East Kerry GAA
The East Kerry Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association caters for Gaelic football and hurling in the East Kerry division of the GAA county of Kerry.
The East Kerry Divisional Board is made up of 13 football clubs and 1 hurling club. Some of the clubs cater for both football and hurling.
History
The East Kerry Board was founded in 1925 following a decision to sub-divide Kerry into a number of divisions. The first chairman and secretary were football legends Dick Fitzgerald and Paul Russell. The first meeting of the new Board was attended by delegates from eight clubs; Currow, Farranfore, Firies, Headford, Kenmare, Killarney, Kilcummin and Killorglin.In 1931, Ballymacelligott, Cordal, Currow, Farranfore and Scartaglin broke away from the Division and joined with Castleisland to form the Castleisland District League. In 1947, Laune Rangers, Castlemaine, Milltown, Tuogh and Glenbeigh broke away with Beaufort to form the Mid Kerry League.
Hurling
Legend has it that a hurling game between the Fianna and the Tuatha De Danann took place in the countryside between Fossa and Glenflesk over 1,000 years ago.Legend aside, however, we have to go back roughly ninety years at least for the first mention of an East Kerry side in the County Hurling Championship at senior level at least.
In 1910, a Killarney team defeated holders Tralee Mitchells and went on to defeat Kenmare in the semi-final. However, a Kenmare objection stating that Killarney had illegally played players from Kilgarvan was upheld and Killarney was thrown out of the competition. Killarney also took part in 1911 and 1912, and in 1918 a team from Rathmore reached the semi-finals.
In the following decades Killarney took part in the county championship with varying degrees of success as follows:
1920s: Killarney took part in 1928 and East Kerry in 1929
1930s: East Kerry took part in 1930, 31, and 32. Killarney reached the semi final in 1933 while Rathmore took part the following year, receiving a walkover from East Kerry.
Killarney represented the area from 1935 to 1940.
1940s: Teams from the area took part in the early 1940s; however Killarney were back from 1946 to start a 26-year unbroken run in the championship.
1950s: The fifties heralded a very successful period for hurling in the East Kerry area. Under the guidance of Laois man, Ben Campion, Killarney won 3 Minor County Championships in a row between 1950 and 52 and were beaten by Crotta in the senior final in 1951. Building on that base they went on to contest the Senior championship with a greater degree of success. 5 players played in all 3 finals during Killarney's unprecedented run of success winning 3 Co. Minor Championship in a row:
Liam Brosnan, Paddy O'Shea, Patrick O'Donoghue and Michael Looney of Dr. Crokes together with Legion's Johnny Culloty.
1960s: Johnny Culloty brought the first All – Ireland hurling medal to East Kerry when he was on the Kerry team that defeated London in the 1961 All Ireland Junior final.
Success at last – Unlucky to be beaten by two points at the Quarter final stage in 1968, Killarney took the championship by storm in 1969 defeating Causeway, Kenmare, O'Dorney and Austin Stacks to take the County Senior Hurling title for the first and only time completing a Championship double with East Kerry Footballers. Killarney were back in the final the following year defeating O'Dorney and Ballyduff before going under to Kilmoyley in the final with a score of 2–12 to 4–4.
Killarney – 1969 County Champions. The team that defeated Austin stacks by 2–6 to 2–5 were as follows: Mikey Culloty, Eamonn Fitzpatrick, Bill Moloney, Mickey Culloty, Ultan Breen, Dan Kelleher, Denis Russell, Tadhgie Fleming, Derry Crowley, Brendan Lynch, Tom Prendergast, Johnny Culloty, Pat Lynch, Mick Spillane, Con O'Meara.
1970s: Successive defeats by Ballyduff in 1971 and 72, followed by walkovers to the same opposition in 1973 and to Austin stacks in 1974 heralded the demise of hurling in the Division. It would be another 17 years before a team from the division would contest the Senior Hurling Championship.
1980s: in 1982 St. Patrick's E.K Hurling Club was set up to cater for hurling in the division.
Clubs
The Board currently includes 13 football clubs: Cordal, Dr. Crokes, Currow, Firies, Fossa, Glenflesk, Gneeveguilla, Kilcummin, Legion, Listry, Rathmore, Scartaglin and Spa. The only hurling teams playing in the County Championships are Dr. Crokes and St. Patrick's.Honours
- Kerry Senior Football Championship Winners 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2019 Runners-up 1964, 1967, 1995
- Kerry Under-21 Football Championship Winners 1999. 2018, 2019 Runner-up 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2015
- Kerry Minor Football Championship Winners 1965, 1996, 2004, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Runners-up 1968
Current East Kerry team and players from the Division
O'Donoghue Cup
The board runs its own competitions for clubs within the division. The most important is the O'Donoghue Cup which is awarded to the winners of the East Kerry Senior Football Championship. Most adult clubs in the division compete for this cup, even if they are playing at junior or intermediate grades. The competition has been dominated by Dr. Crokes.Roll of Honour
O'Sullivan Cup
The East Kerry Junior Football Championship is a Gaelic football competition for teams affiliated to the division. All 13 clubs in the division must compete with their 'B' team. A 'B' player is defined as any player who is not a member of the Kerry inter-county panel at senior, junior or under-21 level in the current year, or a player who starts on the first 15 of his club's O’Donoghue Cup team in the current year. The competition has been dominated by 3 teams, Dr. Crokes, Firies, and Kilcummin. The winners receive the O'Sullivan Cup.Roll of Honour
| Year | Winner | Score | Opponent | Score | Date | Venue/Info |
| 2018 | Kilcummin 'B' | 1-14 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 1-13 | September 4, 2018 | Spa |
| 2017 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 0-10 | Spa 'B' | 0-09 | 15 August 2017 | Legion |
| 2016 | Spa 'B' | 5–11 | Firies 'B' | 4–07 | 6/14/16 | Fossa |
| 2015 | Rathmore 'B' | 3–16 | Firies 'B' | 3–13 | 6/9/15 | Lewis Road |
| 2014 | Legion 'B' | 1–14 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 1–10 | 23/7/14 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 2013 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 3–08 | Glenflesk 'B' | 0–05 | 25/8/13 | Fossa |
| 2012 | Rathmore 'B' | 1–08 | Glenflesk 'B' | 0–10 | 26/8/12 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 2011 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 1–11 | Spa | 1–10 | 7/9/11 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 2010 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 0–15 | Kilcummin | 1–09 | 27/11/10 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 2009 | Rathmore 'B' | 1–08 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 0–10 | 22 November 2009 | Rathmore |
| 2008 | Listry | 1–09 | Kilcummin 'B' | 0–06 | 15 November 2008 | Farranfore |
| 2007 | Cordal | 1–10 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 0–10 | 17 November 2007 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 2006 | Scartaglin | 2–08 | Listry | 0–05 | 22 October 2006 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 2005 | Glenflesk | --- | Legion | --- | 28 January 2006 | Glenflesk Awarded Game |
| 2004 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 2–09 | Scartaglin | 0–11 | 9 January 2005 | Listry |
| 2003 | Currow 'B' | 1–12 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 0–07 | 2 November 2003 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 2002 | Gneeveguilla 'B' | 0–15 | Cordal | 1–06 | 20 October 2002 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 2001 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 1–13 | Scartaglin | 0–07 | 19 August 2001 | Farranfore |
| 2000 | Firies | 1–12 | Cordal | 1–07 | 26 November 2000 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1999 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 3–15 | Cordal | 2–07 | 17 November 1999 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1998 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 1–10 | Firies | 1–09 | 13 December 1998 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1997 | Spa 'B' | 1–07 | Fossa | 1–04 | 30 November 1997 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1996 | Firies | 1–12 | Scartaglin | 1–07 | 29 September 1996 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1995 | Firies | 3–15 | Cordal | 0–08 | 3 December 1995 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1994 | Spa | 0–13 | Firies | 1–05 | 27 August 1994 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1993 | Kilcummin | 2–15 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 3–09 | 24 November 1993 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1992 | Kilcummin | 2–12 | Scartaglin | 1–11 | 13 September 1992 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1991 | Glenflesk | 1–11 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 3–05 | 27 October 1991 | |
| 1990 | Gneeveguilla 'B' | 4–03 | Rathmore 'B' | 0–08 | 16 February 1991 | Kilcummin |
| 1989 | Kilcummin | 2–07 | Rathmore | 2–03 | 5 December 1989 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1988 | Glenflesk | 1–08 | Kilcummin | 2–04 | 27 November 1988 | Deer Park |
| 1987 | Firies | 1–08 | Spa 'B' | 1–02 | 21 February 1988 | Spa |
| 1986 | Currow | 3–05 | Cordal | 1–05 | 23 November 1986 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1985 | Scartaglin | 0–09 | Gneeveguilla 'B' | 1–05 | 17 November 1985 | |
| 1984 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 2–08 | Scartaglin | 0–04 | 14 October 1984 | Farranfore |
| 1983 | Kilcummin | 0–09 | Fossa | 0–05 | 11 September 1983 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1982 | Dr. Crokes 'B' | 0–09 | Cordal | 1–02 | 31 October 1982 | |
| 1981 | Listry | 2–06 | Currow | 0–07 | 18 October 1981 | |
| 1980 | Legion | 1–07 | Listry | 1–05 | 16 November 1980 | Fossa |
| 1979 | Firies | 1–06 | Currow | 1–03 | 4 November 1979 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1978 | Glenflesk | 4–09 | Scartaglin | 3–03 | 18 March 1979 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1977 | Kilcummin | 2–20 | Spa | 5–02 | 11 June 1978 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1976 | Cordal | 1–06 | Dr. Crokes'B' | 0-06 | 21 November 1976 | Fitzgerald Stadium |
| 1975 | Fossa | 2–08 | Dr. Crokes'B' | 2–05 | 24 April 1976 |