CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW.
All Club delegates within the North Kerry Football Board which included Mark O Hanlon Club Secretary who was representing the local St. Marys, Asdee club were in attendance at McMunns Hotel and Restaurant, Ballybunion;(Greg and Una) who are the Sponsores of the Bernard O Callaghan Memorial Senior Football Championship for the 10th successive year which took place on Friday night last.
All eyes were on the Senior Football Championship draw with 14 clubs entering for the eagerly awaited event which was drawn by our sponsor Greg; also present was the North Kerry Football Board President, Jerry Brosnan of Moyvane Board Officers and of course standing all in its glory was the Eamon O Donoghue Memorial Cup which is the prize on offer for the outright winners at the end of the competition.
I suppose from a club point of view Asdee would be classed as probably one of the minnows of the competition and would always hope for a favourable draw (if there is such a thing in North Kerry Championship) however on this occasion we are pitted against Ballydonoghue at Dowling Park, Coolard and who would be among the top 3 or 4 clubs expected to lift the Eamon O Donoghue Cup; so without doubt it will be a huge challenge as we will be complete underdogs but theres always hope and thats the beauty of the North Kerry Senior Football Championship all teams will have to be well tuned up on the day.
Certainly the draw threw up some very exciting encounters and none more so than the clash of Ballyduff and Finuge, these two teams have crossed swords in both hurling and football down through the years and are sure to serve up yet another feast, this time in football to be played in Ballyduff. Desmonds at home to the Seasiders; Beale will be another close encounter while the clash of near neighbours and great rivals St. Senans at home to Duagh should see the rival supporters flock to Finnerty Park Mountcoal. O Rahilly Park, Ballylongford will host Ballylongford and Moyvane; two great teams of the past with plenty Championship titles but both will be hoping to bridge that long
awaited gap.
And finally last years champions Listowel Emmets will
want to thread carefully in their visit to Walsh Park, Knocknagoshel. Both former All Ireland Champions Brosna and Tarbert will have to wait a while longer for to see who their opponents will be as they received byes to the quarter finals. So exciting times ahead and no doubt plenty to talk about on the football scene for the upcoming North Kerry Football Championship; which is regarded by many as the most
difficult District Board Championship in the County to win The
competition is provisionally pencilled in for the weekend of
Saturday/Sunday October 8/9th with games to be played each day but with a number of North Kerry clubs still involved in County competitions these dates will have to be confirmed at a C.C.C meeting of the Board.
GOLDEN GOAL. Last week due to the demand for tickets for the televised Mayo v Dublin, All Ireland Senior Football Championship Final the club had a double round of tickets sold and the winners for week 33 of the Golden Goal were; (The two Toms) c/o Jack Jays Bar Asdee and Kevin O Callaghan, Cliff House Hotel, Ballybunion; which is in conjunction with the upcoming Fixtures in National Football and Hurling Championship.
(Televised games) Tickets are on sale from club members
at E2 each with E40 to be given out each week to the winning number which corresponds with the first goal scored. Tickets priced at E2 can be obtained from club members and local outlets. Maria and John Walsh of “Homestead”, Local Post Office and “Jack Jays”.Bar.
MINORS.
Belated congratulations to the Kerry Minor Footballers and
Management on their wonderful achievement of completing a 3-in-a-row of All Ireland Minor Championship titles and especially to the players from our neighbouring clubs some of whom have very close connections with the locality; It was especially pleasing to see Cormac Linnane of Beale who was part of the panel for the past two years finally reaching the winners enclosure; Cormac suffered a horrific injury in the Munster Final against Cork in last years Championship Final and missed out on their All Ireland final win.
Also to Michael Foley, Ballydonoghue who was a key member of this years team playing a huge part in this magnificent victory; It was overall a marvellous season for the Foley family with Micheal collecting his winners medal this year; his brother Jason was part of the 2014 and 2015 winning minor team and who also collected an All Ireland Junior winners medal earlier on this year; and to cap a marvellous year Jason was part of the Kerry Senior Footballers squad along with representing his County at Under 21 level only to be defeated by Cork in the Munster final.
Not forgetting the Listowel Emmets pair; Niall Collins and Bryan
Sweeney who played their part in victory. There was one more North Kerry man involved who in fact has been part of all three National victories and has always stayed in the background but who has played a hugh part and that is Christy Kileen, Finuge G A A who is the Counties Liason Officer to the Minor team Well done to all concerned.
HURLING FINAL.
Local hurling supporters travelled to Austin Stack
Park, Tralee on Saturday evening last as Ballyduff went down to
Kilmoyley by a 2pt margin in the Garveys Super Value County Senior Hurling Championship Final replay. Final score; Kilmoyley 1-18 Ballyduff 2-13.
FIXTURES. Our Senior footballers have been drawn away at Dowling Park, Coolard to Ballydonoghue in the first round of the Bernard O Callaghan Memorial North Kerry Senior Football Championship. Dates have been pencilled in for the weekend of Saturday/Sunday October 8/9th and which will be confirmed at a C C C meeting of the Board.
WEBSITES. Asdee G A A website is now up and running once again so for
all our activities and match reports; just log on to www.asdeegaa.com.