Mike O’Halloran was in Dublin for a momentous day for Kerry hurling yesterday…

Kerry 2-16

Antrim 1-18

The Kerry hurlers have now become one of the “big boys” of hurling when they qualified for Division 1B of the National Hurling League in Parnell Park in Dublin on Saturday.

For years we have been complaining the big fish in Division 1 did all in their power to keep us minnows in the paddling pool, while they played in the deep end.

Kerry scored 2-13 in the second half of this exciting encounter, enough to win most games.

Kerry went in at halftime 0-11 points to 0-3 down but did have the aid of a stiff breeze at the restart, alas as we all know breezes do not win games.

It would take scores on the board, hard defending and lung-burning work to grind out a victory. Lungs were burnt defending was resolute and the scores came.

 

In the first period Kerry did have a few missed scoring chances especially when their forwards went for goals when perhaps an attempt at a point would have the better option.

Antrim looked stronger on the ball and a little tidier for long periods as Kerry went over 25 minutes without registering a score. They were creating the odd chance though and an eight point deficit did not look that daunting, if only they could manufacture a goal.

That all important goal came from the Causeway Rocket Colum Harty (that how he spells his name) pushed the ball to the net, he added another with about fifteen minutes left on the clock.

It was helter skelter to the end, Kerry introduced John Egan for a second time (he had earlier been introduced as a blood sub) and James Flaherty and what an influence they had on the outcome of this game.

Massive work by Egan set up his footballing teammate, Daniel Collins, for a point and then almost at the death James Flaherty worked as hard as any man in Ballingar bog to get the ball to Egan for the winning point.

Antrim who had delayed the puck out against the wind now rushed to get the ball into the Kerry half, the ball did arrive there and was struck towards the Kerry goal but it drifted wide.

Stephen Murphy the Kerry goalie heard the shout “take your aise”. He duly did take a bit of time off the clock with the puck out, the referee blew the whistle and Kerry are now allowed into the deep end which is Division 1 B.

Scorers for Kerry Shane Nolan 0-8. (5f) Colum Harty 2 gls, Michael O Leary 4 pts, Patrick Kelly, John Griffin, Daniel Collins and John Egan a point each.

This brilliant victory gives Kerry a chance to show their wares in Div 1 B, they must at all costs work very hard during the closed season to ready themselves for this huge challenge.

Have no doubt this is a serious group who have ambition and deserve our support in their endeavours to compete at the highest level.
Only perhaps fifty people were there from Kerry to support the boys and that number was augmented by expats living around the Dublin area.

Any doubts that the Kerry County Board is not committed to hurling was well and truly dispelled by the attendance of large number of County Committee Officers at the game.

So with the voices of the team singing We Are Going Up still ringing in our ears we left Parnell Park with the prospect of seeing Davy Fitz stalking the side lines of O’Dorney or Kilmoyley for the coming season while Austin Stacks Park get its makeover.