News
Can anyone stop the Crokes?
Dr Crokes v St Kieran’s
Saturday, August 25 at 4pm
(Lewis Road)
The above headline is getting a bit repetitive but, unfortunately for 16 of the 17 teams in contention, so too is the Kerry County Championship. Dr Crokes are on the hunt for three-in-a-row and Pat O’Shea’s team are odds-on favourites to prevail once again in 2018.
The Killarney club retained their Club Championship crown with a comprehensive victory over Kenmare in April and they remained unbeaten throughout their County League campaign, winning 10 of their 11 games and drawing one. Untimely injuries to key men Gavin White and Tony Brosnan may open the door for their rivals just a bit but if any squad can absorb the blow of losing such an influential pair, it’s the Crokes’.
St Kieran’s forced a replay with Austin Stacks in Round 1 last year before being eliminated by West Kerry in the loser’s round. They couldn’t have been handed a more difficult opener this time out, but they might take heart from their showing against the same opposition in 2016 when they lost by a single point. Having said that, anything other than a comfortable Crokes victory would be a major shock.
Verdict: Crokes by eleven.
Dr Crokes
Last year: Champions (beat South Kerry)
Winners: 12 times (1901, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1991, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017)
Current form: WWWWW
Tournament odds: 5/6
St Kieran’s
Last year: Round 2B (lost to West Kerry)
Winners: Once (1988)
Clubs: Ballymacelligott, Brosna, Castleisland Desmonds, Cordal, Currow, Knocknagoshel, Scartaglin
Tournament odds: 40/1
Legion and Rathmore know each other well
Rathmore v Killarney Legion
Saturday, August 25 at 6pm
(Rathbeg)
These two groups of players have met so many times in recent years they must be sick of the sight of each other. The sides are fairly evenly matched but Rathmore have had the upper hand of late, defeating Legion in last year’s O’Donoghue Cup final and also coming out on top when they met in the County League at the end of June.
Led by high calibre players like Paul Murphy, Mark Reen and Shane Ryan, and with two-time All-Star Aidan O’Mahony rumoured to be back and ready for action, Rathmore will be a formidable championship team as always.
As a Legion player it would probably be unwise of me to predict the outcome of this one.
Verdict: Too close to call.
Rathmore
Last year: Quarter-final (lost to South Kerry)
Winners: Never
Current form: WLWLW
Tournament odds: 22/1
Killarney Legion
Last year: Round 2A (lost to Austin Stacks)
Winners: Once (1946)
Current form: LLWWL
Tournament odds: 25/1
Can the Shamrocks rock the South?
South Kerry v Kenmare Shamrocks
Saturday, August 25 at 6pm
(Cahersiveen)
Last year’s beaten finalists begin their 2018 campaign with a home fixture against Kenmare Shamrocks in Caherciveen. Having pushed the Crokes reasonably close in 2017, the men from the south will be hoping to go one step further this year and they still have enough talent in their squad to be considered one of the highest ranked contenders.
It has been a mixed year for Kenmare. They reached the final of the Club Championship but lost to the Crokes and last weekend they avoided relegation to Division 3 of the County League with victory on the final day over Kilcummin. With Kerry stars Stephen O’Brien and Seán O’Shea pulling the strings in their forward division, the 2016 Intermediate champs have what it takes to make life difficult for any team in the county.
Verdict: South Kerry by three.
South Kerry
Last year: Runners-up (lost to Dr Crokes)
Winners: 10 times (1955, 1956, 1958, 1981, 1982, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2015)
Clubs: Derrynane, Dromid Pearses, Renard, Skellig Rangers, Sneem, St. Mary's, St. Michael's/Foilmore, Valentia, Waterville
Tournament odds: 9/1
Kenmare Shamrocks
Last year: Quarter-final (lost to Dr Crokes)
Winners: Never
Current form: LLLWW
Tournament odds: 25/1
An Ghaeltacht back in the big time
Mid Kerry v An Ghaeltacht
Saturday, August 25 at 6pm
(Beaufort)
The glory days of the early 2000s seem like a lifetime away but, after a spell out of the spotlight, An Ghaeltacht will once again have a chance to prove themselves at the top table of Kerry football. The Intermediate champions brought the Bishop Moynihan Cup back to Gallarus in 2001 and 2003 and starting this weekend they’ll be hoping to get back to winning ways at senior level.
They’ll fancy their chances of getting a positive result in Round 1; opponents Mid Kerry lost both of their ties in last year’s championship and they’ve only won two championship games in the past three years.
Verdict: An Ghaeltacht by one.
Mid Kerry
Last year: Round 2B (lost to East Kerry)
Winners: 4 times (1967, 1971, 1992, 2008)
Clubs: Beaufort, Cromane, Glenbeigh-Glencar, Keel, Laune Rangers, Milltown/Castlemaine
Tournament odds: 16/1
An Ghaeltacht
Last year: Intermediate champions (beat Templenoe)
Winners: 2 times (2001, 2003)
Form: WLLLW
Tournament odds: 16/1
St Brendan’s could cause some upsets
Qualification Round
St Brendan’s v West Kerry
Sunday, August 26 at 6.30pm
(Austin Stack Park)
Their record in the County Championship might tell a different tale but St Brendan’s are a team on the up. With up-and-coming talent like Jack Barry, Ivan Parker and Stefan Okunbor in their ranks, the divisional outfit have the potential to cause one or two upsets in this year’s competition.
You would certainly expect them to advance past last year’s semi-finalists West Kerry, who will probably struggle to cope with the loss of their players from An Ghaeltacht.
The winners of this game will play East Kerry in the first round proper next weekend.
Verdict: St Brendan’s by five.
St Brendan’s
Last year: Round 3 (lost to East Kerry)
Winners: Never
Clubs: Ardfert, Churchill, John Mitchels, Na Gaeil, St Pat's Blennerville
Tournament odds: 25/1
West Kerry
Last year: Semi-final (lost to Dr Crokes)
Winners: Three times (1984, 1985, 1990)
Clubs: Annascaul, Castlegregory, Lispole
Tournament odds: 66/1
News
Eight month wait for a driving test in Killarney
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at […]

A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney
The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at eight months.
Cllr John O’Donoghue raised the issue at Monday’s full meeting of Kerry County Council.
He proposed that driving instructors should be employed to carry out the final test to reduce the current backlog.
At Monday’s meeting he asked that hat Kerry County Council would write to the Minister for Transport to ask him to consider giving driving instructors temporary powers to issue a temporary Driving Licence/Certificate of Competence to those on the waiting list for tests.
“The wait is currently far too long and the system is in danger of becoming completely overwhelmed,” he said.
“The huge waiting list for young drivers is well documented at this stage. In a case I am familiar with, a young person passed their theory test in January 2022 and he immediately applied for his mandatory 12 driving lessons. When these were completed, he applied for his driving test on the 2nd of December 2022. Some weeks ago, he still had not received an application to apply for his driving test. This wait is placing him and his family under considerable extra cost and stress which is completely unacceptable.”
In the course of his research into the matter Cllr O’Donoghue discovered that the next available date for a driving test in Killarney is May 25, 2024, while Tralee is June 3 2024.
“Bear in mind, these are only the dates on which you receive an invitation to book your test, the test itself will then be an estimated three to five weeks later.
“This is an appalling situation and one which needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency. I am proposing that driving instructors, which presumably are fully trained up on the rules of the road, be granted temporary powers to be allowed to issue temporary driving licences to young people. When the waiting list time has been reduced, I would still propose that these people sit the test as usual, but the current pressure needs to be alleviated as soon as possible. There is precedent as I believe that in the 1970s, a cohort in this country were issued driving licences without having sat a test as the wait time for the test was too long.”
News
Ballymac charity vintage run on October 1
The Ballymac Vintage Club is hosting a classic car, tractor and Honda 50 run on October 1. The run will leave from and return to the Halfway Bar, Ballymac. Registration […]

The Ballymac Vintage Club is hosting a classic car, tractor and Honda 50 run on October 1.
The run will leave from and return to the Halfway Bar, Ballymac.
Registration begins at 9:30am and sets off at 11am.
“There will be two separate routes with one for tractors and the other for cars and motorbikes. Proceeds on the day are in aid of Castleisland Day Care Centre and we’ll have plenty of spot prizes to giveaway too in the morning,” said the club’s PRO Kieran Glover.
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