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2002 - A LOOK BACK
by Willie O’Connor,
PRO Kerry Co. Board
ALL-IRELAND QUALIFIERS
After our defeat by Cork in the replay of the Munster Semi-final we went into the All-Ireland Qualifiers where we witnessed the Kerry Team play some wonderful games of football. We had significant victories over Wicklow and Fermanagh at O’Moore Park, Port Laoise. We went on to have another fine victory over Kildare at Semple Stadium in the last round of the qualifiers. Having drawn Galway in the All-Ireland Quarterfinal at Croke Park on the Sunday of the August Bank Holiday the team delighted us once again with some of the best football that was played by any team this year to qualify for the All-Ireland Semi-final.
ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINAL & FINAL
At
this stage we had come full circle with Cork as our opponents for the third
time in this year’s championship, but this time at Croke Park. The team’s
performance against Cork was sensational, spectacular and delightful to watch
and will be savoured for many a long day. Since they played their first game in
the qualifiers against Wicklow the team progressed to contest the All-Ireland
Final with very purposeful and determined performances. Their enthusiasm,
energy, stamina, skill and fluency had illustrated that they were strong
contenders for winning the Sam Maguire Cup.
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After coming out of a tough first half in
the All-Ireland Final we had every reason to feel optimistic about our chances
in the second half. Armagh had other things in mind, however and they won the
game by a single point.
The
Armagh team had known what is was like to be in the losing dressing room two
year’s ago when we beat them after extra time in the replay of the All-Ireland
semi-final.
They
used that bitter experience to great advantage as a motivating factor. At half
time they saw that they were facing yet another defeat and when they began the
second half they found that extra power, energy and self-belief that began to
overwhelm us as the half progressed. They systematically broke down our
attacking play, they whittled down our half time lead and once they drew level
they realised that they had found the winning formula.
We
must give them credit for their tenacity and concentration. It was that
tenacity and concentration that ultimately deprived us of our thirty-third
title. We accept our defeat graciously and congratulate Armagh on winning their
first ever All-Ireland Senior Football title.
TRADITION AND SPORTSMANSHIP LIVES ON
Our
Kerry players and the team management are naturally very disappointed and our
supporters are equally disappointed that we don’t have the Sam Maguire Cup in
the Kingdom after the team gave us such wonderful displays of football during
their championship campaign. We have
some outstanding memories of the summer to remember and moreover we can look
forward with confidence to next year’s championship.
There will always be disappointments in
sport. The Kerry players being the true and committed sportsmen that they are
acknowledge that and we know they will rise again after they recover from this
defeat. That defeat in the All-Ireland Final will act as a great motivating
factor when they begin their preparations for next year. Having come so near to
achieving their goal what better motivation can they have for next year’s
championship only to make an all out effort to be there again and ensure that
they will not be in the losing team dressing room after next year’s All-Ireland
Final.
Kerry’s proud football tradition and
sportsmanship lives on. Our team have
inherited and carry forward that great tradition. Their displays this year have
demonstrated that they can hold their heads high and feel justly proud of the
legacy they inherited. We are proud of
their achievements, we thank them for the sacrifices they made in giving up
their free time and above all we congratulate them and thank them for the
memories of a truly wonderful summer of football.
We look forward to the 2003, the centenary year of Kerry’s first All-Ireland football title when Thady O’Gorman led Kerry to victory. There can be no better way to celebrate the centenary than winning the All-Ireland title next year. We have the players who can achieve it and let’s give them all the support and encouragement they need.
MANY WOULD ENVY OUR LEVEL OF SUCCESS
2002 was a year in which all our
inter county football teams advanced to the concluding stages of the
All-Ireland Championships but unfortunately no All-Ireland titles were won. Our
Senior and Junior Football teams were beaten in their All-Ireland Finals and
the Under 21 and Minor Football Teams were beaten in All-Ireland Semi-finals.
On
the positive side of that we have won the Minor, Under 21 and Junior Munster
finals and our Under 21 Hurling team won the Under 21 B All-Ireland Final.
There
are many counties who would envy that level of success but in Kerry
expectations are always high and rightly so. We can look forward with optimism
to 2003 and please God we will have the Sam Maguire back in the Kingdom to
celebrate the Centenary of winning our first All-Ireland Senior Football title.
AIB COUNTY FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP 2002
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It was a novel pairing for the Senior County
Final, which saw Kerins O’Rahillys play Kilcummin in what many supporters felt
was a most unlikely pairing when the draw for the championship was made.
Kilcummin
have only been playing in the Senior County Championship for the past five
years, although they did play in the Senior Championship previous to that and
for Kerins O’Rahillys it is their first time since 1963 to contest the County
Final.
Kerins O’Rahillys were a dominant team in the
Championship particularly in the 1950’s but they had not won the title for
almost fifty years. Their last County Senior Championship victory was in 1957
when they defeated St. Brendan’s in the final. The Strand Road captain on that
occasion was Joe Kerins. They have won five titles in all, 1933, 1939, 1953,
1954 and 1957 but since then it has been a long and at times frustrating wait
for them. Their most recent County
Final appearance in 1963 was when they were defeated by John Mitchels, who
completed their historic five-in-a-row with that win.
The two clubs, Kilcummin and Kerins
O’Rahillys have placed a very strong emphasis on the coaching and development
of their under age teams for many years and as a result the two teams in the
County Final have a wealth of talent with a very effective blend of young and
very experienced players. It was the clash of a big urban-based club against a
rural based club.
On their way to this year’s final Kerins
O’Rahillys defeated Castleisland Desmonds in the first round followed by a good
victory over West Kerry and that led them on to a very narrow victory over
Rathmore in the quarterfinal. They surprised many with their convincing victory
over the fancied Dr. Crokes in the semi-final.
The second semi-final created its own piece
of history when Kilcummin defeated the reigning champions, An Ghaeltacht.
Although Kilcummin lost to John Mitchels in the first round they had a second
chance under the format adopted for this year’s championship and with
subsequent victories over Legion, Glenflesk and their quarterfinal victory over
Feale Rangers. They surprised many by their defeat of the An Ghaeltacht in the
semi-final.
For Kerins O’Rahillys it’s a long road that
does not have a turn on it and so it was when they won the AIB County Senior
Football Championship Final. They defeated a gallant Kilcummin with a team
display that was superb and spectacular.
Each and every player on the team gave their all to bridge that forty
five year gap since they last won the title in 1957.
It
was a great occasion for their many supporters and their families who gathered
in front of the presentation area in the stand to witness their proud captain
Morgan O’Shea accept the Bishop Moynihan Cup. In an emotional speech he
dedicated the victory to each and every player from the club who wore the club
jersey during those many years when championship success eluded them. The scenes of joy and celebration were an
outpouring of emotion as their moment of glory had finally come after such a
long wait.
The
Man Of the Match was Kerins O’Rahillys wing forward Ger O’Brien.
AIB COUNTY HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP 2002
Kilmoyley retained their AIB Senior County
Senior Hurling Championship title with style when they beat Lixnaw with a most
impressive and highly skilful display of hurling. Lixnaw, their opponents, were worthy opposition as they too displayed
some exceptional skilful hurling during what has to be acknowledged as a most
entertaining and accomplished game of hurling between two very well prepared
teams.
The
skills of hurling combined with the pride of the parish to give the rival
supporters and neutrals alike a County Final to remember for a long time. The first half was played at a very fast
pace and although Kilmoyley went into an early lead with some outstanding
scores Lixnaw got back in contention when they scored two goals. Kilmoyley, who
trailed by a point going into the half time break, started the second half with
some well-taken points to take over the lead again. It was an uphill struggle for Lixnaw after that but to their
credit they battled bravely to the finish.
Ian
Brick, the Kilmoyley captain, gave a very emotional and rousing speech after
proudly accepting the Neilus Flynn Cup from County Board Chairman, Seán Walsh.
Kilmoyley’s left wing back, Seán Fitzgerald was presented with the Man of Match
award at the AIB Man of the Match Function.
THE YEAR AHEAD…
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE 2003
The
Kerry Senior Football Team are back in Division 1 of the Allianz National
Football League next year after we won the Division 2 Final against Laois. We
are in Division 1A with Cork, Roscommon, Galway, Dublin, Donegal, Tyrone and
Armagh.
The
campaign will get under way on February 2nd when we are away to
Cork. We are at home to Roscommon on February 9th, away to Galway on
February 16th, at home to Dublin on March 2nd, away to
Donegal on either March 8th or 9th, at home to the
holders, Tyrone on March 22nd or 23rd and our last game
is at home to the All-Ireland Champions, Armagh on April 6th.
NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE 2003
The *new format* for the
Allianz National Hurling league was approved by the GAA’s Central Council on
Saturday last. Kerry are in Division 2 in which there are 10 Teams (2 x 5
teams, Divisions 2A and 2B).
We are in Division 2A with
Carlow, Wicklow, Longford and Meath. The action begins on February 23rd
when we are away to Longford. We are at home to Carlow on March 8th
or 9th, away to Meath on March 16th, at home to Wicklow
on March 22nd or 23rd and we have a bye in Round 5. Each
team will play 4 ordinary round games in the first series.
The top three teams in each
section will play off against each other in a further series of games. Each
team will carry over its aggregate points from the previous series of games.
The top two teams will contest the Division 2 League Final. The winners of
Division 2 are promoted to Division 1. The bottom two teams in each section
will play off against each other (each team to carry over its aggregate points
from the previous series of games). The bottom team will be relegated to
Division 3.
CHAMPIONSHIP DRAWS 2003
In the 2003 Bank Of Ireland Football
Championship, Kerry have been given a bye to the semi-final where they will
meet either Tipperary or Waterford, while on the other side of the draw Cork
play Limerick in the first round and the winners meet Clare in the semi-final.
The Kerry senior hurlers have drawn Munster
champions, Waterford, in a quarter-final clash in the Guinness Hurling
Championship, with the winners meeting Limerick. On the other side of the draw,
Tipperary play Clare and the winner will meet Cork in the semi-final.