Memories

1962 - Kerry win the first ever U21 Munster Championship


by Weeshie Fogarty

 It's inevitable really that when one watches a team in action the memory can drift back to a day when the person himself or herself was in the very same position in years gone by. So it was last Saturday week as I watched Kerry defeat a gallant Tipperary team in Ardfinnan in the Munster under twenty one football final to claim their 25th provincial title. (Kerry have won nine All Ireland titles while Cork have annexed twenty Munsters and ten All Irelands).

1962 will remain etched I my memory. It was the year that the very first Munster under twenty one championships was played. Kerry was the winners and I was fortunate to be a member of that historic side. I had commenced work in St Finan's Hospital in March of that year and when the final was fixed for December 9th of that same year I was on a month's night duty in the vast and expansive Killarney mental Hospital. So it was a case of endeavoring to snatch few hours sleep on the Sunday morning and then curtsey of the late county board treasurer Pat o Meara being transported to Kenmare where Cork were our opponents.

We had received a walk over from Limerick in the first round and then a trip to wild wet and stormy Kilrush where a 1-6 to 0-8 points win over Clare saw us through to the final. A huge crowd was in attendance at the Fr. Breen memorial park to see the following team defeat Cork 2-7 to 1-4.

Peter Hanley (Kenmare), J.J. Barrett (Austin Stacks), Batty Galvin (Waterville), Pa Kerins, (Kerins o Rahillys), Pat Ahern (Ballymacgelligott),  Paud o Donoghue,(Ballylongford), Tim o Driscoll (West Kerry), Mick Fleming (Currow), Denis o Sullivan (Kerins o Rahillys), Weeshie Fogarty (Killarney Legion), Seamus Roche, Derry o Shea, Dom o Donnell, Roddy o Donnell (RIP), John "Thorny Shea" ), All John Mitchell's. Declan Lovett (Ballyduff) was the only substitute used that day.

Referee Moss Colbert (Limerick).  

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