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The home of Gaelic football For any visitor to Ireland, taking in a traditional Gaelic football match is a ‘must’. And you don’t have to wait for an All-Ireland final in Croke Park (Dublin) to experience the frenetic pace and wild excitement of the nation’s favourite game, writes Adam Moynihan.
| BY ADAM MOYNIHAN Nowhere in the world is more Gaelic-footballcrazy than Killarney, a town which boasts no fewer than three GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) clubs within the parish itself and many more in the wider East Kerry area. COVID restrictions allowing, clubs host almostnightly training sessions and matches across all age groups, from juvenile up to adult, so sampling some of the action is often as easy as turning up. As much entertainment can be gained from an Under 12 local derby as you would get at Páirc Uí Chaoimh or Fitzgerald Stadium on Munster Final day.
WHAT IS GAELIC FOOTBALL? This centuries old game is physical and fastpaced and has been described as a mix between soccer, rugby and basketball, although it can be more accurately compared to Australian Rules football. Under the rules of the GAA, players cannot be paid for their services, and transferring from one team to another is frowned upon. This breeds a huge amount of loyalty within counties, towns and villages as families remain devoted to the same team from generation to generation. Depending on where their parents’ allegiances lie, the footballers of Killarney line out for either Dr Crokes, Killarney Legion or Spa. Legion and Crokes both participate in the Kerry Senior Football Championship, the highest level of football in the county, while Spa compete in the intermediate competition.
KERRY SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP The Kerry SFC (aka the County Championship), is a 16-team, winner-takes-all competition featuring the best football teams in the county. In addition to the eight top-level ‘senior’ clubs, there are eight ‘divisional’ sides made up of the cream of the crop from the remaining smaller clubs in that particular division (e.g. South Kerry, West Kerry and Mid Kerry). For instance, Spa’s top players also represent East Kerry, an amalgamation comprised of fellow non-senior clubs Fossa, Glenflesk, Kilcummin, Listry, Firies, Rathmore and Gneeveguilla. Led by star player David Clifford, East Kerry have claimed the last two Kerry Senior Football Championships, bringing to an end the period of dominance enjoyed by their neighbours, Dr Crokes, during the previous decade. The Kerry SFC is normally staged over a sixor-seven-week period in late autumn but other competitions generally run throughout the calendar year, from January right up until STAR PLAYER: David Clifford (Fossa) is Kerry's leading light. He and his teammates will be hoping to bring the Sam Maguire trophy back to The Kingdom in 2021. Pic: Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile.
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I KILLARNEY Magazine
2021
