Cricket Club. Ní nach ionadh, the GAA event, with an attendance of 12,000, won the day! It was expected that Gaelic games would sweep the county, particularly after the feats of the hurlers of An Baile Dubh and the footballers of Laune Rangers. However, the fires of enthusiasm seemed to be burning out as clubs from other counties were becoming successful in Munster. Erin’s Hope of Waterford, Nils, Dohenys and Fermoy of Cork and Tipp’s Arravale Rovers were winning provincial titles!
Kerry clubs were being left out…in áit na leathphingine…and in Tralee, where it all started in 1885, football was dying! Enter Augustine Mary Moore Stack…Aibhistín de Staic! He was appalled by ‘the Cinderella status’ of the national pastimes, in particular Gaelic football and hurling, vis-à-vis, rugby and cricket, in his native town and resolved to do something about it. (…ar leanúint).
