Kerins O’Rahillys GAA Club News

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Mossie Kelly of The Kerries Tralee Golf Range pictured presenting Kerins O’Rahillys’ senior panel with a new set of jerseys.

Increased sponsorship from Mossie Kelly

Kerins O’Rahillys are delighted to have The Kerries Golf Driving Range and proprietor Mossie Kelly as our main sponsor.

Mossie has a lifelong association with us which began when aged 18, he was drafted straight onto the Senior team. A talented player, Mossie went on to win three Senior Co Championships with the club in 1953, ’54 & ’57.

He remains a great supporter after hanging up his boots and has been the club’s main sponsor for the last number of years.  His increased sponsorship for 2019 has also enabled the club to purchase a new set of senior jerseys and Mossie presented the new kit to senior captain, Barry John Keane, along with the senior mentors and panel at their training session on Wednesday last.  The club wishes every success to The Kerries Golf Driving Range and also many more years of good health to Mossie.

All Ireland Ticket Requests

We have a book in operation in the Club bar where all ticket requests should be entered.  Only applications from fully paid-up club members will be considered.

We are unlikely to be able to meet all demands as we understand the club allocation will be down on previous years.  Priority will be given to front-line voluntary activists and those fulfilling key committee and other positions in the club.

As usual, there will be a ticket draw for those in the Friends of Strand Road Supporters Group (FOSR) and Club Members.

You still have time to join the FOSR by leaving a contact request and mobile number in the book in the bar or by contacting any Senior Committee or FOSR Sub-Committee member.

The cost of FOSR membership is a direct debit of €15 per month and the funds go directly to juvenile development and the day-to-day running costs of the club.

Co Junior Cup

Beaufort 5-12 Kerins O’Rahillys 2-5

Played last Friday night in Beaufort, the winners of this tie would qualify for the Molyneaux Cup, with the defeated team entering the McElligott Cup competition.  It was a lovely sunny evening and near-perfect for football, although O’Rahillys were favoured in the first half by having a keen wind at their backs.  Beaufort opened the scoring with a pointed free in the second minute, but both sides were guilty of a number of wides in the opening exchanges.

Then, in spite of resistance from O’Rahillys’ half back line of Aidan Mangan, Rob O’Connor and Gearóid Hartnett, the more physically-imposing home side stormed into the game and worked the ball up the left before creating an overlap inside for the extra man to give Shane Foley no chance with the first goal of the game.

They added two more points from play before Brian Scannell opened Strand Road’s account in the 17th minute when he pointed a 30-metre free from his hands after he was fouled himself.  With Seán Collins and Cillian Gallagher working hard, Scannell added another from play four minutes later after Kevin Johnson-Horgan picked him out with a short free kick and the full forward turned and whipped the ball over the crossbar.

In the 25th minute, O’Rahillys put together a great move when they worked the ball down the left and Aaron Roche floated the ball across the square where the inrushing Donagh O’Brien was just short of getting the vital touch that would have made it a one-point game.

Instead, Beaufort snapped back upfield to raise a white flag and that four-point swing looked like it may prove pivotal, although Páidí Griffin had a lovely individual minor from 30 metres for the last score of the half.

It only took the opening moments of the second half for O’Rahillys’ worst fears to be confirmed when a ball delivered into the full forward was batted down to the waiting corner forward who rifled past Foley from close range.

Beaufort added another four points, with three coming from play, before O’Brien placed Johnson-Horgan who slotted over from 20 metres in the 14th minute.  In the intervening period, Beaufort failed to convert a penalty, with Foley getting a touch to divert the shot onto the post and the keeper then pulled off a point-blank save to keep Strand Road’s ever-diminishing hopes alive.

However, two minutes later, any remaining hopes were dashed when Beaufort were awarded another spot kick and this time made no mistake before following up with three points from play in the next three minutes.  O’Rahillys did respond and created a 3v1 situation, only for Rory Molloy to opt for the point, but a minute later a penalty was awarded for a foul on Griffin who had cut in from the left and O’Brien placed the ball low to the keeper’s right to reduce the deficit.

Beaufort soon reasserted their authority though by kicking a point and following that up   with two goals in two minutes as they carved open O’Rahillys’ defence despite the best efforts of Barry Foley, Tom McGrath and Kieran Mangan.

The only consolation for the Blues was that they managed the last score of the game, when after another foul on Griffin, the penalty was again dispatched by O’Brien who put the ball in the same side as his first effort, with the out-foxed keeper going the wrong way.  It will be scant consolation for O’Rahillys though and they will be looking for a major improvement for their McElligott Cup game on Friday next, 30th August.

Kerins O’Rahillys: Shane Foley; Barry Foley, Tom McGrath, Kieran Mangan; Aidan Mangan, Rob O’Connor, Gearoid Hartnett; Seán Collins, Rory Molloy (0-1); Donagh O’Brien (2-0), Aaron Roche, Cillian Gallagher; Páidí Griffin (0-1), Brian Scannell (0-2,1f), Kevin J-Horgan (0-1).

 

LADIES NOTES

U12 GIRLS

Training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5.15p.m. in preparation for the Town League.

U14 GIRLS

This Thursday we are away to Abbeydorney in the North Kerry League, Division 1. Best of luck to the girls and their coaches.

U15 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Kerins O’Rahillys 3-08 Killarney Legion 3-06

Our U15 Girls played Legion in the Championship Final on Sunday last in Firies GAA Pitch. This team is a combination of U14 and U16 girls who are still U15.

Both teams have trained very well since last February with both teams reaching their respective finals in their County league divisions so we knew we had quality footballers and a really good chance to do well in this, so we took a decision to combine both sets of coaches under the management of Tricia Moran for both the U15 and U17 Championships.

The training was racked up for the summer months with the girls who were available and you could see both the fitness and skill levels improving all the time. We had challenge games where we took on teams in higher divisions.

We improved and learned in every game we played, plus every player involved got game time leading up to this final. It’s not a given you win by putting in all that effort but we firmly believed in this team’s ability to win this tournament and most importantly they believed they could win it.

We had attended Legion’s semi-final so we knew they had quality footballers in all parts of the field. They were physically strong and had really good ball carriers throughout the team, especially down the middle.

They were well coached with a good game plan which was evident in the early part of this game, where they operated a sweeper who moved from corner forward to cover in front of their back three to curb our inside forward line, while also creating an extra player for all their kick outs. This did work very well for them in the opening quarter of this game where they held our forwards and raced into a three-point lead.

We took note and then changed tack where we began to carry the ball into the danger areas rather than kicking it which had immediate impact with points from Katie Nix, Kate Kerins and Aoibhín  MacCarthy. All three were performing well along with Lia Mclysaght, Sophie Hassett and Jennifer Murphy were under tight pressure marking a very tough well coached back line.

Our own backs were also performing really well, both defending from the front foot like their lives depended on it and attacking at every chance.

They were led by Hollie Leane who was tremendous in this game and in the tournament generally, along with Kelly Fitzgerald who has been outstanding in goals all year and made three unbelievable saves in the first half of this game, along with delivering outstanding kick outs to our midfielders.

They were ably assisted by Eugenie Kerins (Captain), Lilly O Brien and Lauren Doody who were all marking a really good forward line. Siúna  Crowe had a tough day on their best player but performed well. Because of the sweeper system in play, Rachel Foley spent large parts of this game on her own sweeping in front of our back line which she did really well.

Our midfielders, Keelan Coffey and Rachael O’ Donnell have met some very good footballers this year and they were outstanding again in this game against serious opposition. Their running into space, movement, ball-catching and delivery was really good from start to finish and they never stopped driving forward when in possession and then harassing when we didn’t have the ball.

Legion were very good at breaking from defence quickly and in the second quarter added a goal and a point to bring their tally to 1-04. But with five minutes to go in the first half we began to get on top and Sophie Hassett struck for a great individual goal which the goalkeeper saved on her first attempt but she followed through on the rebound to bury it and this gave us a serious boost. Aoibhín added another point for the sides to be level at half time at 1-04 each.

Both teams really needed half time to come as this was a very fast-moving game where we on the sideline had to make switches and changes very quickly to keep up with the pace of the game. We were now level with 30 minutes to go and this team knew they had a serious chance of winning this game.

The coaches never stopped believing we could win it, including Tricia who had given an emotional team talk by phone from Spain before the game and the team really knew how much this meant to her and everyone in the club. Credit to Legion, they came out of the blocks really quickly in the third quarter of this game, scoring two goals and a point to leave us seven behind with 20 minutes to go.

We then began to make changes by bringing on Eadrea Hayes, Isobel and Ella O’ Connor who would all have an impact on this game and that’s what a good panel is for.

We chipped away with further points from Sophie Hassett, Katie Nix and two outstanding frees from Aoibhín under serious pressure.

We also knew on the line that we had trained for situations where we got these players to kick frees from all sides of the goal under pressure so we were really confident in their ability and we had also gone through every change we were likely to make if we found ourselves four points down with minutes to go in a county final.

With minutes to go we were 3 -06 to 1-08 down and we needed something magical to happen.  Enter Kelly Fitzgerald into the fray from goals with the blue jersey already on underneath her goalkeeper jersey and ready to go as planned. She just threw the keeper’s jersey over to one of the backs and with the win for Legion seemingly now only minutes away, they could not have foreseen what was about to happen next.

They had visibly retreated back in front of their own goals and now had 13 behind the ball. Kelly took off on a number of attacks through the middle of their defence that would see a resurgence in belief on the field, on the sideline and in the stands with our great parents and supporters now on their feet roaring encouragement for this team.

With a minute to go a ball broke near their goals and Rachael O’ Donnell pulled on it, burying it into the back of the net to bring the margin to one point. Rachael has done this before and has a talent for seizing on last minute opportunities – and she wasn’t done yet.

Their keeper didn’t delay and kicked a high ball back out which bounced and stayed in the air for what seemed like an eternity.

When it dropped, Isobel O’Connor contested and won it between two Legion players, one of whom fouled her. Without waiting, she kicked a fast, low ball to Rachael O’ Donnell on the wing, who then swivelled around the defender and from 25 meters out sent this high ball over everyone into the Legion square.

Kelly Fitzgerald then did something that neither her Dad, the team coaches or anyone else in Strand Road could coach her to do. If she contested the ball with the keeper then it was most likely a free out but she didn’t contest the ball but ran in front of their keeper, un-sighting her, which led to the ball bouncing in over their goalkeeper into the roof of the net.

With parents and supporters in the stands now going delirious, the ball was kicked out and the final whistle blew. We had all seen something which we might never again see in a team who would simply not give up right to the final whistle. They had pulled off an unbelievable win, having never been ahead in this game for 59 minutes and 50 seconds and led with only 10 seconds to go, the most important ten seconds of the game!

To say we are all so proud and thrilled at what they have achieved would be putting it mildly. This is the first Championship that the ladies club has won in over 10 years and the first for the club generally in a while.

There is no one player to pick out in particular as this was a full panel effort since last February and especially over the past few months, but we had some serious performances from individual players throughout this tournament.

They are all stars and some no doubt will go on to county level. This was the biggest game these girls will have ever played at club level and on these occasions it’s important to say special thanks to a few people.

Thanks to the coaches who have trained these girls from a very young age up along, to their parents who bring them down to us and are there to lend their advice as well if we need it. To Tricia, Katie, Danny, Paddy and Con for the efforts put in all through the year and especially over the summer months training and preparing this team and a big thank you to Shirley Doody who does so much work behind the scenes looking after both players and coaches in the ladies club and without whom we simply would not have a ladies Club in Kerins O’Rahillys.

This team will hopefully take their place on the clubhouse wall as a Championship-winning side and it will be something that they and their families can look back on with pride for many years to come.

U16 GIRLS

The North Kerry League commences the week after next. Training resumes next Thursday as we take a break for the Festival.

U17 CHAMPIONSHIP

Texts will be sent with training times in preparation for U17 Championship which commences shortly.

SENIOR LADIES

Training continues on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our next game is away to John Mitchels in the North Kerry League – awaiting confirmation of game.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Best wishes to everyone on their new school year. Some of you may be starting secondary or college, while others are moving class in their old school. May it be everything you hope for and more. Most importantly, enjoy your school years. They are the best years of our lives.

GIRLS DAY OUT

Last Thursday afternoon the girls had their day out in Castlegregory. They had great fun surfing and doing other water activities and had a bite to eat afterwards. Thanks to everyone who helped out.

SNIPPETS from “top of the right”

·         Best wishes to our clubmen, David Moran, Tommy Walsh and Gavin O’Brien as Kerry bid to stop Dublin’s “drive for five” in the All Ireland Senior Football final on Sunday next in Croke Park.

·         Well done to the Cluain Ard residents for showing their colourful support for Gavin and the Kerry team.

·         Kerry’s appearance in the final means that our Credit Union Co Senior Football League Round 11 tie v Kilcummin will be played on the weekend of September 7th/8th as per the Fixtures Calendar.

·         Best wishes to our minor players, Conor Hayes, Conor O’Sullivan, Daniel Bowler and the St Brendans’ panel for their Co Minor Football Championship final versus East Kerry.

·         All at the club are sad to see the demise of the “Tralee Outlook”.  We send our best wishes for the future to Kerry O’Shea and colleagues and thank Kerry for his support over the years.

·         Kerry’s recent kind comments also much appreciated by Breda Dyland and Dan Walsh.  No doubt we’ll be working with Kerry in the near future.  The Snippets Man reckons that it’s hard to keep a good man down!

CONDOLENCES

All at the club wish to extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Jack McKivergan, Monalee & formerly of Rock Street and Esther Brosnan (nee Fitzpatrick) Kerins Park and formerly of Cahill’s Park and Rock Street.  Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.

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