The year 2004
2004 came and went with days to remember and days also that we would not bother to mention.However despite little success on the playing fields St Marys always held their heads high and always look to brighter days that may lay ahead.
Our Seniors reached the semi final of the North Kerry Division 2 League,Intermediate Championship and the County Novice Championship, loosing the latter two by a single point margin.County League results continued to be not very favourable but on saying that the team played their games and never failed to field.
The Junior squad who were always struggling to get a team together but never failed even though it was close enough at times, but once again their perseverance paid off, they qualified for the North Kerry Division 4 League Final and had a whopping 24 point winning margin over Gale Rangers played in Walsh Park on a scoreline of Asdee 5 10 Gale Rangers 1pt.Top scorer was the evergreen J P McElligott with 2 03 while Danny Finucane captained the side.This team also reached the North Kerry Novice Championship final only to loose to Listowel C after a replay in an action packed encounter. There was plenty success on the underage front with many Asdee players on some winning Asdee/Bally sides that won N K titles. Noel Long captained the Minor team to win the North Kerry Div 1 Championship and was also on the League winning side that did the double
The club were represented on all Shannon Rangers teams that took part in competition John Kennedy trained the under 16 side that reached the County Semi finals and the back to back under 14 teams that won County titles in the previous years. A presentation night in the Carmody Hall Ballylongford to present the Under 14 team with their medals ,Eoin Kennedy and Eoin O Carroll were playing members. Patsy Coughlan Vice Chair and Eddie Anthony Walsh Treasurer once again were Officers of the Rangers, The Club honoured the successful County Senior Football Champions of 1964 at a very well organised function at the Golf Hotel where the local club were well represented.Paud O Donoghue along with the late Eamon O Donoghue and Micheal Walsh were on the winning team.
Moving on to Scor and certainly the club have plenty success down through the years with the year 2004 no exception, At Senior Scor the Novelty Act team of Anna Maria Tydings, Nora Stack, Donal Dalton and Jack Hennessy won a County Title but were most unlucky not to have reached a Munster Final having been beaten at the semi final stage in Currow Mattie Quinn Quintronic Church Street Listowel kindly sponsored this competition.In Junior Scor it was again the Novelty Act team who won a North Kerry Title, Con Carmody,Orla O Carroll,Maura Doran Eamon McElligott and Patricia Doran The Sponsor of Junior Scor was local businessman Tom O Sullivan of O Sullivan Agri Supplies Kilcolman.
Scor NaBpaisti had another local sponsor in Feale Oil Products thanks to Con and Kathleen Carmody Larha.
Now this competition has been in operation only for the past two years and has been a huge success with the competition strictly for National Schools only.The local club have taken an active part each year and are still awaiting that first North Kerry win.Venue each year has been the local Community Centre.
To finish off Scor business for 2004, a presentation night was held in the Austin Stack Park Pavilion Tralee, this was organised by the Officers of Scor Ciarrai where Perpetual Cups and Shields donated by Clubs were handed over to the members of the Scor committee to be presented at the upcoming senior finals.The local club donated a beautiful cup for the Recitation section in honour of the late Mike Hennessy who represented the club on a regular basis in this catagory and reached Munster Finals on two occasions during the 90s. In fact the first winner of the cup was none other than Frances Kennedy, Listowel Emmets who has many connections in the Asdee area and was presented by Enda Hennessy son of the late Mike.
North Kerry Board continues to have Asdee Officers, Tom O Sullivan as Vice Chairman and the PRO is Jack Hennessy. Patsy Coughlan is a member of the Fixtures committee. John Joe O Carroll who made club history by becoming the first clubman to take Offership at County Board level last year remains in the hot seat.
Our AGM went very late Friday April 2nd being the date.Club Officers remained the same as in the previous year.A presentation was made by Club President Stevie Deenihan on behalf of the Club to our first County Board Officer John Joe O Carroll
Just something else to jog the memory,
Liam Doyle Tullahinell become the first sponsor of Bord Na Og Ciarrai Thuaidh and was known as Bobs Events Catering,
John Kennedy steered his adopted Clare senior footballers to a rare victory to become the first winners of the Tommy Murphy Cup and a trip overseas followed, while at home Gerdie O Carroll took charge of the whistle for his first County final at Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney,the occasion was the County Minor Championship Final. Gerdie was also honoroud by the North Kerry football Board having been chosen as the North Kerry Referee of the Championship.