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Rock stars and sports broadcasters to line out for Páidí Ó Sé football festival
As sporting events emerge from the aftermath of COVID restrictions, the GAA community at large will be delighted to hear that a famed Gaelic football club tournament is back next week.
Rock stars and sports broadcasters will be lining out for the Lidl Comórtas Peile Páidí Ó Sé 2022 taking place all across the Dingle Peninsula from February 25 to the 27.
Dedicated to keeping the spirit alive of the famed Kerry footballing legend Páidí Ó Sé, the festival is a celebration of all that is great about the club game on and off the pitch.
14 counties across the four provinces of Ireland will take part in the 33rd edition of the Lidl Comórtas Peile Páidí Ó Sé, with 20 adult men’s and ladies club teams coming for a weekend of competitive football and social events at Páidí Ó Sé’s pub in Ventry, West Kerry.
Some familiar faces will be lining out over the weekend including The Corona’s frontman Danny O’Reilly with Dublin’s Templeogue GAA as well as Premier Sports TV and Newstalk Off The Ball broadcaster Aisling O’Reilly with County Meath’s Ratoath Ladies.
The football festival, which was cancelled due to COVID-19 in 2021, is supported by Lidl Ireland, McKeever Sports, EJ Menswear, Kerry County Council Tourism Unit, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Lee Strand Milk, and has attracted over 17,000 club players since it was founded in 1989.
“You can’t keep a good thing down," Comórtas Chairman, Pádraig Óg Ó Sé, said. "We are thrilled to get back on our feet and maintain Páidí’s vision to host a major GAA club gathering in West Kerry every year. When restrictions opened up, we received a flood of interest from clubs wondering would we be going ahead and we are pleased to have secured club representatives from all over Ireland in a matter of weeks.”
Michael Collins, Sales Operations Manager with Lidl Ireland added that they are "delighted to continue our partnership with this year’s Comórtas Peile Páidi Ó Sé for a fifth year".
"We are committed to supporting and promoting women in sport and this sponsorship ties in with our overall strategy, having recently announced an extension of our partnership with the Ladies Gaelic Football Association through to 2025 which brings a total commitment of €10 million investment in 10 years of sponsorship.”
TEAMS
The six team senior ladies’ competition line up includes Ratoath GAA, Meath, Corca Dhuibhne, Kerry, Longford’s Clonguish GAA, Newbridge Sarsfields, Kildare, Caltra GAA, Galway and Ballyroan Abbey GAA, Laois. In the Junior Ladies’ competition, there are two Kerry clubs including Annascaul/Castlegregory Ladies and Dingle Ladies. Dublin is represented through St Vincent’s B Ladies and the group is completed by Mullingar Shamrocks of Westmeath.
The men’s six senior team competition includes Kerry’s Listry, Roscommon’s Padraig Pearses, Mayo’s Castlebar Mitchel’s GAA, Galbally GAA and St Kieran’s GAA from County Limerick and Carberry Rangers of Cork. The Junior Men’s competition includes Tipperary’s Loughmore Castleiney, Arva GAA of Cavan, Kerry’s Lispole and Dublin’s Templeogue Synge Street B.
Full details available on www.paidiose.com.
A special commemoration took place at Fitzgerald Stadium to mark the 50th anniversary of the sudden passing of former Dr Crokes player, officer, and selector Tim (Timmy) Keogh.
All-Ireland winning Kerry and Dr Crokes manager Pat O’Shea unveiled a memorial plaque in honour of Mr Keogh, who died suddenly at the stadium on 24 May 1976 while watching the East Kerry Under-12 final between Dr Crokes and Legion.
Pat O’Shea, who played in that fixture as a nine-year-old, delivered a moving address reflecting on the tragedy and his memories of Killarney half a century ago. He described Mr Keogh as a dedicated family and community man who led the way for the Dr Crokes club.
O’Shea recalled how the match was halted and the young players were brought into the dressing rooms, leaving an indelible mark on the town. He also paid tribute to Mr Keogh’s late wife, Kathleen, and noted the bittersweet memory of neighbours and Legion icons Weeshie Fogarty and Johnny Culloty rushing to his aid on the sideline.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Eamonn Keogh detailed his father’s extensive contribution to the black and amber. Timmy Keogh served as club treasurer through the 1950s and 1960s alongside Donie Sheahan and Michael O’Connor, and was a selector for the famous Dr Crokes senior team that won seven consecutive O’Donoghue Cups between 1956 and 1962.
Eamonn thanked Fitzgerald Stadium Chairman Der Brosnan and his committee for permission to erect the monument. He welcomed members of the Keogh, Fogarty, Culloty, and Randles families, alongside several players from the 1976 under-12 panel and MC Denis Coleman.
Eamonn paid tribute to Pat O’Shea’s legendary status in the GAA, noting he remains one of only five managers to win both an All-Ireland senior inter-county championship and a senior club title.
Fr Tom Looney spoke of receiving the tragic news via a letter from his mother while serving in Peru 50 years ago, praising Mr Keogh’s legacy with Dr Crokes and local employer Hilliards. Fr Tom performed a blessing alongside Franciscan Friary Guardian Br Pat Lynch and Fr Billy Hoyne.
The commemoration concluded with a musical performance of ‘Buachaill ón Éirne’ and ‘The Parting Glass’ by Timmy’s son, Don Keogh, on concertina, and his cousin, Máire Breathnach, on guitar.
The large attendance included Mayor of Killarney Martin Grady, Kerry GAA Chairman Patrick O’Sullivan, East Kerry Board officials Dermot O’Connor and Noel Kennedy, Dr Crokes President Jackie Looney, Chairman Eoin Brosnan, and Juvenile Chairman David Byrne.
Two young local girls showed great business initiative on Saturday ahead of the Kerry v Donegal match at Fitzgerald Stadium.
Erin McSweeney and Jessie Doolin set up a sweet stall outside a house on Lewis Road, catching the thousands of football fans walking towards the grounds.
The enterprising pair did a busy trade selling soft drinks, sweets, and chocolates to the passing crowds before throw-in.
Their match-day venture also caught the attention of the national sports media, with a photograph of the girls at their stall captured by Sportsfile photographer Stephen McCarthy ahead of the game.
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