Tommy Griffin soaring high in the All-Ireland final of 2006. Photo by Michael Donnelly
IT is one of the greatest photos of a Kerryman in Croke Park and it sometimes gets falsely attributed to the wrong man.
The catch was made by Tommy Griffin in the 2006 All-Ireland Final against Mayo and often gets mistaken for the handiwork of his West Kerry neighbour, Darragh Ó Sé.
Last night, Tommy Griffin, was named as a selector on the new Kerry minor manager management team alongside, James Foley of Kilcummin.
Legion manager, Peter Keane, was ratified as Jack O’Connor’s successor with the minors.
Dingle man, Tommy Griffin, is a five time All-Ireland winner so will be bringing that winning pedigree to a Kerry minor dressing room going for a three-in-a-row All-Ireland titles.
Also at last night’s committee meeting, Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s, senior management team was ratified.
It will consist of Physical Trainer/Selector, Padraig Corcoran (Dingle) and Selectors, Mikey Sheehy (Austin Stacks), Diarmuid Murphy (Dingle) and Liam Hassett (Laune Rangers).
Limerick great, Ciaran Carey’s, two year tenure in charge of the senior hurlers also officially began.
His selectors were named as, Michael Conway (Lixnaw) and James McCarthy (Kilmoyley) and Damien Ryall (Abbeydorney) will continue as the Physical Trainer. A coach will be appointed at the next meeting.
.Jack O’Connor, will be looking to add to his impressive haul of All-Ireland titles as a manager on Sunday. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
IT’S hard to know how much of a masterstroke Jack O’Connor has pulled by reversing the fortunes of the Kerry minors, who went 20 years with nothing to now being 60 minutes away from back to back titles.
Jack is a shrewd man and some would say he took it on because he saw a good crop coming. Given there are only a three players who who played in in 2014 final that are involved on Sunday maybe Jack spotted two good crops.
Two of the three, Tralee men Andrew Barry (Na Gaeil) and Jack Morgan (Austin Stacks) and captain, Mark O’Connor, who has undoubtedly been the side’s most important player in the campaign. The Dingle midfielder missed the quarter-final against Sligo because of a knee injury and was only introduced late in the semi-final.
With a rebuilding process on his hands, Jack brought in his neighbour, Declan O’Sullivan, to impart his wisdom to a forward line that has progressively become more potent as the year unfolded.
On the run to the final, Kerry first stuttered against a poor Clare side that came and parked the bus in Tralee. This set up a semi-final date with the old enemy in Austin Stack Park that turned out to be as thrilling a Kerry v Cork encounter you could wish for.
Under lights, in extra-time, Kerry dug deep in the final moments to snatch a victory with Spa’s Micheal Foley being the hero.
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Kerry’s, Mark O’Connor, in the Munster Semi-Final against Cork. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
Kerry then went on to beat this weekend’s opponents, Tipperary, in the Munster Final by six points. Despite a late surge by Tipp in the second half, the game was never really in doubt. The manner of the victory has has many people expecting a handy Kerry win this Sunday.
Jack, an All-Ireland championship winning manager at all grades, has been putting dampeners on such talk.
“Usually teams that get beaten learn more than the teams that win,” he said during the week. “This is a dangerous Tipperary team. In many quarters this team is actually seen as being better than the team that won the All-Ireland in 2011 in Tipperary, and we know what those fellows did,” he told the Irish Examiner.
Jack has also spoken about the depth the class of 2015 has, where as last year’s team was sprinkled with some sublime talent, this year is more of a team unit. No other player embodies this work ethic than Na Gaeil’s Andrew Barry, who along with midfielder, Mark O’Connor started last year’s final.
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Kerry’s, Brian O Seanachain, fires a shot towards goal in the Munster Quarter Final against Clare in Austin Stack Park. Photo by Gavin O’Connor.
In the face of a Derry blanket defence in the semi-final, Andrew was a constant driving force in midfield, being one of the strongest players in the side.
He was dynamic around the middle, but also a calming influence, sweeping back to cover any danger.
Austin Stacks’ Jack Morgan is an inside forward in black and amber, but in Kerry colours he occupied the left corner back position in the campaign, but has been named as wing back for the final, though he had been in the corner throughout the campaign. Showing a forward’s flair, he has sprung up with scores and important runs in the games so far, without belying his defensive duties.
In the full forward line, Billy Courtney and Conor Geaney will be the main root to the danger zone. Courtney scored 1-3 in the semi-final, while Geaney, who is a cousin of Paul and Mikey in the seniors, clocked up 1-5 in the Munster Final against Tipp.
Two players to look out for are the Ballydonoghue pairing of Jason Foley at full-back and Brian Ó Seanacháin at wing forward.
Tipperary were not expected to defeat a Kildare side who dispatched Dublin on the run to the semi-final. But being Kildare they capitulated on the big day in Croke Park and Tipp pounced. The bookies have Kerry as 1/4 to favorites and they usually get it right don’t they?
DECLAN O’Sullivan will be taking his first steps in inter-county coaching when he teams up with his old mentor and clubmate, Jack O’Connor, with the Kerry minor team.
This week, the Kerry minors are preparing to defend their Munster crown when they face Tipperary in the curtain raiser in Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday.
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The five time All-Ireland winner retired from the game at the end of last year at the age of 31, citing injuries which had taken their toll over an 11 year career.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, member of the management team Eamon Whelan said; “Declan has come in on a number of occasions and done drills and some work with the forward line”.
“He has been hugely energetic; he has shown a massive passion for the game. “I think that he has been outstanding with the lads and I think that the young fellows have responded to him” said Whelan.
“So as well has helping out, in the semi-final at the Austin Stack Park against Cork (he was) the eye in the stand,” he said.
“Declan has added a new dimension and while we as a management team are very happy that we work very well together, we feel that Declan’s input has enhanced the preparations,” he said.
This leap into coaching for O’Sullivan comes as no surprise. The three time All-Star has been active on the line over the last year or so both with his club Dromid Pearses and South Kerry.
JACK O’CONNOR was last night appointed the new Kerry U21 manager, taking over the reins from Darragh O’Se who spent three years in the role.
The Dromid Pearses man has previous experience with the Kerry U21s, having spent time as a selector on All-Ireland winning side in 1995. In 1996 he took over as manager winning the title that year and again in 1998.
Jack O’Connor managed Kerry to their first All-Ireland minor title in 20 years last year. He will be looking to bring that midas touch to the U21 setup which has been enduring a barren few years of late.
It’s 2008 since Kerry last claimed an U21 All-Ireland title. For five years in a row Cork have beaten Kerry in the competition, most recently last March. That defeat pulled the curtain down on Darragh O’Sé’s tenure.
Jack O’Connor’s impressive pedigree as a coach has seen him win three All-Ireland senior titles with Kerry, first in 2004, then 2007 and 2009. He also tasted Hogan Cup success with, Coláiste na Sceilge, in 2009.
O’Connor’s management team is expected to be announced as soon as his time as Kerry minor manager comes to an end.
The Kerry minors face Tipperary in the Munster Final on July 5.
