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WEEKLY
NEWS
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Weekly Kerry GAA Scene
by
Co. PRO Willie O'Connor
2nd March 2006
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FOOTBALLERS RETURN TO ACTION ON SUNDAY.... The Kerry Senior Football Team are back in action on this Sunday as the Allianz National Football League resumes after a three week break with our home game against Fermanagh in Round 3 at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney at 2.30 p.m. After their victory against Cork in Round 2 and their weeklong training camp in Portugal the mood among the players, management and supporters is very positive. Mayo and Fermanagh share the top of the league table with full points from the first two rounds. Mayo are 3 points ahead on score difference. Kerry, Monaghan, Offaly and Dublin are in third place with two points each and we are ahead on score difference. So this is a very important game for us on Sunday. A victory against Fermanagh on Sunday would improve our position on the table and put us into real contention for one of the two semi-final places. We have two away games to play, against Monaghan on March 12th and Tyrone on March 26th and home games against Offaly on Saturday March 18th and Dublin on Sunday April 9th. Although we were narrowly beaten by Mayo in the first round it is very gratifying that the team is showing such a determined and committed attitude to the league. The new players on the team and panel are blending in extremely well with the more experienced players and this is also a very positive sign, so much so that even at this very early stage in the year our supporters can feel confident that our senior footballers are going in the right direction. That was displayed in no uncertain manner in their performance against Cork at Páirc Uí Rinn three weeks ago. The intensity of their performance and their determination to win really gave the supporters something to shout about. We urge all our supporters to rally behind the team at Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday. It is a very important game for the team and they will certainly respond to the sounds of the supporters’ cheers of encouragement. It is also a very important game for Fermanagh, as they need the points to consolidate their position on top of table. On that account we can expect a very committed performance from Fermanagh and our players are aware of the challenge that they are facing. It’s a very closely contested league and all the teams are still very much in contention for the two semi-final places. On the other hand any slip-ups could see teams in the battle to avoid relegation. ADMISSION PRICES The admission prices for the league games are decided by Central Council and for Division 1 entry to the stand is €12 and admission to the terrace is €10. The admission for students and senior citizens is €5 on production of a current and valid identification. Juveniles under the age of sixteen are admitted free. MATCH PROGRAMME NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE The Kerry Senior Hurling team had a good victory against Mayo in their first home game in Division 2B of the Allianz National Hurling League at Austin Stack Park on Sunday last. After a very evenly contested opening half the team came out for the second half with renewed vigour and in the end they won comfortably. There are no league games this weekend due to the Fitzgibbon Cup and our next outing is away to Westmeath in Round 3 on Saturday March 11th. We have a bye in Round 4 and in the last round we are at home to Kildare on Sunday April 9th. MUNSTER U21 FOOTBALL Kerry and Cork have agreed to change the date of their first round game in the Cadbury’s Munster Under 21 Football Championship. The game will be played on Saturday March 11th at 3.30 p.m. at Austin Stack Park, Tralee. CORN UÍ MHUIRÍ There was no joy for Tralee CBS in their semi-final clash with St. Flannan’s College, Ennis, in the Credit Union, Corn Uí Mhuirí, Munster Colleges Senior “A” Football played at Glin on Sunday last. They lost by just a single point. GAC MEETING There will be a meeting of the Games Administration Committee at Fitzgerald Stadum, Killarney on Sunday next immediately after the Kerry V Fermanagh National League game. COUNTY SENIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE Next Tuesday night March 7th at 8.00 p.m. at the Dr. Crokes Clubhouse, Killarney, Chapter 23, Irish League Of Credit Unions will announce their continued sponsorship of the County Football and Hurling Leagues for 2006. The first round of the Credit Union County Senior Football League will be played on Sunday March 19th, Round 2 is on Sunday April 2nd and Round 3, which is the local derby round on Easter weekend April 16th. The playing season is gradually gathering momentum with the Divisional Board Leagues being played at present and the County League commencing in just over two week’s time. We can look forward to a very active, enjoyable and regular games programme for the clubs in the county. CLUB PRO’s It is also the time of year for the club PROs to get ready for a season of phoning in match results and writing short reports of their home games in the county league. These reports need only be sixty or seventy words long and should include the half-time score and the important scores and scorers of each half as well as any incident that was of significance in the game, such as a penalty or an important save by the goalkeeper. The full-time score, however, should be phoned immediately after the game in order to meet the deadlines for the national papers and radio. Short match reports can be faxed to the County PRO fax number (066) 7181040 or e-mailed to prokygaa@gofree.indigo.ie Publicity of our league games is essential for maintaining interest in the County League and for giving the club players the profile they deserve. It is part of the job description of the club PRO to facilitate this in co-operation with the county PRO. We look forward to a big improvement on last year because some club PROs, particularly from many of the Division 1 and Division 2 teams did not submit match reports. ST. BRENDAN’S BOARD FINAL Ardfert play Na Gaeil in the 2005 St. Brendan’s Senior Football Championship Final on this Saturday night at 7.30 p.m. under floodlights at Austin Stack Park, Tralee. Ardfert’s progress in the Munster and All-Ireland Club Championships delayed the final. Na Gaeil, the reigning champions, are going for three in a row titles will have their support out in big numbers. Ardfert as the newly crowned All-Ireland Junior Club Football Champions should bring a big support to the game. COLM COOPER Colm Cooper is at present visiting clubs in Clare, Tipperary, Waterford and Limerick as part of the Munster Coaching and Games promotion of football in these counties. Last Saturday, Colm along with Munster Games Manager, Pat O’Shea conducted coaching sessions for under age teams at Roslevin and Doonbeg in County Clare. HURLING DEVELOPMENT OFFICER John Bergin from County Kilkenny is the newly appointed Hurling Development Officer for South Kerry. He will attend a meeting on this Thursday night at 8.00 p.m. at the Dr. Crokes Clubhouse, Killarney with County Committee Officers, officers of the South Kerry Hurling Board and its affiliated clubs. He began his work last week and is based at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. The post is funded by the Irish Sports Council and his work will be monitored by the Munster Council in conjunction with Kerry County Board. John has been appointed for the South Kerry region and his responsibility will be the promotion and development of hurling in the region, which includes the towns of Tralee, Killarney, Killorglin, Dingle and Cahersiveen. SUMMER CAMPS The new GAA National Summer Camps sponsored by VHI will be promoted in the National media this month. It is expected that 80,000 children will attend the camps nationwide. The recommended prices are €55 for the first child, €45 for second child from the same family and €30 for the third and subsequent children. The football and hurling camps will be of five days duration from 10.00 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. each day. The venues and dates for the Kerry camps have been published in the Kerry Coaching and Games Manual and information and application forms will be available shortly from the Games Promotion Officers and coaches. The Coaching Manual includes details of courses covering a wide variety of topics from Development Squads in Football and Hurling, Skills Competitions, Go Games, Foundation Level Coaching Courses etc. Copies are available at the County Board Office and from the Games Promotion Officers. MUNSTER COACHING CONFERENCE A coaching conference aimed at coaches of juvenile teams will be held at Cork Institute of Technology on Saturday March 11th form 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. The theme of the conference is “Putting Best Practice to Use.” The cost is €50 per person including lunch and Coaching Pack. Application forms are available at the County Board Office, Austin Stack Park, Tralee. This conference will give coaches, managers, mentors, teachers and volunteers the opportunity to see and hear at first hand the best practice methods. A host of relevant and varied topics on the development of Gaelic Games into the future will be dealt with. Among the topics will be the physical demands on young people and getting the balance right, advanced football and hurling drills, development of individual and team defensive and attacking play in both football and hurling, club development, understanding the underage player. The conference provides an ideal opportunity for the GAA to showcase the work that is currently being undertaken in the areas of Coaching and Games Development. More importantly it will enable coaches and mentors to network and at the same time, meet a number of outstanding coaches. Young people demand coaches to challenge them to reach heir full potential. Player development now requires the understanding and recognition of the physical and psychology demands on young people as well as the ability to improve the technical skills and tactical awareness of players. SOCIAL & RECREATIONAL GAMES The President of the GAA, Sean Kelly and An Taoiseach Mr. Bertie Ahern TD officiated at the launch of the GAA’s “Gaelic Games for All” initiative in Croke Park last week. The initiative is the brainchild of the Social and Recreational Games committee under the chairmanship of former Wexford Hurling manager, Tony Dempsey TD. The committee was established in 2003 to address concerns expressed by the Strategic Review Committee (SRC) with regard to the need to create more opportunities for those interested in playing Gaelic games outside of the traditional competition structures. A booklet entitled “Gaelic Games for All” will be distributed to clubs outlining ways in which clubs can provide games for retired or recreational players and for those with Special Needs as well as suggested rules for indoor and mini games. Sean Kelly said that the long-term aim of the Association was to develop Social games as a recognisable facet of club life in as many clubs as possible throughout the country and said that there was a responsibility on GAA clubs to provide games for all their members and not just the elite. There is much that can be done by clubs to promote the playing of our games in a recreational or social context and clubs are encouraged to examine ways in which they can develop non-contact games on a social level among their members. The SRC established that there was a necessity to develop games for all ages with the emphasis on participation and fun and to encourage the participation of those whose interest in sport is primarily recreational and social and for whom competitive success is not a priority.
HANDBALL US Collegiates/ Munster 40x20 Championships Maria Daly [Ballymac] fell at the Semi Final Stage of the US Collegiates, which took place at the Texas State University last week. Maria, who was representing UCC, won her first two games against Lauren Greco and Mary Masalskis in convincing fashion. She then met Emer Fallon [Kildare] in the Semi Final, where the Midlands girl caused an upset as she beat Maria in two games. This was the first time that Emer has beaten Maria in competition, and she will definitely be a worthy opponent of Maria in years to come. Courtney Peixoto [University Arizona] beat Emer in a tiebreak in the Final. Cumann Na mBunscoil-Munster Finals Kerry hosted the Cumann Na mBunscoil Munster Finals for Primary Schools last weekend. The girl’s games went ahead in Ballymac, while the boy’s competitions took place in Tralee. Kerry were represented in all eight Competitions-there was a good spread of players from the various Clubs. Feile Na Gael Results US Collegiates-Texas State University Munster 40x20 Championships-Saturday Feb 25 Diamond Master B Singles Munster Final-Mallow: Pat Maher [Clare] dftd Declan Ryan [Tralee] 18-21, 21-16, 21-14 Munster Cumann Na mBunscoil Finals-Tralee and Ballymac Girls-Ballymac Boys-Tralee Fixtures Munster 40x20 Championships Monday February 27-Cappagh @ 8pm:
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