When Kilcummin won the East Kerry Championship “O’Donoghue Cup” in 1973 the club was full of enthusiasm. Further “O’Donoghue Cup” visits to the parish were envisaged in the years ahead. The reality is that we return today to Fitzgerald Stadium to contest our second “O’Donoghue Cup” Final. What has happened in the intervening years? Kilcummin captured the County Division III title in 1975 and the East Kerry “O’Sullivan Cup” in 1977. The seventies saw a major drive to structure the juvenile activities and the club were very active at all the under-age levels and although playing in Division IV and Division V progress was being made. The breakthrough came in 1979 when Kilcummin won their very first County Title when Denis (Dinny) O’Connor captained the U16 team to success. The club mentors realised that facilities would have to be improved and the club grounds were re-developed between 1980-1985. This included a juvenile pitch, which has played a big part in the clubs subsequent success. The club also put in place a separate juvenile organisation in 1982 with full focus on juvenile development. Kilcummin were making rapid progress to Division I at County and East Kerry level.
The eighties and nineties saw Kilcummin juvenile teams capturing the Division I County and East Kerry titles in all divisions. The Senior team won the “O’Sullivan Cup” in 1983, 1989 and 1991. While great efforts were being made to bring the “O’Donoghue Cup” back to the parish it was proving to be a very elusive piece of silverware and we had to be happy with the “O’Sullivan Cup” and also the East Kerry Division II titles in 1992 and 1993. There was now a sense of frustration among supporters at the failure to secure this coveted trophy but club management had increasing confidence in the maturing crop of players. This confidence was rewarded in the following years when Kilcummin captured the East Kerry Minor Championship in 1996, 1997 and 1998. They also took part in six East Kerry U21 Championship finals from 1995 to 2000, winning four in a row 1996-1999. The Senior team had a wonderful year in 1997 winning the County Intermediate Championship and attaining county Division I League and Senior County Championship status in 1998.
We have been competitive in the county Championship and who will ever forget 2002, a memorable experience despite the final result. The East Kerry Championship continued to be unkind to us in recent years but they do say that “all good things come to those who wait” and boy have we waited. The meetings with Gneeveguilla in championship football are confined to 1991 and 1999 with our neighbours claiming the honours.
We look forward to a good game today urged on by loyal supporters of both teams. There will be great celebrations at the final whistle, after a twenty or thirty year wait, but we hope to be celebrating. We must pay tribute to all the players and mentors over the years and the great work still being done at juvenile level in the club with success at U11 and U14 this year. We up-graded our Senior pitch in 1999/2000 and we expect it to serve the club well into the future and beyond our centenary in 2010. The club has also been active in Scór with All-Ireland titles in solo singing and set-dancing. These accolades culminated this year with Sean Kelly, a man who played at corner forward in our 1973 team, being inaugurated as President of the G.A.A.
In conclusion, we welcome all Kilcummin people we know who are travelling from many locations for today’s game. We wish the team trainer, Michael Murphy, who incidentally played with Gneeveguilla in their last victory in 1983 and also the selectors, Timmy McCarthy and James Foley, all the best. Irrespective of the result we expect our team to have worn the jersey with honour and pride like decades of Kilcummin men before.

Billy Doolan,
Kilcummin G.A.A. P.R.O.

Gneeveguilla 1-7 Dr. Crokes 0-9
“Gneeveguilla’s amazing victory in Saturday’s O’Donoghue cup final will surely become part of Sliabh Luachra folklore”, wrote Des Cahill in “The Kerryman” as Gneeveguilla, thanks to a man of the match display from Captain Ambrose O’Donovan, won their third and last title, avenging defeats by Dr. Crokes in 1981 and ’82. Five minutes into the second half, Dr. Crokes led by 8 points to 2 but then came a remarkable transformation from the Gneeveguilla side, with John Murphy now partnering the superb O’Donovan at centrefield. Pointed frees by Seanie O’Leary (2) and the winners first from play in the 46th minute by John Murphy was followed by a goal from Ambrose O’Donovan after a ‘45’ from O’Leary landed in the square. O’Donovan followed up with a mighty point from the wing to level the game with a minute remaining, and gaining possession from the kickout, the rampant O’Donovan fed Humphrey Moynihan who sent over the winner with the final kick of the game. It was indeed a dramatic turnaround as Crokes had coasted into a 6 points to 2 half time lead adding two more from Mike O’Grady frees on the resumption, and with Liam Hartnett and Brendan Keogh dominating at the back for Crokes there seemed to be no way back for Gneeveguilla, the rest is history.

Teams & Scorers: Gneeveguilla: P. Hickey, R. McAuliffe, D. O’Keeffe, D. Murphy, D. O’Connor, D. Moynihan, M. Murphy, A. O’Donovan (1-1) Capt. N. O’Donovan, J. Murphy (0-1), T. McCarthy, J. O’Donovan (0-1), M. Moynihan (0-1), S. O’Leary (0-3), J. McCarthy.

Dr. Crokes: W. O’Reilly, D. O’Leary, B. Keogh, L. Hartnett, J. Clifford, M.Doody, J. O’Leary, J. O’Donoghue, M. O’Grady (0-3), M. Buckley (0-2), P. O’Donoghue, T. O’Shea (0-2), T. Parker, C. Galvin, J. Casey (0-2), Subs: B. Looney.

Referee: W. Fogarty (Legion)