News
Adam Moynihan’s Kerry Club Quarter-Final Preview
Legion hoping to halt Brendan’s voyage
Killarney Legion v St Brendan’s
Saturday at 5.15pm
Austin Stack Park
Story so far Legion got the better of near neighbours Kilcummin in Round 1 before powering to an impressive victory over a talented West Kerry outfit in Round 2. That 2-15 to 2-9 win back in Annascaul has given supporters cause for optimism but Stephen Stack’s men will face an even sterner test in Tralee tomorrow evening.
Brendan’s, whose first 15 is made up of players from each of their five clubs (Na Gaeil, St Pat’s, Churchill, Ardfert and John Mitchels), defeated an understrength East Kerry team in the first round but they came unstuck the following week against South Kerry. Séamus Murphy’s team bounced back against Shannon Rangers in Round 3 with James Duggan (2-3) to the fore in an easy win.
Top scorers Legion: Conor Keane (1-11). St Brendan’s: Diarmuid O’Connor (2-5), James Duggan (2-5).
Possible XVs Legion: B Kelly; D O’Doherty, D Sheahan, C Gammell; P O’Connor, D Sheahan, J Lyne; P Lucey, S Keane; J O’Neill, J O’Sullivan, B Maguire; J O’Donoghue, C Keane, T Moriarty.
St Brendan’s: E O’Brien; T Kearns, K O’Dwyer, T Wallace; F Barry, A Barry, P Kearney; J Barry, D O’Connor; J Duggan, D Griffin, B Barrett; D O’Callaghan, N Sheehy, I Parker.
Odds Legion 8/11 - St Brendan’s 11/8 - Draw 15/2
Verdict Legion by one.
Old rivals meet again
Dingle v East Kerry
Saturday at 7pm
Austin Stack Park
Story so far There’s certainly no love lost between these two. Dingle and East Kerry met three times in last year’s championship and although they split the series evenly, Dingle had the last laugh when they hammered their divisional counterparts in an ill-tempered semi-final replay. Clifford brothers Paudie and David both received their marching orders that day, which will be remembered for the ugly incident which saw a Dingle selector striking Dara Moynihan in the face.
Neither the selector nor Moynihan (injured) will be on the field this time out, though sparks are likely to fly regardless.
Last year’s beaten finalists are tipped by many to run the Crokes close again in 2019 and they have already defeated two other supposed contenders, Austin Stacks and Kerins O’Rahilly’s, in the opening rounds.
East Kerry, meanwhile, have been buoyed by the return of star forward David Clifford, who kicked eight points in their Round 3 extra-time victory over Strand Road.
Top scorers Dingle: Paul Geaney (1-5). East Kerry: Darragh Roche (1-10).
Possible XVs Dingle: D Uosis; M Ó Baoighill, TL Ó Súilleabháin, P Ó Conchúir; A Ó Conchúir, TS Ó Súilleabháin, M Ó Flaitheartaigh; L Ó Conchúir, B Ó Súilleabháin; S Durrant, M Ó Géibheannaigh, P Ó Dubháin; C Ó Géibheannaigh, P Ó Géibheannaigh, C Ó Bambaire.
East Kerry: J Devane, C O’Donoghue, S Courtney, N Donohue; D O’Donoghue, J Sherwood, P Warren; L Kearney, S Cronin; R Buckley, P Clifford, B O’Donoghue; D Clifford, D Roche, E Cronin.
Odds Dingle 8/13 – East Kerry 13/8 – Draw 15/2
Verdict East Kerry by one.
Can Kieran’s cause an upset?
South Kerry v St Kieran’s
Sunday at 2pm
Fitzgerald Stadium
Story so far It has been smooth sailing thus far for the 2015 champions. The men from the south defeated Shannon Rangers and St Brendan’s in Rounds 1 and 2A of this year’s competition and they are firm favourites to make it three wins from three and advance to the last four. They are back-boned by their chief scorer Bryan Sheehan and fellow county men Killian Young and Mark Griffin.
Kieran’s, however, have been threatening to cause a major upset for a number of years now. They had a very useful game against Kilcummin on Sunday last which they won 0-21 to 1-13. Any team that can kick 21 points can hold their heads up high. In the first round game they had a narrow 0-12 to 0-9 victory over Mid Kerry. (Words: Eamonn Fitzgerald.)
Top scorers South Kerry: Bryan Sheehan (1-8). St Kieran’s: Edmund Walsh (1-15)
Possible XVs South Kerry: P O’Sullivan; F Clifford, K Young, P O’Sullivan; B Sugrue, M Griffin, R Wharton; B Sheehan, G O’Sullivan; B O’Sullivan, Denis Daly, C O’Shea; B O’Dwyer, Daniel Daly, C Keating.
St Kieran’s: S Ó Ciardubháin; J O’Connor, L Lyons, M Reidy; L Brosnan, B Leonard, M Hickey; S Scanlon, A Donoghue; P O’Connor, A Breen, S Horan; E Horan, E Walsh, A Barry.
Odds South Kerry 1/4 – St Kieran’s 7/2 – Draw 10/1
Verdict South Kerry by three.
Reigning champs favourites to advance
Dr Crokes v Kenmare Shamrocks
Sunday at 3.30pm
Fitzgerald Stadium
Story so far The reigning champions have a newish look about them in this year’s championship but it has been a case of business as usual for the four-in-a-row-chasing Crokes.
New manager Edmund O’Sullivan, who took over from Pat O’Shea after the All-Ireland Club final defeat in March, has converted experienced forward Brian Looney into a wing back while the introduction of youngster Mark O’Shea at midfield has worked well so far.
With a couple of new faces in the backs and Tony Brosnan firing an all cylinders following his summer in the States, the Crokes have made light work of Rathmore and St Kieran’s en route to the quarters.
Kenmare were unlucky not to get the better of Kerins O’Rahilly’s on the opening day but they kept their head above water in this year’s tournament by beating Rathmore in the losers’ round. It looked like their year was over when they trailed by 2-4 to no score against West Kerry a fortnight ago but they showed great fighting spirit to turn it around and eventually prevail with three points to spare.
Top scorers Dr Crokes: Tony Brosnan (1-18). Kenmare Shamrocks: Seán O’Shea (1-19).
Possible XVs Dr Crokes: S Murphy; D Naughton, M Moloney, F Fitzgerald; M Potts, G White, B Looney; J Buckley, M O’Shea; M Burns, D Shaw, G O’Shea; T Brosnan, D Casey, K O’Leary.
Kenmare Shamrocks: R O’Shea; D Crowley, D O’Shea, T O’Sullivan; D O’Connor, D McCarthy, J McCarthy; K O’Sullivan, D Hallissey; M Crowley, S O’Shea, S O’Leary; T Murnane, P O’Connor, S O’Brien.
Odds Dr Crokes 1/5 – Kenmare Shamrocks 9/2 – Draw 10/1
Verdict Dr Crokes by five.
News
Carols by Candlelight
St. Mary’s Cathedral, will be filled with music and glowing candles, as choirs from all over Killarney Parish gather for a community of voices together to celebrate Christmas […]
St. Mary’s Cathedral, will be filled with music and glowing candles, as choirs from all over Killarney Parish gather for a community of voices together to celebrate Christmas 2023, December17, at 7.00pm. Admission is free.
Ten Choirs from Killarney parish will join together and sing some of the world’s most beloved Christmas carols.
The carol service is directed by accomplished Musician and Choral Director, Paula Gleeson. Originally from Cork, her family have been involved in all aspects of choral and church music for 50 years.
“This is the best experience as director, working with Fr. Kieran O’Brien, and St. Mary’s Cathedral Choir, I get to work with so many talented people in Killarney. The commitment of Teachers, Principals, and the hundreds of students from the Primary and Secondary Schools is inspiring. The generosity of our sponsors, who were so willing to contribute has helped to make this night a reality. We are all so truly grateful,” she said.
Choirs include:
St. Mary’s Cathedral Parish Choir, organist Anita Lakner
Holy Cross Mercy School Choir
St. Oliver’s Primary School Choir
St. Brigid’s Secondary School Choir
St. Brendan’s Secondary School Choir
Killarney Harmonisers
Killarney Community College School Choir
Lissivigeen National School Choir
Gaelscoil Faithleann School Choir
Presentation Monastery School Choir
Driving home from work last Friday, tributes for Shane McGowan were pouring out across the radio stations and while listening in, I got a strong sense of déjà vu.
It was only a few months earlier that we got the sad news that the talented Aslan front man Christy Dingham had passed away, and a short few weeks after that – Sinéad O’Connor. The loss of three iconic Irish musicians that left music fans across the country reeling.
When I think about each artist individually, their personalities couldn’t be more different. Yet, for days after the passing of the Pogues frontman, I found myself wondering why I was so drawn to all three.
And then, over the weekend I stumbled across a completely unrelated article which led with a headline:
“In a year dominated by artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and disingenuity, “authentic” has somehow emerged as Merriam-Webster’s word for 2023.”
And there was my answer. The one characteristic that embodied all three of these great Irish musicians.
It was my mother that first introduced me to Aslan’s music. She grew up during their peak and loved all sorts of rock music. I regularly watch their Vicar Street performances back on YouTube and still get mesmerised by Christy’s intense stage presence. Using elaborate hand gestures to evoke a greater meaning behind the words, he always looked like he was away in his own world. Off stage, and particularly later in his career, I admired him for his honesty when talking about his struggles with addiction and mental health. He was talking openly about these issues long before it was the norm.
Sinéad O’Connor was another original soul who, because of her talent, was catapulted into a music industry consumed by artificiality; she was almost too pure for it all. I always admired her unwavering commitment to her beliefs. Her authenticity was evident in every aspect of her artistry. The way she unapologetically embraced her shaved head and boy-ish style, she challenged conventional opinions around beauty. Her music reflected her personal struggles and she never shied away from addressing issues of social injustice, religion, and gender equality. Her stances often drew criticism and controversy, but she always remained true to herself.
Shane MacGowan will always be remembered for his unfiltered nature, and while the lyrics of many songs were dark and gritty, there was also an element of empathy and compassion in what he wrote. Like Christy, he too struggled with addiction and mental health issues throughout his career. While his demons sometimes spilled over into the public eye, his honesty and vulnerability just endeared him even more to us Irish.
So isn’t it apt in a year we lost three great musicians, the word of 2023 happens to be the one undeniable trait that they all shared. Thank you Christy, Sinead and Shane for showing us that authenticity is not just about being different to everyone else; but also about possessing the courage to challenge the established, to question the norms, and to keep going, even when the going gets tough.
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