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Adam Moynihan selects his Killarney Athletic Dream Team

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5 years ago

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Killarney Advertiser Sports Editor Adam Moynihan selects his perfect XI made up of the best players he has played with in the blue of Killarney Athletic.

 

 

Brendan Kealy

Brendan is obviously better known for Gaelic football but he’s an exceptional soccer keeper too. I’ve played in games that we should have lost by three or four but Kealy kept us alive singlehandedly, and we went on to snatch a draw or a win as a result. An elite shot stopper with unbelievable distribution.

Michael Moloney

One of my oldest friends and teammates, Smiler was a rock at the back for us at schoolboy level. His height alone made him a valuable asset in both penalty areas but he was also a terrific defender who could play his way out of trouble if necessary. He normally played in the centre but he was so mentally strong he could do a job for you anywhere.

Mike Stam O’Donoghue

Stam and myself played together all the way up and he was always a great teammate. He was a very versatile and dependable player who added a strong, physical presence to every team he lined out for. An integral part of our team in 2016/17. I don’t think we would have won the league without him.

Paudie O’Connor

Paudie was a warrior and probably the most competitive guy I ever played with. Very vocal (it seemed like he was always complaining but I think it was just the tone of his voice!) and when the chips were down, he always stood up to the challenge. A great leader.

Brian O’Reilly

One of the first names on the teamsheet for me. Reilly has given Athletic unbelievable service down through the years and he has always represented his club with pride. No matter how bad things got, he never stopped encouraging and guiding the players around him. An outstanding teammate and a serious baller too.

Jamie Doolan

Jamie is (I’ll use the present tense – I’m not retiring him yet!) one of the most skilful players I’ve ever been on a pitch with. He’s the type of guy that you always want on your team in training because he’s very technical and has a good head for the game. He’s hardy as well and can mix it if needs be.

Shane Doolan

The elder Doolan is definitely one of the top two or three players in the county and he has been for a long time. He’s two-footed, he’s a very good passer and he’s brave in the tackle and in the air. Could quite easily have played at a higher level.

Kieran O’Leary

Another Woodlawn Park boy. Leary was a key member of our Athletic teams underage and he also played a central role in our All-Ireland wins with the Sem. He had great feet and he was a fierce competitor who was always desperate to win. Athletic’s loss was Crokes’ gain – which is unfortunate on many levels!

Will Courtney

I often play left back behind Will and the tactic is fairly simple. Give him the ball and stay out of his way. A phenomenally talented dribbler with a frightening turn of pace, he’s capable of creating a goal for himself out of absolutely nothing. He never tracks back, but he’s good enough to get away with it.

Diarmuid O’Carroll

As strong as we were at schoolboy level, Diarmuid was always head and shoulders above the rest of us and it came as no surprise to anyone when he signed for Glasgow Celtic. He had every physical and technical attribute you could ask for and, above all else, his attitude was exemplary. He’s a coach at Motherwell now but I’m still hopeful that he’ll come back and finish his career with Athletic!

Shane Lynch

It was a toss-up between Lynch and Daithí Casey for the final slot but in the end I went for work-rate over skill! Nah, in fairness to him, Lynch is a very talented footballer. We go way back and I was always happy when he was on my team because A) he’s a quality player and B) he’s filthy and I wouldn’t fancy playing against him.

 

Subs - Éanna Kavanagh, Cian Tobin and Daithí Casey

 

Managers - Ger O’Brien and Pat Moynihan

Along with the likes of Joe O’Carroll and Mikey O’Sullivan, Ger and my dad took us on some great adventures all over the country when we were kids. In addition to coaching us on the pitch, they always put a big emphasis on discipline and professionalism and I think that really stood to us, both at the time and later in life.

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Home cup tie for St Paul’s could be epic

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2 weeks ago

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7 November 2025

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Paudie O’Connor National Cup (Round 1)

Utility Trust St Paul’s v GCU Brunell

Saturday 7.30pm

Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre

The St Paul’s women’s team will be hoping to get their National Cup adventure off the ground on Saturday when they welcome 2024 champions Brunell to Killarney. Tip-off in the Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre is at 7.30pm.

Paul’s have displayed some fine early season form, although their unbeaten start in the Super League came to an abrupt end last weekend when they lost to the Trinity Meteors in Dublin. James Fleming’s side weren’t at their best on the day but they were well in contention heading into the final quarter with the scores at 47-45 in favour of the hosts. The Meteors pushed on in the fourth, however, eventually running out 63-53 winners.

St Paul’s scorers on the night were Maisie Burnham (13), Tara Cousins (12), Lorraine Scanlon (12), Lovisa Hevinder (9), Denise Dunlea (5) and Leah McMahon (2).

The Killarney club are now joint second in the table alongside the Meteors with both teams holding a 4-1 record. Killester are top having won each of their first five games.

Paul’s opponents on Saturday, Brunell, have won three out of five league matches so far.

LAKERS

The Utility Trust St Paul’s Lakers have now won three of their last four games in Division 1 of the Men’s National League following an impressive home victory over Moycullen in Killarney.

Eoin Carroll and Jack O’Sullivan made significant contributions of the Boys in Black; Carroll hit 17 points and collected 13 rebounds while O’Sullivan had 14 points, 12 rebounds and some spectacular blocks.

Steve Kelly posted 30 points and the durable Sam Grant played every second, adding 21 points along the way.

The Lakers started well before the visitors found their footing and the sides went in level at the half-time break after scores by home captain Carroll. There was still nothing to separate the teams entering the fourth quarter (68-65) but buckets by Carroll, Pablo Murcia and Grant opened up a nine-point lead. Moycullen fought back admirably, however, cutting the deficit to just four, but Luke O’Hea’s charges held firm to prevail by eight (88-80).

Next up is a cup tie against the Tipperary Talons, a side they defeated by 30 points just a couple of weeks ago. The cup can be very different to the league, though, and they will need another solid performance to advance to the next round. Tip-off in in Killenaule is at 6.30pm on Saturday.

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Chances of Kerry v Cork Munster final in 2026 decrease as Munster GAA delay seeding plan

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2 weeks ago

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7 November 2025

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After facing a backlash from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipperary players, Munster GAA have postponed their plan to keep Cork and Kerry separate in the 2026 Munster Football Championship.

The new seeding system – which gives the two highest ranked Munster teams in the National League byes to separate semi-finals – will now come into play in 2027, twelve months later than initially planned.

This will give Clare and Limerick a chance to earn promotion to Division 2 of the league, potentially overtaking Cork if the Rebels were to get relegated to Division 3.

Despite traditionally being the two main contenders for Munster football honours, Kerry and Cork haven’t met in a provincial decider since 2021. The Kingdom have won each of the finals since then (one versus Limerick and three versus Clare) by an average margin of 15.75 points.

More high-profile Kerry v Cork finals might be desirable for fans of those teams, businesses in Killarney and Cork, and neutrals alike but Munster GAA’s plans to effectively keep the great rivals on opposite sides of the draw understandably drew criticism from the other participating counties. A statement by the GPA confirmed that players from Limerick, Clare, Waterford and Tipp had met via Zoom to discuss the matter. They were said to be “deeply disappointed and concerned” by the decision.

The 12-month delay will at least give two of those disaffected teams an opportunity to benefit from the new seeding process.

The draw for the 2026 Munster Football Championship will take place on November 27 under the old rules. As 2025 finalists, Kerry and Clare will get byes to the last four (but they will not necessarily be kept apart).

Nine members of Kerry’s squad are up for All-Stars at tonight’s awards ceremony in Dublin with Joe O’Connor and David Clifford also in contention for the prestigious Footballer of the Year award.

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