Sport
Family of Dub who played for Kerry to visit Dr Crokes club
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.
Sport
Jack O’Connor’s Kerry squad is looking deeper and stronger (but the proof will be in the eating)
As we reach the midway point of the 2025 season, Adam Moynihan takes a close look at Kerry’s strength in depth
As the Kerry players, management team and backroom staff huddled together for a photo with the Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh Cup in front of the Hogan Stand, one of the photographers raised his fist in the air, trying to illicit something resembling a celebratory scene. No joy.
Victory over Mayo had been secured in convincing enough fashion but winning the league has never been grounds for buoyant celebrations as far as Kerry are concerned. Retaining Division 1 status and unearthing some new talent is generally enough to tick the springtime box ahead of the serious business of the championship. Once that has been achieved, anything else is gravy.
Going by the disappointing loss to Armagh in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, the need for new blood was especially great heading into the 2025 season. The team faded badly down the stretch and into extra time against the Orchard County with overdependence on core players glaringly obvious. It wasn’t the only reason they lost but Kerry simply didn’t get enough from their supporting cast on the day.
With that in mind, Jack O’Connor knew he had to work on the depth of his squad during this league campaign, and you’d have to say he made a pretty good fist of it.
Starting in goal, the situation here is clear with Shane Murphy providing back-up to Shane Ryan.
Moving out the field, in recent years Kerry have generally gone with Jason Foley at full back, Tom O’Sullivan at left corner back, and one of Paul Murphy or Graham O’Sullivan at right corner back.
After making his debut in the league in 2024, Damien Bourke has emerged as a genuine right corner back alternative with some strong performances that have vastly enhanced his reputation. Not many Kerry players came out of the Dublin defeat with extra credit to their name but Bourke was brave and tenacious, bursting out of defence and using the ball wisely. He was replaced as a starter by the experienced Murphy in later rounds but the Tralee man capped his league with a goal off the bench against Galway in Salthill.
Dylan Casey also got extended game time in the absence of Tom O’Sullivan and he acquitted himself professionally. He has a solid head on his shoulders and you get the impression that Jack O’Connor would now be comfortable throwing him into any given situation without hesitation.
The versatile Graham O’Sullivan is also an option at corner back and it looks like he’ll need to slot in somewhere other than his natural position of half back as Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Gavin White are nailed on starters at 5 and 7. O’Sullivan lined out at half forward against Galway and Mayo, underlining his flexibility and importance to the team.
There could be a changing of the guard taking place at centre back with Mike Breen seemingly shaking off the injury woes that have held back his progress with Kerry to date. With regular number 6 Tadhg Morley unavailable for selection for most of the league, Breen slotted seamlessly into that crucial central role, and he looked really confident against Mayo on Sunday. As things stand, Morley will be doing well to displace Breen but either way Kerry should have two good centre back options heading into the summer months.
Midfield has been a head scratcher for Kerry for a number of years but in Diarmuid O’Connor and Joe O’Connor they appear to have found a winning combination. Diarmuid was playing the best football of his career up to his injury against Armagh in Round 6 so getting his shoulder right for championship is of paramount importance to Kerry’s chances.
Joe is a guaranteed starter too but his assured display at wing forward against Armagh was interesting in that it opens the door for a third midfielder to start. Seán O’Brien and Barry Dan O’Sullivan both applied themselves admirably when called upon in the league and the manager should feel like he can trust them more now than he did 12 months ago.
Joe O’Connor’s arrival as a half forward candidate has improved Kerry’s options to the extent that it’s difficult to predict how they will line out from 10 to 12 in the Munster Championship. Micheál Burns has done quite well upon his reintroduction to the team after being dropped from the panel in 2024, and Paudie Clifford is looking sharp at centre forward. Tony Brosnan and Dylan Geaney are options along this line too, although Dylan has been operating as a withdrawn inside forward to date – a role Tony is also capable of playing.
Of course, Seánie O’Shea will have to fit in somewhere in this department when he fully recuperates from his knee ligament injury, so it will be interesting to see how Jack O’Connor works this conundrum out. File under ‘good problems’.
Dara Moynihan is still recovering from a hip injury and has not yet featured in 2025. He would naturally be an option at 10 if he can get back up to speed. Meanwhile, Darragh Lyne, Ruairí Murphy and Cathal Ó Beaglaoich all featured at half forward in the league.
David Clifford and Paul Geaney will play at 13 and 14 with Dylan Geaney in pole position to start at 15 on the back of a really good run of form, perhaps excepting the league final in which he was relatively quiet. Tony Brosnan is a prime candidate to challenge Dylan for that spot; the Dr Crokes player has kicked some fantastic scores in each of his last three appearances as a substitute.
As for out-and-out inside forwards, Conor Geaney and Killian Spillane are likely to be used as impact subs.
All told Kerry do appear to have better depth than they had last year, particularly with the emergence of second season players like Bourke, O’Brien and Dylan Geaney as legitimate options, and with Breen beginning to fulfil his potential. Burns’ comeback and Joe O’Connor’s newfound ability to play the 12 position also help.
As always, though, the proof will be in the eating. We will have to wait for the suffocating heat of do-or-die championship matches to find out if this squad is as deep and dependable as it looks on paper.
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