Kilcummin GAA 2018 What a year!
As the calendar year closes with a heavy loss to a powerful Dr Crokes team in the O’Donoghue Cup final let’s not lose sight of what a wonderful year it has been for the club and parish. Indeed, arguably the greatest year in the history of the club both on and off the field. It started with a rallying call for funds to finish off the development of the training pitch and plan for improved facilities for future generations. This was met with a huge response from the community who have trust and belief in the value of a rural club such as ours. This process is ongoing and great credit is due to the development committee for their vision and expertise.
In March we organised a major entertainment event together with our neighbours Glenflesk, “A Night at the Oskars”, This was a first for any club in Munster and was a “sell out” in the INEC, testament to the work and dedication of the organising committee, actors and again our loyal supporters. On the field the winning of the County Intermediate Championship in May, with wins over Glenbeigh/Glencar, Milltown/Castlemaine, Brosna, Templenoe and Glenflesk was an astonishing achievement for a team relegated just six months earlier and heralded a return to Senior club status. Playing and winning with style and panache made it even more enjoyable and opened the door to the Munster and All-Ireland Club Championships.
In July we witnessed a momentous occasion when our very own Kieran Murphy captained the Kerry Juniors to All Ireland success with Gary O’Leary also collecting his winner’s medal. August saw our senior team promoted to Division 1 following an 11-game campaign finishing second to Austin Stacks. The month also saw our Junior team win the O’Sullivan Cup by beating Dr Crokes in the final after a gap of 25 years. We finished a busy month that saw us play the Underdogs in association with TG4 and the month that saw Sean O’Leary and James Nagle win County championship U-21 medals with East Kerry.
September also saw Paul O’Shea and Keith O’Leary win All-Ireland medals with the Kerry minors and the bonus of Paul captaining the side. The homecoming in Kilcummin has been described as one of the greatest ever and has been heralded as the way forward for the future by Kerry Co Board. October saw ten of our players compete as part of the East Kerry team which reached the County Semi -Final with wins over St Brendans, Dingle and South Kerry.
November saw us embark on the Munster Club Championship campaign and following victories over Kilrush, Kilmacthomas and Fermoy we were crowned Munster Champions in Mallow. The first such accolade in the history of our club now allows us the opportunity to compete for All Ireland glory. Reaching the O’Donoghue Cup Final for the first time in 10 years was an achievement that we should not belittle.
Considering the injuries, the timing in relation to the All-Ireland Semi-Final and the sheer class of the opposition it was reasonable to believe that we would not succeed on this occasion. However, it will be important to put that behind us and refocus.
The first opportunity to do that is at our Social next Friday and a good attendance is expected to celebrate with players and supporters alike. There will be several awards in recognition of the year past and medals will be presented to O’Sullivan Cup winners, County and Munster Intermediate Champions and “Club Person of the Year”.
Live Music by Neilly O’Connor and Disco by Declan McCarthy will keep us entertained. Tickets are just €30 but are limited and there will be no late admission without a ticket. It commences at 7.30pm and the presentation of medals will take place almost immediately.
Make this a night to remember after a year never to forget. Book your tickets now before Christmas from Ciara 0879133062, Mike Riordan 0876258642, Niamh Dwyer 0879801105, Tim Casey 0863450976 or Kilcummin Post Office 0646631027.
Michael O’Riordan PRO