Clubs do Kerry proud at Féile

Killarney Legion’s Féile squad with sponsor Denis Cronin

Report: Jimmy O’Sullivan Darcy

KERRY had three boys’ teams and two girls’ teams in action at Féile na Peil 2018 in Louth, Meath and Down at the weekend and they all acquitted themselves superbly in the brilliant sunshine.

While the results are noteworthy, of course, it is important to note that it is the camaraderie that is the most important part of the whole occasion.

In the boy’s section Laune Rangers opened their Division One campaign with a battling defeat to Burren, going down by 6-7 to 1-3 where the physically stronger Clare side profited from the stiff breeze.

The fell to New York in their second outing, succumbing by 6-8 to 3-3. The team was able to lift a gear against Clonduff in their final group game and win a thriller by 2-9 to 2-5.

That put them into a shield quarter-final against Carryduff, where a sparkling first half (6-3 to 0-4) saw them win out on a 7-5 to 1-4 scoreline.

The Fossa under 14 Féile team

Fatigue extracted its toll in unforced errors in the semi-final, however, as a Laune Rangers side who had done their club and all of Killorglin proud bowed out to Claregalway on a 3-5 to 2-7 scoreline.

Killarney Legion opened their Division 5 campaign with a convincing 7-7 to 1-2 win over St Marys, having led at half-time by 3-5 to 1-2. Their second game was a close encounter of the best kind, with Legion prevailing by 2-8 to 2-5.

The team notched up their third win on the trot, leading Hunterstown Rovers/Mattock Rangers by 3-1 to 1-1 at half-time and closing it out for a 4-2 to 2-1 victory. That put them into a cup quarter-final aginst Dicksboro, where superb defending in the first half kept the opposition scoreless and resulted in a 1-4 to 1-2 victory in an extremely physical encounter.

That extracted a price in the semi-final against Glencar/Manorhamilton. Legion opened well and were unlucky as some chances went slightly astray and were unlucky as a soft goal slipped into their net.

The Cordal/Scartaglin under 14 squad

Legion fought very hard and bravely in the second half but Glencar/Manorhamilton held out with some great defending of their own to win out by 2-6 to 0-3, a scoreline that didn’t reflect a closely fought encounter.

Cordal/Scartaglin drew a thrilling opener to their Division 8 campaign, drawing 0-7 to 1-4 with Olibhear Pluincead. They went down by 2-6 to 1-7 to Warwickshire in another adrenaline roillercoaster before recovering well to see off S. Kevins by 2-7 to 2-3.

They qualified for a shield quarter-final against Roche Emmets in Fr McEvoy Park, where Cordal/Scart produced some superb team football to win out by 4-7 to 1-2.

The semi-final against Rathkenny was a tighter affair but Cordal/Scart got the crucial goal to win out by 1-4 to 0-4 and qualify for the final. That finally proved a bridge too far, however, with Owenmore Gaels taking the title on a 1-3 to 0-2 scoreline but Cordal/Scart can feel justifiably proud of their great efforts over a great weekend.

The Southern Gaels Féile side

In the girls’ section Southern Gaels started Division One with a 2-4 to 1-3 win over Skryne. Next up was a very tight and even match against Claregalway, Southern Gaels eking out the win by the narrowest of margins, 1-6 to 1-5.

With that confidence boost, they rose a gear against Walterstown to win on a convincing 1-06 to 0-2 score. That put them into a cup quarter-final against Kilkenny City, where Southern Gaels ­– the most successful Feile club in Kerry’s history – won by 2-4 to 1-1.

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