.Seniors Match Report
Drama as Kerins O’Rahillys Secure Hard-Earned Point in Dingle
McCarthy Insurance Group County League Division 1 Dingle 1-15 (18) | Kerins O’Rahillys 1-15 (18)
A fine day for football at Páirc an Ághasaigh ended in high drama, late controversy, and a share of the spoils as Kerins O’Rahillys and Dingle played out a pulsating draw on Sunday afternoon.
With three late changes to the starting lineup before the throw-in—Ruairi Kennedy stepping in between the posts, and Paudie Griffin and Nick Lacey replacing Seamus Cahill and Donagh Buckley—the Blues faced a tough test against a Dingle side bolstered by the inclusion of Kerry panellists Barry Dan and Tom Leo O’Sullivan.
Dingle enjoyed the lion’s share of early possession, but a stout Strand Road defence, marshalled brilliantly by Jake Foley, ensured clear-cut chances were kept to a minimum.
The opening quarter proved difficult for the Blues as they struggled to retain possession, but Strand Road burst into life around the 17-minute mark.
A laser-like kick-out from Ruairi Kennedy found Daniel Bowler, who went on a surging run before slipping the ball to Barry John Keane to curl over a beautiful score which sparked us into life.
The sides traded blows, with Dingle responding immediately before Conor Hayes showed great determination to win a turnover, setting up Tom Hoare to bring us back to within two.
Nick Lacey’s introduction to senior football continued apace, as he hit a purple patch mid-way through the half, embarking on a mazy run for a great point before bravely winning a loose ball to grab a second score moments later.
The increase in intent from the Blues in the second quarter continued. A heavy tackle on Daniel Bowler allowed Darragh O’Connor to step up and strike a sweet two-point free off the deck.
Despite a mighty two-pointer from Brian Ó Dubháin in response, Kerins O’Rahillys finished the half strongly to take a narrow 0-9 (9) to 0-8 (8) lead into the break.
Tensions boiled over as the teams headed for the dressing rooms, resulting in some pushing and shoving that saw the referee issue black cards before the restart to Jake Foley and Ben Hanafin for Strand Road, and Tadhg de Brún for Dingle.
Starting the second half with 13 men to Dingle’s 14, we showed immense character and resilience.
Great interplay between Conor Hayes and Nick Lacey set up Darragh O’Connor for a crucial score just before the black-carded players re-entered the fray. O’Connor, who was a constant menace all afternoon, flashed a goal chance just over the bar shortly after winning a brilliant long ball behind the Dingle full-back line.
A pivotal moment arrived in the 48th minute. Con Barrett and Tom Hoare combined to win a Dingle kick-out. Hoare found a surging Shane McElligott, who slalomed his way through the Dingle defence before planting the ball into the corner of the net for a fine goal.
Shortly after, O’Rahillys were reduced to 14 men for the remainder of the game when Ben O’Brien was shown a second yellow card following two fairly innocuous fouls. Forced to dig deep once again, the Blues defended valiantly against the numerical disadvantage. Dingle piled on the pressure, closing the gap with a two-pointer before eventually breaching the defence. A pass from substitute Mikey Geaney found Cathal Bambury, who palmed the ball to the net to level the game.
The closing stages were breathless. Tom Hoare dropped a two-point free short to win it, with Ben Hanafin agonisingly pulling the rebound wide.
Then came the controversy. Deep in injury time, Darragh O’Connor stepped up to take a free from the right-hand side to win the game with his left boot.
The umpire raised the white flag, signalling the winning score, but the referee stepped in to overrule the decision and disallow the point.
The final whistle blew immediately after, leaving both sides to settle for a draw.
While the late decision was a frustrating way to end the afternoon, the character, work rate, and resilience shown by Kerins O’Rahillys—particularly when playing with reduced numbers—will be a massive positive to take forward into the next round.
Kerins O’Rahillys: Ruairi Kennedy, TJ Heaphy, Jake Foley, Paudie Griffin, Gearoid Dillane, Daniel Bowler, Ben Hanafin, Tom Hoare, Ben O’Brien, Nick Lacey, Barry John Keane, Shane McElligott, Jake Hoare, Conor Hayes, Darragh O’Connor
Substitutes Used Brayden Pierce, Ryan Carroll, Con Barrett
Scorers: Darragh O’Connor: 0-09 (1tpf, 3f), Shane McElligott: 1-01, Nick Lacey: 0-02, Barry John Keane: 0-01, Tom Hoare: 0-01, Conor Hayes: 0-01
.Senior Ladies
Kerins O’Rahillys 3-09 | Firies 0-07
An 11-point win over Firies at Ballyrickard on Sunday gave our Senior Ladies their fourth successive win in Division 3 of the County League!
In reality, the game was a lot tighter than the final scoreline suggests, with Firies just a single point behind us at the break.
We dominated possession for much of the first half but struggled to convert our chances. Knowing they had a job to do to keep their unbeaten run intact, the girls faced the second half with sheer determination.
We clocked up two more goals and four points before the visitors got their first score of the half, keeping the game firmly under control from there on out.
Overall, it was another fantastic all-round team performance, with all players putting in a huge effort, including our substitutes who played a major role. We have a huge game coming up next away to ISG on Sunday, May 10th.
Special Note: Best of luck to our player Donna McGovern, who is getting married this Friday! 🥂🎉
Juvenile & Academy Action
U16 Girls: Our U16s were in action against Listowel on Thursday night in Division 2 of the North Kerry League at Pat Healy Park. Despite a dominant opening 5 minutes, we struggled to translate our advantage onto the scoreboard.
Listowel took full advantage of the strong wind to build a solid half-time lead. The girls showed immense fighting spirit to score two great goals in the second half, but it wasn’t our night.
The team showed great resilience and improvement. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Sophie Constable, who injured her ankle during the game.
.U11 Boys: The U11s had a fantastic day out in Clare this weekend! They were brilliantly hosted by Doora Barefield GAA for some highly competitive football in the banner sunshine.
The lads played their hearts out, showing great progress and a positive attitude. Afterwards, the team headed to Cusack Park to take up a perfect spot behind the goals to watch the Kerry Seniors win their Munster Semi-Final. A highly enjoyable trip with plenty of joking and laughing!
Academy: We had a truly wonderful turnout at the Academy on Sunday morning, especially considering the weather turned just as we started out! The rain lasted for most of the hour, but it certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of any age group, from U6s right up to U10s. It is brilliant to see such high numbers week in and week out, and the children are clearly thoroughly enjoying their football.
Gaelic for Mothers & Others
Another fantastic night at Mothers and Others as we welcomed even more new faces to the group! 🙌 Rhys kept everyone on their toes with some great drills before finishing up with a lively game. With music playing and plenty of laughs, there was fun all around!
Training takes place every Monday night at 8pm in Pat Healy Park, Ballyrickard. Everyone is welcome to join!
.Masters Challenge Winner
Congratulations once again to our overall US Masters Challenge winner, Daniel Jokubaitis, who was recently presented with his €750 prize cheque by club chairman Oliver Molloy at the pitch! A massive thank you to everyone who supported this vital fundraiser for the club.
Club Lotto
Results for the draw on 20/04/2026:
Numbers Drawn: 6 • 15 • 28 • 29
Jackpot: No Winner.
€25 Winners: No Match 3 Winners.
Next Week’s Jackpot: €4,600!
Tickets can be purchased locally from Betty’s Bar, Jimmy’s Foodstore, The Klub, Der O’Sullivans Fine Foods, The Lakeside Cafe at Tralee Bay Wetlands, or online by scanning the QR code on our posters or following the link on our social media pages. Thank you for your continued support!
County Representation
Senior Men: Congratulations to the Kerry Seniors on their Munster Championship Semi-Final victory over Clare in Ennis over the weekend. Well done to our own Tomás Kennedy who was named on the matchday panel for the fixture.
U20 Men: Congratulations to the Kerry U20s who cruised to a comprehensive 2-20 to 0-07 victory over Clare in Austin Stack Park, setting up a Munster Final clash with Cork next Thursday in Tralee.
Well done to clubmen Maurice Horan and Mark Fitzgerald on the management team and our extended panel members. A special shoutout to Tomás Kennedy who played the full game at full-forward and chipped in with two fine points!
Merchandise
For club merchandise, please visit the following link: https://www.mckeeversports.ie/collections/kerins-orahillys-gaa.
Keep in touch
As always, we’d love to hear from you with any noteworthy news or updates. Whether it’s personal achievements, community involvement, or club-related stories, your contributions help keep our connection strong and our community spirit alive. You can email us at: pro.kerinsorahillys.kerry@gaa.ie.
