Kerry Senior Football Championship
| Kerry Senior Football Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2023 Kerry Senior Football Championship | |
| Irish | Craobh Sinsear Peile Chiarraí |
| Code | Gaelic football |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Region | Kerry (GAA) |
| Trophy | Bishop Moynihan Cup |
| No. of teams | 16 |
| Title holders |  East Kerry (11th title) |
| Most titles |  Austin Stacks (13 titles) Dr. Crokes (13 titles) |
| Sponsors | Garvey's SuperValu |
| TV partner(s) | TG4, RTÉ 2 |
| Official website | www |
The Kerry Senior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as Garvey’s SuperValu Senior Football Championship) is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1889 for the top Gaelic football teams in the county of Kerry in Ireland.
The series of games are played during the summer and autumn months, with the county final currently being played in either Austin Stack Park or FitzGerald Stadium in October. Initially played as a knock-out competition, the championship currently uses a double elimination format whereby each team is guaranteed at least two games.
The Kerry County Championship is an integral part of the wider Munster Senior Club Football Championship. The winners of the Kerry county final join the champion clubs of the other five counties to contest the provincial championship. The winning team of the county championship also has the honour of naming the captain of the Kerry senior team for the following year.
The title has been won at least once by 22 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Austin Stacks and Dr. Crokes who have both won a total of 13 titles.
East Kerry are the title-holders, defeating Mid Kerry by 2-10 to 0-15 in the 2023 final.
The winners receive the Bishop Moynihan Cup, named for Denis Moynihan, Catholic Bishop of Kerry in 1952–1969.[1][2][3]
Format
Group stage
The 8 clubs and 8 divisional teams are divided into four groups of four. Over the course of the group stage, each team plays once against the others in the group, resulting in each team being guaranteed three group games. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The teams are ranked in the group stage table by points gained, then scoring difference and then their head-to-head record. The top two teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals.
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals: The 4 group winners and 4 group runners-up contest this round. A group winner will play a group runner-up of another group. The two winners from these two games advance to the semi-finals.
Semi-finals: The four quarter-final winners contest this round. The two winners from these two games advance to the final.
Final: The two semi-final winners contest the final. The winning team are declared champions.
Relegation
Divisional teams are immune from relegation. The two bottom-placed clubs from the group stage of the Kerry Club Football Championship play-off, with the losing team being relegated to the Kerry Intermediate Football Championship.
Qualification
At the end of the championship, the winning club qualify to the subsequent Munster Senior Club Football Championship. If a divisional team win the championship, the winners of the Kerry Club Football Championship qualify instead.
Teams
2024 Teams
| Team | Location | Club/Divisional | Club's Divisional Side | In championship since | Championship Titles | Last Championship Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dingle
|
Dingle | Club | West Kerry | 2005 | 6 | 1948 |
| Dr Crokes
|
Killarney | Club | East Kerry | 1986 | 13 | 2018 |
| East Kerry
|
East Kerry | Division | N/A | 11 | 2023 | |
 Feale Rangers
|
North Kerry | Division | N/A | 3 | 2007 | |
 Kenmare Shamrocks
|
Kenmare | Club | Kenmare District | 2017 | 0 | — |
 Mid Kerry
|
Mid Kerry | Division | N/A | 4 | 2008 | |
 Milltown/Castlemaine
|
Milltown | Club | Mid Kerry | 2024 | 0 | — |
| Na Gaeil
|
Tralee | Club | St Brendan's | 2022 | 0 | — |
| Rathmore
|
Rathmore | Club | East Kerry | 2023 | 0 | — |
 Shannon Rangers
|
North Kerry | Division | N/A | 5 | 1977 | |
 South Kerry
|
South Kerry | Division | N/A | 10 | 2015 | |
| Spa
|
Killarney | Club | East Kerry | 2021 | 0 | — |
 St Brendan's
|
Tralee | Division | N/A | 0 | — | |
| St Kieran's
|
Castleisland | Division | N/A | 1 | 1988 | |
| Templenoe
|
Templenoe | Club | Kenmare District | 2020 | 0 | — |
| West Kerry
|
West Kerry | Division | N/A | 3 | 1990 |
Clubs eligible for divisional teams
| Division | Clubs eligible for divisional team |
|---|---|
| East Kerry | East Kerry: Firies, Fossa, Glenflesk, Gneevguilla, Listry, Kilcummin, Killarney Legion |
| Kenmare District: Tuosist, Kilgarvan | |
| Feale Rangers | Clounmacon, Duagh, Finuge, Listowel Emmets, Moyvane, St. Senan's |
| Mid Kerry | Beaufort, Cromane, Glenbeigh-Glencar, Keel, Laune Rangers |
| Shannon Rangers | Asdee, Ballydonoghue, Ballyduff, Ballylongford, Beale, Tarbert |
| South Kerry | Dromid Pearses, Renard, Skellig Rangers, Sneem-Derrynane, St. Mary's, Valentia Young Islanders, Waterville, St.Michaels/Foilmore |
| St Brendan's | St Brendan’s: Churchill, St. Patrick's Blennerville, Ardfert |
| Tralee: Austin Stacks, John Mitchels, Kerins O'Rahillys | |
| St Kieran's | Ballymacelligott, Brosna, Castleisland Desmonds, Cordal, Currow, Knocknagoshel, Scartaglin |
| West Kerry | Annascaul, Castlegregory, Lispole, An Ghaeltacht |
Note 1: Kenmare District no longer enter a divisional team so their affiliated clubs play for East Kerry.
Note 2: Tralee no longer enter a divisional team so their affiliated clubs play for St Brendan’s.
Roll of honour
By club
| # | Team | Wins | Runners-Up | Years won | Years Runners Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr Crokes
|
13 | 9 | 1901, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1991, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018 | 1889, 1900, 1987, 1988, 1994, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2019 |
| Austin Stacks
|
13 | 5 | 1928, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1986, 1994, 2014, 2021 | 1980, 1981, 2001, 2010, 2013 | |
| 3 | East Kerry
|
11 | 3 | 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 | 1964, 1966, 1995 |
| 4 | John Mitchels
|
10 | 7 | 1929, 1937, 1947, 1952, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966 | 1931, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1989 |
| Laune Rangers
|
10 | 3 | 1889, 1890, 1892, 1893, 1900, 1911, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996 | 1910, 1997, 2004 | |
| South Kerry
|
10 | 3 | 1955, 1956, 1958, 1981, 1982, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2015 | 1984, 2007, 2017 | |
| 7 | Tralee Mitchels
|
9 | 5 | 1896, 1897, 1902, 1903, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1917, 1919 | 1890, 1897, 1911, 1912, 1914 |
| 8 | Kerins O'Rahilly's
|
6 | 9 | 1933, 1939, 1953, 1954, 1957, 2002 | 1928, 1930, 1936, 1940, 1956, 1961, 1963, 2008, 2021 |
| Dingle
|
6 | 5 | 1938, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1948 | 1937, 1939, 1947, 2012, 2018, | |
| 10 | Shannon Rangers
|
5 | 5 | 1942, 1945, 1964, 1972, 1977 | 1948, 1953, 1955, 1971, 1974 |
| 11 | Mid Kerry
|
4 | 9 | 1967, 1971, 1992, 2008 | 1965, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1990, 2014, 2020, 2022, 2023 |
| Ballymacelligott
|
4 | 1 | 1891, 1894, 1895, 1918 | 1892 | |
| 13 | Feale Rangers
|
3 | 6 | 1978, 1980, 2007 | 1959, 1962, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1985 |
| West Kerry
|
3 | 4 | 1984, 1985, 1990 | 1960, 1967, 1973, 1996 | |
| Tralee Division | 3 | 0 | 1925, 1926, 1927 | — | |
| 16 | Killarney | 2 | 2 | 1949, 1983 | 1950, 1986 |
| Kenmare District
|
2 | 1 | 1974, 1987 | 2016 | |
| An Ghaeltacht
|
2 | 1 | 2001, 2003 | 2000 | |
| 19 | Caherciveen | 1 | 3 | 1896 | 1901, 1904, 1905 |
| Killarney Legion
|
1 | 2 | 1946 | 1945, 2015 | |
| Castleisland
|
1 | 2 | 1950 | 1943, 1944 | |
| Irremore | 1 | 1 | 1897 | 1894 | |
| St Kieran's
|
1 | 1 | 1988 | 1998 | |
| Dick Fitzgeralds | 1 | 0 | 1951 | — | |
| 24 | North Kerry | 0 | 3 | — | 1927, 1932, 1938 |
| Keel | 0 | 2 | — | 1891, 1893 | |
| Kilcummin | 0 | 2 | — | 1903, 1913 | |
| Dingle Gascons | 0 | 2 | — | 1908, 1919 | |
| Farranfore | 0 | 2 | — | 1917, 1918 | |
| Listowel Selection | 0 | 2 | — | 1925, 1926 | |
| Lispole | 0 | 1 | — | 1907 | |
| Castleisland Desmonds | 0 | 1 | — | 1991 |
Performances by division
| Division | Titles | Runners-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 Tralee District
|
41 | 26 | 67 |
| East Kerry
|
28 | 20 | 48 |
| Mid Kerry
|
14 | 14 | 28 |
| West Kerry
|
11 | 13 | 24 |
| South Kerry
|
11 | 6 | 17 |
| Shannon Rangers
|
8 | 5 | 13 |
| St Kieran's
|
6 | 5 | 11 |
| Feale Rangers
|
4 | 9 | 13 |
| Kenmare District
|
2 | 1 | 3 |
List of finals
Records and statistics
Teams
By decade
The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Kerry Senior Football Championship titles, is as follows:
- 1880s: 1 for Laune Rangers (1889)
- 1890s: 3 each for Laune Rangers (1890-92-93) and Ballymacelligott (1891-94-95)
- 1900s: 4 for Tralee Mitchels (1902-03-07-08)
- 1910s: 3 each for Tralee Mitchels (1910-17-19) and Dr Crokes (1912-13-14)
- 1920s: 3 for Tralee Division (1925-26-27)
- 1930s: 4 for Austin Stacks (1930-31-32-36)
- 1940s: 5 for Dingle (1940-41-43-44-48)
- 1950s: 3 each for Kerins O'Rahilly's (1953-54-57) and South Kerry (1955-56-58)
- 1960s: 5 for John Mitchels (1960-61-62-63-66)
- 1970s: 4 for Austin Stacks (1973-75-76-79)
- 1980s: 2 each for South Kerry (1981–82) and West Kerry (1984–85)
- 1990s: 3 each for Laune Rangers (1993-95-96) and East Kerry (1997-98-99)
- 2000s: 4 for South Kerry (2004-05-06-09)
- 2010s: 7 for Dr Crokes (2010-11-12-13-16-17-18)
- 2020s: 3 for East Kerry (2020-22-23)
Gaps
Top ten longest gaps between successive championship titles:
- 78 years: Laune Rangers (1911-1989)
- 77 years: Dr Crokes (1914-1991)
- 45 years: Kerins O'Rahilly's (1957-2002)
- 37 years: Austin Stacks (1936-1973)
- 34 years: Killarney (1949-1983)
- 27 years: Feale Rangers (1980-2007)
- 27 years: East Kerry (1970-1997)
- 23 years: Ballymacelligott (1895-1918)
- 23 years: South Kerry (1958-1981)
- 22 years: South Kerry (1982-2004)
See also
- Kerry Club Football Championship
- Kerry Senior Hurling Championship
- Munster Senior Club Football Championship
- Kerry Intermediate Football Championship (Tier 2)
- Kerry Premier Junior Football Championship (Tier 3)
- Kerry Junior Football Championship (Tier 4)
- Kerry Novice Football Championship (Tier 5)
References
- ^ "Kerry SFC: Round 1 times, dates and venues confirmed". Independent.ie. 25 August 2023.
- ^ "Juvenile Club Notes 8th March, 2022". austinstacks.ie. 8 March 2022.
- ^ "Bishop Denis Moynihan". Lux Occulta.
- ^ "Kerry SFC final - East Kerry make it four titles in five years after nervy win over Mid Kerry". Irish Independent. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "David Clifford decides the issue as East Kerry cruise to third title in four seasons". independent. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ "Austin Stacks win all Tralee decider to take 13th title". rte.ie. 5 December 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ "David Clifford wonder goal as East Kerry make wasteful Mid pay". The Irish Examiner. 26 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "David Clifford goal helps East Kerry win first title in 20 years". The Irish Examiner. 10 November 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- ^ "Garveys Supervalu Senior Football Championship Final". Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Sixth Kerry title in eight years for Dr Crokes". The Irish Examiner. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- ^ "Crokes make final their own as Kenmare struggle to cope". Irish Independent. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
- ^ "South Kerry land the killer punch". Irish Examiner. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "Mid Kerry spurn late chances and save Stacks". The Irish Examiner. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
- ^ "Donaghy stars as Stacks crowned Kerry champs". rte.ie. 2 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
- ^ "Kerry SFC final replay: Donaghy the destroyer as Stacks end wait". Hogan Stand. 2 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
- ^ "Dr Crokes 4-16 Austin Stacks 0-12". Irish Independent. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ "Crokes cruise to three in-a-row". Irish Examiner. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- ^ "Kerins O'Rahilly's 0-09 Mid Kerry 1-07". RTÉ News. 30 November 2008. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008.
- ^ "It's Captain Galvin for Kerry as Feale land title". Irish Independent. 25 November 2012.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Fitz injury fails to halt champions". Irish Independent. 25 November 2012.
- ^ "A glorious memory when town rivals teamed up - and won". killarneytoday.com. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "1891 | Laune Rangers History". Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "1889 | Laune Rangers History". history.launerangers.ie. Archived from the original on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
