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Dan Favier gave a lifetime of service of to the GAA

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3 years ago

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EAST KERRY: The late Dan Favier with East Kerry Board chairman Johnny Borsnan. Photo: Séamus Healy.

Eamonn Fitzgerald pays tribute to a gentle Glenflesk man who manned the turnstiles with courtesy and patience.

Players, managers, selectors, and referees get most of the attention at games, but one forgets too often the other people who conduct their business so efficiently in a quiet manner. It is not so much that we mean to ignore them, but they are taken for granted far too often, and their voluntary work goes unheeded.

I think of board and club officers who make all the arrangements and, without them, games would not go ahead.

This is a big weekend for fixtures in the local All-Ireland. Sam is resting proudly in the Kingdom, East Kerry are county champions as are Rathmore, Fossa, and Firies, but there is still the real local All-Ireland title up for grabs and those unanswered important questions. Who will be crowned O’Donoghue Cup champions for 2022, and who will have the prestigious honour of captaining Kerry in 2023 in defence of their All-Ireland title?

As patrons approach the entrances at the various venues for this weekend’s O’Donoghue Cup games, spare a thought and say a silent prayer of appreciation for the volunteers, who collect the admission charge for entry to the games.

One of those great volunteers for several decades was Dan Favier.

Dan passed away quietly recently in his home at Glenflesk after stewarding at the Fitzgerald Stadium. He had a quiet and gentle nature and handled the frustrations of some supporters who may not have been in the best of humour. The last-minute arrivals didn’t expect such a big attendance. But they should have because King David has been swelling the normal 250 attendance to in excess of 2,500.

Parking spaces are at a premium and the garda cones narrowed the options even further. Then the rush to get in, not knowing whether it was a pre-booked all-ticket game, or if would they take cash at the gate. Have I got my phone? Tech-savvy teenage friends had booked online, but where in the name of God was the icon for scanning?

Frustration mounted as the roar from the crowd inside signalled a goal. It must be a goal. Don’t tell me that Ruairí Murphy, Jameso, Micheál, Tony, Shane, Paul or someone als has struck already and the fat was in the fire after 90 seconds.

Dan Favier handled all of that frustration with a courtesy and a gentleness that smoothed angry tempers.

He will be mourned, not just at the Fitzgerald Stadium but at venues throughout East Kerry and further afield.

The sun wasn’t shining too often yet Dan and volunteers of his ilk were prepared to put up with the vicissitudes of the Kerry climate. Imagine standing at pokey turnstiles at the Fitzgerald Stadium, not just for one hour but anything up to three hours in the draftiest of places as the heavy rains and bitterly cold November winds whipped through the gap. How do they keep warm? How did they put up with the elements at venues where there was no shelter whatsoever?

Dan Favier never shunned the less attractive venues in the county, where he was exposed to the elements yet was as patient and as diligent as ever in collecting the cash. That money will keep the East Kerry Board alive and well-positioned to run off its competitions so efficiently in all grades

So the message is simple: be grateful for the volunteers, who make it all possible for supporters to enjoy the games. Too often are these unpaid officials undervalued.

Dan was one such volunteer, who gave a lifetime of service in his own unassuming way. We can be assured that when he reached the gates, there was no need for identification or scanning the entry ticket.

Tar isteach Dan. Tá fáilte romhat. Go gcúitítear do shaothar leat ar Neamh.

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Home cup tie for St Paul’s could be epic

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1 month 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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1 month 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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