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WEEKLY
NEWS
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Weekly Kerry GAA Scene
by
Co. PRO Willie O'Connor
09th February 2006
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WE MUST GO ALL OUT TO WIN THE POINTS ... On this Saturday night at 7.45 p.m., the Kerry Senior Football Team are away to Cork under floodlights at Páirc Uí Rinn, in Round 2 Division 1A of the Allianz National Football League. After our narrow defeat against Mayo last Saturday night we must go all out to win the points. The players will do their utmost to overturn the result of the McGrath Cup Final and in such a competitive division it is important to win points in the early rounds in order to avoid pressurised games later on in the campaign. There has been much analysis of the team’s performance in last Saturday’s first round, much of it very constructive. While everybody was disappointed at losing there were a number of positives to be taken from the team’s performance. The team performed considerably better than they did against Cork in the McGrath Cup Final two weeks ago. New players have been introduced to the team and training panel and those who played last Saturday night gave a very good account of themselves. As the league progresses I’m sure the new players will continue to show that their selection is justified. We must be patient and give them a chance to settle in. It is going to take time for all the players to adjust. It is also worth bearing in mind that is not going to be easy to replace the vast experience of players like Dara Ó Cinnéide (retired) along with Liam Hassett, Seamus Moynihan and William Kirby, who are not in contention for starting places at this stage of the league. All the players on the panel are putting in a tremendous effort in training at present. It is also acknowledged that since playing in the All-Ireland Final last September many of the players were involved with their club fixtures, which kept them in active competition and without a break until just before Christmas. As a consequence full training for the county team did not recommence until the middle of January, while other county panels were back in full training in October. The hard graft has started and the players are making tremendous sacrifices to prepare for what we all hope will be a very successful year. There is a three-week break after this Saturday’s second round game against Cork before we play Fermanagh in Round 3 on March 5th. Much of the hard graft will be done during that period. This Saturday night’s game against the Rebels whets the appetite for the players and supporters alike. Last year’s fixture against Cork in the league was a tough hard fought game and we can expect the same again on this occasion. The age old rivalry between the two counties will be ignited once again and what better way to get the team back into full focus and the Kerry supporters out in big numbers than with the prospect of playing against Cork. SUPPORTERS CLUB BUS TO CORK The Kerry Supporters Club are taking a bus to Cork for our first round game in the Allianz National Football League on this Friday February 4th. The bus will leave The Square, Listowel at 2.30 p.m., St. Brendan’s Church, Tralee at 3.00 p.m. and the Tralee Road Roundabout, Killarney at 3.30 p.m. For further information, those who intend travelling on the bus should contact Martin Leane at (068) 48116, John King at (066) 7124229 or Donie O’Leary at (064) 58099 to confirm the arrangements. Also deposits for the overnight trip to Monaghan in Round 4 on March 12th must be paid on or before this Sunday. ADMISSION PRICES The admission prices for the league games are decided by Central Council and for Division 1 entry to the seated stand is €12, admission to the roadside 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. 2006 NATIONAL LEAGUE DATES Kerry’s three remaining home games are against Fermanagh, Offaly and Dublin and we are away to Cork, Monaghan and Tyrone. On Sunday March 5th in Round 3 we are at home to Fermanagh in Killarney and on Sunday March 12th in Round 4 we are away to Monaghan. In Round 5 on Saturday March 18th we are at home to Offaly under floodlights at Austin Stack Park. Our Round 6 game is away to Tyrone on Sunday March 26th and in the last round we are at home to Dublin in Killarney on Sunday April 9th. The semi-finals are on Sunday April 16th and the final is on Sunday April 23rd. WATERFORD CRYSTAL SHIELD After very encouraging games against Waterford Institute of Technology in the quarterfinal of the Waterford Crystal Cup and against Newtownshandrum in a challenge game, the Kerry Senior Hurling team suffered a heavy defeat against University College Cork in the semi-final of the Waterford Crystal Shield at Austin Stack Park, Tralee last Sunday. On Sunday February 19th they begin their Division 2B Allianz National Hurling League campaign away to London at Ruislip and their first home game is against Mayo on Sunday February 26th. The management team are putting in a lot of time and effort into the preparations, with weight training and physical training being conducted by John O’Keeffe in the Tralee CBS gym and at the new facilities at the Institute of Technology, Tralee. There has been a good response by the players and everybody hopes that all that effort will be rewarded when the playing season gets under way in just over a week’s time. GAC MEETING MUNSTER COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS PRESENTAION Munster Council Development Grants for the county will be presented to the clubs by Munster Council officers on Tuesday night February 14th at Milltown/Castlemaine Clubhouse at 8.00 p.m. Guidelines re future development applications will also be discussed and clubs with development proposals for 2006 should be represented. Certificates to clubs that participated in the Munster Coaching Initiative will also be presented. The grants are for purchase, dressing rooms, redevelopment, training pitches, training lights etc. Development Grants cheques for 2005 will be presented to Rathmore, Foilmore, Legion, Milltown/Castlemaine, Ballyheigue, Ballylongford, Beaufort, Kerins O’Rahillys, Kilmoyley, Valentia, Derrynane, Dr. Crokes, Listowel Emmets, Laune Rangers, Finuge, Glenbeigh/Glencar, Listry, Moyvane, Castleisland Desmonds, Firies, St. Mary’s St. Senan’s, Cromane and John Mitchels. A similar total of Munster Council grants for club development has been given to clubs in the county over the past seven years. Kerry clubs whose joint development expenditure last year was close to €1m will benefit to the tune of over €200,000 in club development grants from Munster Council as well as €30,000 in Central Council Club Physical Development Grants. Fitzgerald Stadium received a special grant for a major ground because it did not host a Munster Championship game this year and Austin Stack Park also received a grant. Munster Council has approved 40 per cent of last year’s gates revenue to Club Development Grants in the counties and this is added to 15 per cent of the gross gate receipts in ground rents to the grounds that hosted games. What this means is that Munster Council has given back 55 per cent of its total gates revenue to the clubs in the province for development work. When this is added to the provision of full time coaches and games managers and the normal administration and insurance costs it is clearly evident what the Council does with its income from match revenue. The Munster Council, through these development grants, Gaeltacht Scholarships, Third Level Scholarships and Bursaries, Hurling and Football Development Grants, Coaching Initiatives, Games Promotion Officers in each county and Third Level College, reinvests its income from their championship gate receipts back down to the clubs in the province. COUNTY COMMITTEE MEETING The February meeting of the County Committee will take place on Monday February 20th at The Pavilion, Austin Stack Park, Tralee. KILGARVAN MEDAL PRESENTATIONS On Wednesday February 15th at Kilgarvan at 7.00 p.m. Cork’s All-Ireland winning Senior Hurling captain, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín, will present the medals to the Kilgarvan under 12 hurling team that won Division 3 of the County League and the Junior Hurling team that won the County Junior Hurling Championship. Seán Óg’s grandmother was a native of Kilgarvan. CASTLEGREGORY SOCIAL Last Saturday night at the Castlegregory Club Social, at The Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee, long serving and dedicated former Club Chairman, Joe Wrenn was presented with the Hall of Fame Award. As Chairman of the Castlegregory Club, Joe was the driving force behind the recent development of the new pitch, dressing rooms and stand. It was a massive undertaking and Joe was relentless in progressing the necessary work and funding raising until the job was completed and financed. In May 2003 the dream became a reality with the official opening when the Kerry Senior Football Team played Mayo in a challenge game. In 2000 the major excavation work started to remove “the hill” which was synonymous with the old pitch. The field was ploughed and the drainage system installed taking all excess water out into a natural river resource. Situated in the picturesque setting on the shore of Tralee Bay, looking out towards Kerry Head in the North and set against the backdrop of the Slieve Mish and Brandon Mountains, Páirc An Chaisleáin, Castlegregory is a wonderful amenity for the people of Castlegregory parish and particularly for the youth of the area. The dressing rooms were refurbished and a referees room and shower were added as well as a wheelchair accessible toilet. There are three dugouts and railing surrounds the pitch. A new electronic scoreboard was added and ball-stopping nets were erected behind the goals. A new entrance from the road was built. The pitch has training floodlights erected on four poles. The newly built stand can accommodate three hundred people. The presentation of the Hall of Fame Award was a fitting tribute to Joe Wrenn for his tireless work for the club, both as a dedicated administrator and in looking after teams from Senior to under age. He was given a standing ovation as he stepped up to receive the presentation. Joe continues his work for the club as delegate to the County Committee.
HANDBALL Intervarsities Singles Championships, Kingscourt Match Programme Kerry V Mayo. County Juvenile 40x20 Girls Trials Following Trials in Tralee last Friday night, the following players were picked to play for the County Thanks to the Selectors Siobhan Twomey, Brendan O Connor and John O Donnell U12 Singles-Ciara Griffin [Ballymac] Results Munster 40x20 Championships Saturday February 4th [Glenbeigh]: Intervarsities Ladies Open Ladies A: Men’s B: Second Round- R Farrelly dftd Danny Riordan 16-9 Munster 40x20 Juvenile Championships First Round-Dungarvan Saturday February 4th U16 Singles: Darra O Suilleabhain [Lispole] dftd Cathal Reynolds 21-3, 21-5 Munster Semi Final-Tralee Sunday February 5th U17 Singles: Shane Hedigan [Cork] dftd Colm O Mhuircheartaigh [Ghaeltacht] 21-12,21-5 U12 Doubles: Shauna Kelly/Siobhan Clifford [Cork] dftd Cornelia and Anna Prendeville 8-15,15-13,15-8 Fixtures
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