Glory days for Celtic as top stars are honoured

Youths player of the year Padraic Looney receives the Jimmy Falvey Perpetual Cup from Jimmy’s mother Marie Falvey, with Jerry Falvey (left), Brendan Falvey and John Falvey.
Pictures: Packie O’Connor

AFTER the most successful year in the club’s 44-year history, Killarney Celtic FC honoured its outstanding players at the weekend and, given the great achievements on the field of play, at all levels, there was no shortage of contenders for the player of the year awards in various categories.

In the 2019-20 season it just couldn’t have got any bigger or better for the club with a haul of trophies and successes that was totally unprecedented in Kerry soccer.

Leading by example, the senior team won the Premier A Championship and the Greyhound Bar KO Cup double for an incredible third year in a row with the side proving absolutely invincible under manager Brian Spillane.

Senior A team player of the year Matt Keane receives the Aidan Cronin Memorial Shield and Trophy from Ann Cronin with chairman Paul Sherry (left) and manager Brian Spillane

Celtic also clinched the Munster Champions League – having competed against some of the top sides in the province – and in a novel all-Celtic final, the club’s A team overcame the challenge of the B team in the Celsius Menswear Cup decider.

And it didn’t end there.

Pa McGrath receives the Senior B player of the year award from team managers Stephen Hayes and Jerry Falvey. Also included are club chairman Paul Sherry and Pa McGrath’s children Paul and Eryk

Having won the Jimmy Falvey Memorial Cup and the keenly contested Denny Youths League in convincing fashion, the club’s hugely talented youths team created their own chapter in the annals of Kerry and Irish soccer when they registered a dramatic FAI Youth Cup final victory over fancied Cork side Douglas Hall in a tension-filled penalty shootout.

Club chairman Paul Sherry (centre) presenting the club person of the year award to joint winners Tim Jones, vice chairman and A team assistant manager (left) and A team manager and academy coordinator Brian Spillane

The season that has just ended will be remembered as the greatest ever in the history of Killarney Celtic with so many triumphs to celebrate, so many cups to hold aloft and so many achievements to be proud of.

Club chairman, Paul Sherry, said the success story is due mainly to the priority given to the underage policy over the years with several hundred players, in all age groups, turning up for training.

“There is great dedication shown by everybody involved in the club, from the officials, the coaches, the backroom teams, the parents and, of course, the players and the enthusiasm shown week in and week out is just infectious,” he said.

“We have just completed a remarkably successful season and that is to be celebrated but we remain hugely ambitious and we still harbour a great desire to win more,” Paul added.

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