Kerry GAA

For more details of Kerry GAA see Kerry Senior Football Championship or Kerry Senior Club Hurling Championship.

Kerry GAA

Irish:	Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Chontae Chiarraí
Province:	Munster
Nickname(s):	The Kingdom
County colours:	Green and Gold
Ground(s):	FitzGerald Stadium, Killarney Austin Stack Park, Tralee
Dominant sport:	Gaelic football
Competitions
NFL:	Division 1
NHL:	Division 2A
Football Championship:	Sam Maguire Cup
Hurling Championship:	Christy Ring Cup
Ladies' Gaelic football:	Brendan Martin Cup
Camogie:	Do not compete at adult level
Standard kit

Old Kerry crest

The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (or Kerry GAA) is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry. The county board is also responsible for the Kerry inter-county teams.

The Kerry branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in 1888.

Football

History

Kerry would be the most successful team in the history of Gaelic football, having won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship on 36 occasions and the National Football League 19 times, also the holders of a number of distinctive records in football championship history. As of 2011, they have contested 56 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Finals, the next highest participator being Dublin with 36 appearances. As of 2012, Kerry's record in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship involves having played 30 of the 31 other counties, with only Kilkenny being the exception.

The traditional Irish game of caid, from which modern football developed, was especially popular in Kerry. The GAA was formed in 1884 and codified the modern rules of the game, which were soon adopted in Kerry clubs such as Laune Rangers. Despite this, the county team did not win an All-Ireland Football Championship in the nineteenth century. The 1903 title was the first won by Kerry, with them beating London in the final at a time when London were given a bye to that stage of the championship; Kerry's overall exceptional success in the game began in this period.

The Kerry team of the 1970s and 1980s is arguably considered to be the greatest in the history of football and its manager (Mick O'Dwyer) the greatest of all time. Of the 20 All-Ireland finals held during those two decades, Kerry participated in 12, with victory coming on 9 occasions. During this time most other finals were won by Dublin, and there was a major rivalry between the two counties especially during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1982, Kerry came within one minute of winning an unprecedented fifth All-Ireland title in a row, only for a late goal by Offaly's Séamus Darby (controversial as many claimed Darby pushed the Kerry defender in the back) gave the title to Offaly. This goal was voted third in a poll to find the Top 20 GAA Moments.

Towards the end of the 1980s, Kerry went into decline and did not appear in an All-Ireland final for 11 years, between 1986 and 1997. The 1997 victory, however, would mark the beginning of a revival for Kerry which spanned roughly the first decade of the 21st century. Of the 15 All-Ireland finals between 1997 and 2011, Kerry contested ten and won six, including five titles in the 2000s. In 2006 and 2007, Kerry won consecutive All-Ireland titles (the first to do so since Cork in 1989 and 1990), while in 2009, they became only the third team to reach six consecutive All-Ireland finals (a feat last achieved by Dublin between 1974 and 1979), winning their 36th title by beating Cork in that final. Kerry quietly exited the 2010 and 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championships at the quarter-final stage, losing to Down and Donegal respectively, while Dublin defeated them in dramatic fashion on the last kick in the 2011 final. Kerry's defeat to Cork in the 2012 Munster semi-final would become known as “the day the music died” for that generation of Kerry footballers, with many now believing that Kerry football was heading into a decline reminiscent of the late 1980s-1990s.

In 2013, Mayo defeated Kerry in their opening league game, Kerry remarkably failing to score in the entire second half of the match. The 1-6 Kerry scored in the first half of that game was also Kerry's worst return since the landmark All-Ireland semi-final against Tyrone in 2003 when they managed only 0-6 in the whole game. They were even poorer in their second league game when Dublin trashed them in Killarney, a game in which they failed to score for the first 22 minutes and managed a grand total of four points. This, their lowest return since 1989, prompted Pat Spillane to admit Kerry were in "a crisis with a capital C". The crisis only worsened, Kildare disposing of them in game three of the league and Donegal swatting them aside in game four to leave Kerry "staring down the barrel".

Honours

Main article: Kerry GAA honours

Kerry have won 36 All-Ireland Senior Football Championships and have been the losers in 20 other All-Ireland Football Finals. Kerry footballers have won some awards and hold numerous individual records in the sport. Pat Spillane received nine All Star Awards during his career, a feat matched by no other Gaelic footballer, while Tadhg Kennelly is the only holder of both an AFL Premiership medallion and a Senior All-Ireland Championship medal, the highest possible achievement in the sports of Australian rules football and Gaelic football.

Managerial history

This is a list of people who have coached/managed the Kerry senior football team in recent years.

Name	Club	From	To	All-Ireland titles	Munster titles
Éamonn Fitzmaurice	Lixnaw	2013	—	—	—
Jack O'Connor	Piarsaigh Na Dromada	2009	2012	2009	2010, 2011
Pat O'Shea	Dr.Crokes	2007	2008	2007	2007
Jack O'Connor	Piarsaigh Na Dromada	2004	2006	2004, 2006	2004, 2005
Páidí Ó Sé	An Ghaeltacht	1995	2003	1997, 2000	1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003

Current football squad

• Bainisteóir: Éamonn Fitzmaurice (Finuge)
• Roghnóirís: Mikey Sheehy (Austin Stacks), Diarmuid Murphy (An Daingean)
• Traenálaí: Cian O'Neill

No. Player Position Club 1 Brendan Kealy Goalkeeper Kilcummin 2 Marc Ó Sé Right Corner Back An Ghaeltacht 3 Aidan O'Mahony Full Back Rathmore 4 Shane Enright Left Corner Back Tarbert 5 Tomás Ó Sé Right Half Back An Ghaeltacht 6 Eoin Brosnan Centre Back Dr. Crokes 7 Killian Young Left Half Back Renard 8 Anthony Maher Midfield Duagh 9 Bryan Sheehan Midfield St. Mary's 10 Paul Galvin Right Half Forward Finuge 11 Declan O'Sullivan Centre Forward Dromid Pearses 12 Donnacha Walsh Left Half Forward Cromane 13 James O'Donoghue Right Corner Forward Legion 14 Colm Cooper Full Forward Dr. Crokes 15 Kieran Donaghy Left Corner Forward Austin Stacks

No. Player Position Clubk 16 Brian Kelly Substitute Legion 17 Brian McGuire Substitute Listowel Emmets 18 Darran O'Sullivan Substitute Glenbeigh-Glencar 19 Daniel Bohan Substitute Austin Stacks 20 Kieran O'Leary Substitute Dr. Crokes 21 Johnny Buckley Substitute Dr. Crokes 22 Patrick Curtin Substitute Moyvane 23 David O'Callaghan Substitute St.Patricks 24 Jonathan Lyne Substitute Legion 25 Barry John Keane Substitute Kerins O'Rahilly's 26 Brian Looney Substitute Dr. Crokes 27 Dáithí Casey Substitute Dr. Crokes 28 Peter Crowley Substitute Laune Rangers 29 Mikey Geaney Substitute An Daingean 30 Jack Sherwood Substitute Firies 31 Fionn Fitzgerald Substitute Dr. Crokes 32 Stephen O'Brien Substitute Kenmare 33 Mark Griffin Substitute St. Michael's/Foilmore 34 James Walsh Substitute Knocknagoshel 35 David Culhane Substitute Ballylongford 36 Andrew Garnett Substitute Spa Killarney 37 Michael Moloney Substitute Dr. Crokes 38 Paul Geaney Substitute An Daingean 39 Breandan Kelliher Substitute An Daingean 40 Michael "Stam" O'Donoghue Substitute Spa Killarney 41 Barry John Walsh Substitute Kerins O'Rahilly's

Squad as per 2012 Championship and 2013 McGrath Cup

Ladies' football

Honours

• All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championships: 11
  • 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993

• All-Ireland Under-18 Ladies' Football Championship: 3
  • 1980, 1981, 1995

• All-Ireland Under-16 Ladies' Football Championship: 2
  • 1999 **2011

• All-Ireland Under-14 Ladies' Football Championship: 5
  • 1991, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2008

Hurling

History

Kerry's first All-Ireland championship win was in hurling. Only club teams were allowed in 1891, so Kilmoyley club, a team from North Kerry, disbanded and joined up with Ballyduff so that their joint team could win the All-Ireland. This remains Kerry's only hurling title. After the game the rules were changed to allow selected county teams in the Championship. It was the first time a Munster team won both Munster and All-Irelands in the same year. As well as 1891, Kerry played in the final of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship in 1889, 1890, 1892, 1900 and 1908.

Their most notable hurling achievement in recent times occurred in the 1993 Munster championship when John Meyler's Kerry team shocked Waterford by a score of 4-13 to 3-13. It was reward for years of progress which included a draw with Kilkenny in the National Hurling League. Kerry followed it up in 1995 with their most famous ever League victory, a win over newly crowned All-Ireland champions Clare.^{[citation needed]}

In 2003, team made it to the fourth round of the qualifiers only to go down to Limerick 1-14 to 0-24 in Austin Stack Park in Tralee. Along the way the beat Westmeath, Carlow and beaten Ulster finalists Derry. The wins over Westmeath and Carlow represented the first time a Kerry team strung two consecutive Championship victories together. It also marked the first occasion that the Kerry hurling team played more championship games then the Kerry football team.

In 2010, Kerry were narrowly defeated by Westmeath in the final of the Christy Ring Cup. In the 2011 final they were more successful, winning against Wicklow.^{[citation needed]}

For many years the senior team played in the Junior and Intermediate Championships and had some success. They won All-Ireland titles at Junior level in 1961 and 1972, and won a Munster Championship at junior level in 1956. At Intermediate level they won Munster titles in 1970 and 1973.

They also played in the All-Ireland B Championship for a number of years winning titles in 1976, 1983 and 1986.^{[citation needed]}

Kerry have played in just one Munster Minor Hurling Championship Final, in 1938, when they lost to a Cork team that included the great Christy Ring. They have however won and played in a number of All-Ireland B Finals.

Kerry have never won the Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship, their most notable achievement in the championship came in 2004 when they ran Limerick to 3 points in Austin Stack Park. They have however won and played in a number of All-Ireland U21 B Championship Finals.

In 2009, a Kerry Colleges team entered the Munster Senior Colleges Dr. Harty Cup for the first time.^{[citation needed]}

Honours

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships: 1
  • 1891

• All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championships 3
  • 1976, 1983, 1986

• Christy Ring Cups 1
  • 2011

• All Under 21 B Championships: 5
  • 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011

• All Ireland Minor B Hurling Championships: 6
  • 1997, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2012

• All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championships: 2
  • 1961, 1972

• National Hurling Leagues Div2:

2001

• Munster Senior Hurling Championships: 1
  • 1891

• Munster Junior Hurling Championships: 1
  • 1956

• Munster Intermediate Hurling Championships:2
  • 1970,1973

• Leinster Minor B Hurling Championships: 2
  • 1987, 1988

Notable hurlers

• Michael ‘Boxer’ Slattery
• Shane Brick
• ]
• Brendan O’Sullivan
• John Mike Dooley
• John Healy
• John Mahony
• Tom Collins
• Maurice Leahy
• Christy Walsh

Current hurling squad

• Manager: John Meyler
• Selectors: John Hennessy (Ballyduff), Seanie O’Shea (Dr Crokes)
• Trainer: Joe O'Connor

No. Player Position Club 1 Bernard Rochford Goalkeeper Killeagh 2 Colm Harris Right Corner Back Kilmoyley 3 Tom Mournane Full Back Kilmoyley 4 Andrew Keane Left Corner Back Crotta O'Neill's 5 James Godley Right Half Back Kilmoyley 6 Liam Boyle Centre Back Ballyduff 7 John Fitzgerald Left Half Back Causeway 8 Michael Conway Midfield Lixnaw 9 John Griffin Midfield Lixnaw 10 John Egan Right Half Forward Ardfert 11 Mikey Boyle Center Forward Ballyduff 12 Darragh O'Connell Left Half Forward Abbeydorney (Capt) 13 John Mike Dooley Right Corner Forward Causeway 14 Gary O'Brien Full Forward Ballyduff 15 Shane Nolan Left Corner Forward Crotta O'Neill's

No. Player Position Club 16 John Brendan O'Halloran Goalkeeper Kilmoyley 17 Brian O'Leary Half Back Abbeydorney 18 Aidan Healy MidField Abbeydorney 19 Colm Harty MidField Causeway 20 James Flaherty Left Corner Forward Lixnaw 21 Eoin Sheehy Full Forward Kilmoyley 22 Ronan Kenny Half Back Ballyheigue 23 James McCarthy Full Forward Kilmoyley 24 Sean Young Left Corner Forward Kilmoyley 25 Niall Young Half Forward Kilmoyley 26 David Fitzelle Left Corner Forward Kilmoyley 27 Shane Brick Half Forward Kilmoyley 28 Jason Casey Left Corner Forward Ballyheigue 29 Padraigh Monson Half Forward Glen Rovers 30 Sean Maunsell Left Corner Forward Kilmoyley 31 Darren Twomey Crotta O'Neill's 32 Adrian Royle Kilmoyley 33 Richard Nolan Crotta O'Neill's 34 Nicky Leen Goalkeeper Ballyduff 35 Andy McCarthy Kilmoyley 36 Patrick O Keefe Glenfesk

Squad as per Kerry vs Wicklow (2010 Christy Ring Cup Semi-Final)

Camogie

Cillard and a selected Kerry team won divisional honours at Féile na nGael in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Notable players include Mary Geaney

Under Camogie's National Development Plan 2010-2015, “Our Game, Our Passion,” Donegal, Kerry, Mayo and Monaghan are to get a total of 14 new clubs by 2015.

Grounds

• Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney - home venue for the senior football team
• Austin Stack Park, Tralee

Club competitions

Main article: List of Kerry GAA club competitions

• Kerry Senior Football Championship
• Kerry Senior Hurling Championship
• Kerry Intermediate Football Championship
• Kerry Intermediate Hurling Championship
• Kerry Junior Football Championship
• Kerry Junior Hurling Championship
• Kerry Novice Football Championship
• Kerry Minor Football Championship
• Kerry Minor Hurling Championship
• Kerry Under-21 Football Championship
• Kerry U21 Hurling Championship
• Kerry County Football League - Division 1

See also

• List of Kerry All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Finals

External links

• Official website
• Kerry at Hogan Stand
• National and provincial titles won by Kerry teams
• Club championship winners
• Vintage Kerry GAA Jerseys from Retro GAA
• Causeway GAA site - Hurling club from North Kerry