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Family of Dub who played for Kerry to visit Dr Crokes club

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1 year ago

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Jimmy Bermingham, who also played soccer for Bohs and Ireland, enjoyed a very brief spell with the Kerry footballers.

by Eamonn Fitzgerald

Dr Crokes will be reeling back 100 years in their clubhouse this evening (Friday) at 7.30pm as they celebrate a very unusual occasion.

The Bermingham family of Terry, Paul, Mossie and Liz are travelling from Dublin to link up with the club their grandfather Jimmy Bermingham played for in 1923. They will present Dr Crokes with a magnificent Jimmy Bermingham Memorial Cup.

Dr Crokes will also honour Mary O’Shea, Tricia O’Connor, and Geraldine Fitzgerald, the first Dr Crokes players to win LGFA Munster medals in 1976, two years after the LGFA was founded.

The event is open to anyone including non-members who may be interested in seeing what international caps in soccer look like.

The Berminghams will bring their grandfather’s Munster medal which he didn’t receive from the Munster Council until 2023, a century after winning it in the Munster final, a match that was played in a downpour in Tralee on October 14, 1923. Kerry won 0-6 to 0-3. They are also bringing Jimmy’s three international soccer caps, photographs of his first international against England in Cliftonville, and other memorabilia including newspaper reports of their famous grandfather who was never far from controversy.

When the Kerry v Dublin rivalry took off in 1975, the Berminghams were all part of Heffo’s Army, true Blues supporting the Dubs. Their grandfather Jimmy Bermingham said: “Kerry is my team and I’m supporting them. I won a Munster medal with Kerry in my young days”.

They wondered if he was doting, if this Kerry idea was some far-fetched fantasy. The Military Archives of the Irish Defence Forces backed up the story. The record showed that Jimmy Bermingham (of the Dublin Guard, Free Staters) was based in Killarney, Killorglin and Collins Barracks, Cork in 1923.

Also, the Defence Forces publication An t-Óglach had a short report of a Kerry win over Waterford in the football game (2-8 to 0-3). “Larkin and Birmingham were the pick of the Kerry fifteen,” the report read.

His medical history shows that he was declared fit by Overseer C O’Connell at Killarney, Kerry Company. Health was very good when examined in Killarney aged 20.

When he returned to Dublin, Bermingham switched to soccer, his first love, joining Bohemians where he won every available honour including the Free State League and Cup before later captaining the club. He also won three caps for Ireland.

The outside right won his first Free State cap against Belgium in 1929 before all hell broke loose on November 10, 1930.

There was a shock when four Bohs players – Bermingham, Fred Horlacher, Johnny McMahon and Alexander Morton – were selected by the IFA (Northern Ireland) to play in an amateur international against England in Cliftonville.

While professionals in England could still play for both sides, until then Free State club players had never been picked by the IFA. Four days later, the FA – now the FAI - suspended them from football for the “direct challenge to the recognised football authority in the Irish Free State”.

The Free State FA was furious and forbade them to play. They ignored the edict. It led to a very acrimonious High Court case.

Dr Crokes are looking forward to welcoming the Bermingham family to Killarney to hear all about Jimmy’s fascinating life.

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Home cup tie for St Paul’s could be epic

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4 days 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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4 days 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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