GAA, Sport

VIDEO: Kevin’s Epic Journey Brings Him Kicking Through Tralee

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Kevin O’Riordan at Kerins O’Rahillys this morning.

A TIPPERARY man, currently making his way through Kerry, may lay claim to being the most prolific point scorer in GAA this year when he’s finished the ‘Kick For Kolkata’ charity initiative which will reach every parish in Ireland.

(Video of points at Kerins O’Rahillys, Austin Stacks and John Mitchels below)

Over the next few months, Kevin O’Riordan, will finish covering 70,000 square miles with the aim of kicking a point on every GAA ground in the country, with the last kick being at Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day during the All-Ireland Club finals.

At this point, the 24 year old teacher, has wound his way through 19 counties and just over 800 clubs.

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Travelling by car he has so far avoided flood waters but he did require a ferry ride to kick a point on Bere Island in West Cork.

“I’m really looking forward to going around Kerry, I’ve been down here a few times before but never to every nook and cranny in the county!” said Kevin O’Riordan.

The Kerry journey has swept through the north of the county already, bringing football to traditionally hurling only grounds such as Causeway and Kilmoyley, where Kevin tells us he got the same reaction when he went through Kilkenny.

On Tuesday morning it was Tralee’s turn, Kevin was out bright and early first at Churchill, then Kerins O’Rahilly’s, Austin Stacks, Na Gaeil and John Mitchels. The aim is to hit on average 25 clubs a day.

The novel idea is all in aid of the Hope Foundation in Kolkata, who Kevin has worked with in the past. Money raised will go towards resources for teaching street children in Kolkata.

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The Killea clubman will go back to Kolkata in June to teach for 6 weeks. The aim is to raise €80,000. So far Kevin has raised just under €9000, but he remains optimistic of reaching his target.

“People are thinking ‘God that’s a huge amount of money’, but the way look at it is if I get €50 from every club, that would be €80,000 without a single individual donating. I’m still quite confident of making that target,” he said. “I decided to give it a go, since it hasn’t been done before it makes it a little different.”

“You hear how good the GAA community is but it’s not until you start going around that you see some places you’ve never heard of and there’s huge work gone into their facilities. The pride everyone has in their own place, whether they be a big club or small club, their ground is their own Croke Park, it’s their hard work, blood, sweat and tears that’s gone into it,” he said.

You can help Kevin out with his goal by donating HERE. He can also be found on Facebook and Twitter