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2007, our 25th Anniversary Year, has been a very successful one for St Pats.
Earlier in the year we launched our Club Crest, and later we had a very successful launch of our history, Kindling St Patrick’s Flame, which is proving to be a best seller. We were very fortunate to have a very good Editor in John O'Leary and a very hard working committee. We also had a very successful golf outing in Ross Golf Club on the day of the launch.
What a playing year we had; we won the Kerry Co Junior Hurling Championship, South Kerry Junior Hurling Championship and the South Kerry Novice Hurling Championship and we are representing Kerry in the Munster Junior B Club Hurling Championship in the new year. We have been drawn against Templeglantine in the quarter final on Sunday Jan 13th 2008.
Thanks to our team manager Mike Ryan, selectors Denis Russell and Tom Holohan and a special mention to Pat O'Brien for all the coaching sessions along with Cormac Bonner and Turlough Bonner who made sure the players were in great shape.
Our panel of players gave great commitment during the year with captain, John O’Halloran, giving great leadership. It was encouraging to have three minors and five under 21 players in our panel and augurs well for the future.
Thanks to Dr Crokes. Spa, Legion and Beaufort for the use of their facilities during the year and thanks to our secretary Mike Leahy for his continued promotion of hurling in St Brendan’s.
We must continue to request hurling coaching for St Oliver’s Primary School. and all schools in East Kerry as this is the future of hurling and again we appeal to all concerned to listen to our plea.
Thanks to Ger Galvin East Kerry Board Chairman and his fellow officers for their continued support and for donating half of the proceeds of this programme to St Pats for the promotion of hurling.
Our AGM is fixed for Friday November 30th at 8pm in The Heights Hotel Killarney and ou r victory Social and Medal Presentation is on Friday January 18th also in The Heights Hotel Killarney.
Pádraigh Ó’Dubhslaine,
Cathaoirleach.
Munster Junior “B” Club Championship January 2008
Templeglantine 2-9 St Pats East Kerry 1-3
Kerry representatives, St Pats East Kerry made their exit from the Munster Club Junior “B” Championship at a well appointed Killeedy GAA Grounds in Co. Limerick on Sunday last. Conditions were very poor and the stronger Limerick side made their strength and height advantage tell as they ran out deserving winners.
The winners got off to a great start, monopolising possession, but poor shooting kept St Pats in the game. A goal by ex Kerry county player, Martin Trench, saw the winners take a 1-1 to no score lead by the seventh minute and ‘Glantine added two further points before the end of the first quarter. With captain, John O’Halloran, hurling defiantly at centre back, St Pats came more into the game as the half progressed and after Sean Lacey failed to capitalise on a great chance of a goal, the same player sent an inviting cross into the goalmouth and there was Cormac Bonner to smash the ball first time to the net. That score, just before the break, gave St Pats hope trailing as they did by just three points, 1-3 to 1-0.
The Limerick side came out a far more determined outfit in the second half and two points from the impressive James O’Riordan were followed by a goal from Jimmy Dore before Michael O’Keeffe had St Pats first score of the half in the 41st minute. It was an uphill battle from then on for the visitors, but to their credit, they made the Limerick side fight hard for every score with O’Halloran, and goalkeeper Declan Kelly outstanding.
Teams and Scorers: St Pats: Declan Kelly, Dan Dennehy, Michael Murphy, Fergal Clarke, Kevin Smith, John O’Halloran, Liam Bergin, Sean Lacey, Martin O’Shea, Mark O’Donoghue, Glen Owens, Michael O’Keeffe (0-3), Liam Moloney, Cormac Bonner (1-0), Tony Mackey. Subs: John Ryan, Brendan Mulhearn, Jimmy Smith, Denis Kissane. Templeglantine: Seamus Murphy, Declan Quill, Paudie Murphy, Tom King, John Kelly, Gerald McCarthy, Seamie Scannell, Eoin King, John O’Riordan (0-4), James O’Riordan (0-4), Ian Liston, Pat O’Connor (0-1), Jimmy Dore (1-0), Martin Trench (1-1), Timmy Sexton.
St Patricks East Kerry 1-9 Kenmare “B” 0-8
St Patricks East Kerry celebrated their silver jubilee in fine style in Kilgarvan on Sunday last when defeating Kenmare’s second string to win the county junior hurling championship final.
It was a victory that did not look very likely at half time when the Killarney side trailed by four points after a half during which Kenmare threatened to have the game sewn up inside the opening quarter. However, whatever former Tipperary great, Cormac Bonnar, said to them in the dressing room at the break, St Pats re-emerged a transformed side and they went on to dominate the second period restricting their opponents to a single score and that from a 21 yards free late in the game.While essentially this was a very spirited team effort from the winners, three men stood head and shoulders over their rivals. Declan Kelly was tremendous in goal throughout, especially in the opening quarter when shots were raining down on him; former Causeway player, John O’Halloran was superb all through in the vital centre back position and midfielder, Frank Synnott, who apart from being unerring in his free taking, was a tower of strength once he found his midfield bearings.
Kenmare were quickly into their stride with Kerry All Ireland medallist, Paul O’Connor threatening at full forward and Colm Walshe converting every chance from placed balls. They were six points to the good inside the opening eleven minutes, with Walshe accounting for four of these, one a mighty effort from play. O’Connor, isolated on the edge of the square, was always dangerous and forced Declan Kelly to make his first fine save as early as the fourth minute. Kenmare were threatening to run away with the game but centre back O’Halloran was the first St Pats outfield player to call halt as he cleared ball after ball while roaming all over the half back line. Trouble was that St Pats were making very little headway in the final third of the field where Aidan Crowley and company were clearing at will. Frank Synnott opened St Pats account from a free in the seventeenth minute and after Noel McCarthy replied for Kenmare, Synnott added another to give an improving St Pats hope. Declan Kelly saved St Pats once more this time from John Maye but at the other end, Tom Carey was forced to make a double save as the winners began to threaten for the first time. Another pointed free from Synnott left Kenmare leading by 7 points to 3 at the break, a lead that did not flatter them in the slightest.
It was clear that St Pats resumed in a different frame of mind, and helped on by the strengthening wind, they laid siege to the Kenmare goal with Synnott converting a first minute “65” after Tom Carey saved well from Dan Dennehy. Two more pointed frees followed to leave the minimum between the sides before Declan Kelly denied Tommy Palmer with another fine save in a rare Kenmare attack. Stephen Lacey had the sides level at the end of a third quarter that the winners totally dominated but shortly after Kelly was called on to deny Paul O’Connor once more. St Pats were improving more and more as the half wore on with Michael Murphy doing a great policing job on Paul O’Connor, O’Halloran solid as a rock at centre half and Frank Synnott hurling himself to a standstill around midfield.
Up front, as the game opened up, the speed of the Laceys, Stephen in particular, was causing problems for Kenmare and after Synnott pointed St Pats in front for the first time with ten to go, Mark O’Donoghue latched onto a loose ball and gave Tom Carey no chance from close range for the only goal of the game. Tony Mackey added a point as the winners sensed victory, but there was still a lot of defending to do against a very spirited Kenmare side. The winners character was plain to be seen three minutes from time when they defended their line on no less than three occasions when goal bound shots from close range were repelled, Paul O’Connor blazing over from the resultant free, and again a minute later when great defending by Michael Murphy forced O’Connor to shoot into the side netting.
The final whistle brought relief to the winners and amid scenes of great jubilation, vice chairman of the Kerry county board, Gerald Whyte, presented the cup to winning captain, John O’Halloran.So, a fitting way to celebrate twenty five years in existence for the East Kerry side and great credit to their backroom team of Cormac and Turlough Bonar, Pat O’Brien and the unavoidably absent Mike Ryan.
It was also a proud day for long serving administrators, chairman Pat Delaney and secretary Mike Leahy.
Teams and scorers: St Pats: Declan Kelly, Dan Dennehy, Michael Murphy, Brendan Mulhearn, Liam Bergin, John O’Halloran, Kevin Smith, Frank Synnott (0-7, 0-6 frees, 0-1 “65”), Martin O’Shea, Mark O’Donoghue (1-0), Sean Lacey, Denis O’Donoghue, Liam Moloney, John Ryan, Stephen Lacey (0-1). Subs: Tony Mackey (0-1) and Gene O’Doherty. Kenmare “B”: Tom Carey, Conor Daly, Aidan Crowley, David Harrington, Seanie O’Leary, Peter O’Shea, Sean O’Sullivan, Cian Crowley, Liam Lynch, Tommy Palmer, Patrick Palmer, Colm Walshe (0-4, 0-3 frees), John Maye (0-1), Paul O’Connor (0-2, 0-1 free), Noel McCarthy (0-1). Subs: Denis O’Sullivan Morgan, Pat Dwyer, Hughie Muirphy, Gerry O’Shea.
St. Pats (East Kerry) Hurling Club Review 0f 2006.
We had a very successful year in 2006. We comfortably fielded teams in all our scheduled games.
The spread of clubs represented in our playing panel totalled 9. Our brief is to provide a hurling outlet for the East Kerry divisional area and 9 out of the 13 registered clubs in East Kerry now promote hurling.
We gave the opportunity to a total of 47 different players to enjoy playing hurling this year, most of whom commenced juvenile hurling with St. Pats. Again, this year we successfully brought through to Junior ranks another six ex juvenile players. The great work done by Gene Doherty, Pat O’Brien and Mike Ryan is still bearing fruit.In addition we enlisted some new-comers to the area and to our panel and each one has made a great contribution to our club.
Thanks to Dr. Crokes for their co-operation during the year, especially John Linehan, Brendan Keogh, Pat Kenneally and David Cotter.Dr. Crokes continue to do tremendous work promoting juvenile hurling. Glenflesk and Rathmore are also active. Great news to hear juvenile hurling has commenced in Legion and Spa. Kilcummin Juveniles are going through a difficult time so hopefully a rescue plan can be arranged through the South Kerry Development Hurling Administrator.
Thanks to the following clubs for the use of their facilities during the year, Dr. Crokes, Legion, Spa, Fossa, Listry and Beaufort and thanks to our secretary Mike Leahy for his commitment promoting hurling in St. Brendan’s College.
We must continue to request coaching for St. Oliver’s Primary School and other primary schools in East Kerry, this is the future of hurling and again we appeal to the South Kerry Hurling Administrator, Kerry Co. Board and the Munster Council to listen to our plea. Pat O’Brien and Bridie Cronin produced a very detailed report on Juvenile Hurling and this was presented to the Kerry Co. Board and has some very interesting findings and recommendations.
We have a committee in place organising our 25 years anniversary in 2007 and one of these events will be the publishing of a book on the history of “St. Pats” to be launched in April ’07.
Thanks to Ger Galvin East Kerry Board Chairman and his fellow officers for donating part of the proceeds of this programme for the promoting of hurling and their continued support and for the set of jerseys present to “St. Pats” last week.
Congratulations to John O’Leary our Club Person of the Year and Fergal Clarke, Player of the Year.
Pádraigh O’Dubhsláine
Cathaoirleach
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