Weeshie's Week

The importance of the Kerry juniors and my memories of an All Ireland win in 1967

August 17th, 2010
by Weeshie Fogarty

Some times when I get involved in debates with followers of the game I often feel like biting my tongue when I hear the phrase "they should get rid of that junior completion, it's a waste of time", or words to that effect.  And let me add this is something you will hear on a regular basis as if the person expounding their views were regular followers of our junior football side. Its very easy for the hurlers on the ditch to make throw away remarks in relation to the Munster and All Ireland junior competitions  and I fully understand this because in fairness it is at the bottom tier of the ladder in relation to importance in this county anyway whatever about other counties.  And indeed it has come up at various GAA congresses as those responsible for fixtures have sought to get it off the calendar.  I don't have to put up much of an argument when I say that our minor, under twenty one and senior teams get far more attention, debate and media coverage than the junior squad receives.  I have great respect and time for our junior team having been involved in my playing days on four separate years both as a goalkeeper and once as an out field player when we were defeated by Louth in the All Ireland semi final in Drogheda.

Try telling any one of the Kerry squad or their exemplary manager Kerry o Sullivan who face Sligo next Sunday that junior football is not important and the winning and losing is just a passing phase and supporters will have forgotten about the game within twenty four hours.  Make no mistake about it this is a massive game for all players who will line out in this final. It signals the opportunity to win a much sought after All Ireland medal and for many if not all of the players it will be their only opportunity to write their names into the history of their county. And of course this means so much to the Kerry men.  A Kerry footballer was born for just one thing, to win an All Ireland football medal and if at the end of the day it happens to be a junior medal then so be it.  Where ever life takes them as they travel the world and football is discussed you can be 100% certain that some one will associate a player with a team that won the junior All Ireland in such a year. And then the reminiscing and the retelling and the memories will come flooding back and it will all originate from that memorable date when the All Ireland was won. I spoke to Michael o Donoghue Kerry's captain after the recent Munster final win over Limerick and I can say with hand on heart that his interview on the field as he held the "no name" Munster cup was as passionate and heart felt as I have ever heard.

Here was a man who had played in Croke Park with his club, failed to get the expected call up to the senior panel and yet he had just led his county to a superb Munster victory. He was gushing in his praise of his team mates and lavish in his praise of manager Kerry o Sullivan from Currow who had literally struggled to assemble a squad of players as the season began.  Their next game was a trip across the water to play Lancashire the home side. And here again the importance and the beauty of what junior football stands for comes shinning through. Fr John Ahern passionate Firies man is President of the Lancashire GAA board and as soon as it was know that Kerry were to be their visitors preparations were begun in earnest. I spoke to him on Terrace Talk and as he said "only for this junior competition Weeshie we would be completely ignored, if the GAA forgot about their Compromise Rules and looked after us more over here it would be money must better spend".  The junior All Ireland spreads it importance far and wide and one of my most cherished memories is travelling to London for the final in 1967 and meeting all those wonderful GAA emigrants many of whome were from Kerry. It's the only time All Ireland finals or semi-finals or played on a regular basis outside this country and surly those people fighting so courageously to keep the games alive over there deserve to have the junior competitions not alone preserved but improved in stature.

It's a sad state of affairs when a few players in this county over the years refused for various reasons to tog out for the county junior side. It has happened and I know players that felt the junior team was "a little bit beneath them".  I would love to see the county board set up a special committee of past junior  greats as soon as this year is over, get them to sit down and come back with recommendations which would assure that our junior team is given all the help and assistance particularly to the availability of players for the squad. And sort out the situation where players on the Kerry senior panel might be "saved" and encouraged to play in the junior championship thus giving the senior selectors the opportunity to see them in competitive action.  We also have seen situations where junior players are expected to play with their clubs the week and even the evening before donning the county junior jersey. So let's have a good fresh look at our junior set up and use it in some positive way which might even assist to re build the senior panel. Kerry o Sullivan and his men have done magnificent work to reach the final. He and his likes and Liam Higgins and Buddy o Grady before him are the corner stones of Kerry club football. They may not be as nationally known as Dr Eamon o Sullivan, Mick o Dwyer or Jack o Connor but their work and utter dedication to the junior cause is for me and here I use the phrase and not lightly "another one of the secrets of Kerry". Go out lads and capture that elusive All Ireland junior medal, I can guarantee you as one who has been there and done that it will be one of your most cherished football possessions.  Don't let the opportunity pass you by. 

Fogra: A team of great Kerry junior footballers 1914-2010. Names to inspire.  Danno Keefe, Denny Lyne, Fergal Griffin, Killian Burns, Thomas o Se, Eamon Fitzmaurice, Mick o Dwyer, John Dowling, Bob Stack, Brendan Lynch, Phil o Sullivan, John Kennedy, Purty Landers, Ned Fitzgerald, Johnny Crowley.



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