Laune Rangers – 1907
Co. Senior Football Championship
Due to the fact that the Co. Board was not re-organised until 20th October, many clubs had not bothered to affiliate. Seven teams took part in the Co. Senior Football Championship – Tralee Mitchels, Listowel, Lispole, Castleisland, Killarney Crokes, Dingle Gascons and Valentia.
Co. Final replay on Sun. 13th Sept. 1908 at Listowel: Tralee Mitchels 0-11; Lispole 0-1.
The Tralee captain was Maurice McCarthy.
Football Challenge Games
The first annual O Connell Temperance Society’s Sports were held on 17th March in Cahersiveen. A match between Killorglin (Laune Rangers) and Cahersiveen (O Connell’s) was advertised in conjunction with the sports but the game never came off, as Killorglin did not seem to have a team.
Sun. 15th Sept. at Mountlyne: Killorglin Dashers 2-2; Mountlyne Rovers 0-3.
The game was witnessed by a fairly large crowd and it was closely contested from the start. Ten minutes had elapsed before the first score – a point for Rovers. It seemed at first as if the Rovers’ strength would outmatch the Dashers’ activities. However, at halftime the score stood at 1-1 to 0-2.
On the resumption, Rovers raised another white flag but, when the final whistle blew, the Dashers had won. Ref: Daniel Clifford. Goal umpires: Michael O Connor and Michael Walsh.
Sun. 29th Sept. at Mountlyne: Killorglin ‘Dashers’ 3-2; Sunhill ‘Corncrakes’ 2-1.
That was a most exciting game in the presence of a very large and interested attendance of spectators. The weather was most favourable and that added to the evening’s enjoyment. Immediately after the throw-up of the ball, the ‘Corncrakes’ made a splendid dash and scored a minor. That put them in great spirits and it also got their opponents on the ‘look sharp’. The play was most even for the next twenty minutes and it seemed as if no other score was to be made, but, after a hard tussle, the ‘Dashers’ placed a major to their credit. After that the game was very exciting, play was confined to the visitors’ goal, but nothing came of it as Flynn was determined that the ball should not pass. At halftime, the score stood at 1-0 to 0-2 in favour of the ‘Dashers’.
On the resumption of play, some splendid dashes were made by the ‘Corncrakes’ but nothing came of them. Some give-and-take play then followed, which was wound up by a determined rush by the ‘Dashers’ in which they added another goal to their credit. Their opponents then worked in combination and sent two points through in quick succession. Soon goal number three was sent out for the ‘Puck’ boys who were determined that they should win. Some very good play was then witnessed and an exciting tussle took place close to the goals of the leaders, which ended in a major being scored by the ‘Corncrakes’. A little very nice passing took place then by the ‘Dashers’ who scored a minor very quickly and, no sooner was the ball kicked out than the white flag was again floating to their credit. The fulltime whistle blew soon afterwards. Ref: Dan Clifford. Goal umpires – Michael O Connor and Michael Walsh.
With the success of that friendly game, it was felt that, when the Co. Board would be reformed, it would not be hard to find a sweeping seventeen in Killorglin who would be able to hold their own with any in Kerry.
Administration/Miscellany
James Nolan, Cill Coinnigh, was Uachtarán CLG. Annual Congress was held on 24th Feb. at Thurles.
James Harrington (Corcaigh), was elected as Chairman of the Munster Council, Pat McGrath (Tiobraid Árann) as Secretary and Dan Fraher (Port Láirge) was Treasurer.
The Annual Convention of the Kerry Co. Board was held at the Kerryman Offices, Tralee, on Sun. 20th Oct. Twelve clubs were represented. Laune Rangers were not represented. The following officers were elected: Chairman – Eugene O Sullivan (Killarney), Vice-Chairmen – Austin Stack (Tralee), Alex Smith (Valentia) and P. Houlihan (Dingle), Secretary – Frank J. Cronin (Tralee), Treasurer – John Moran (Listowel), Delegates to Munster Council – Eugene O Sullivan and Austin Stack, Delegate to Central Council – Eugene O Sullivan. The Chairman cited the departure of Thomas F. O Sullivan, Secretary, to Dublin and the success of the county football team as the main reasons for the neglect of the organisation in the county over the previous number of months. He thought that the county championships and the re-organisation of the county was their chief duty.
For the first nine or ten months of the year official GAA activities within the county were dormant even though Kerry continued to be represented at inter-county level. Furthermore challenge games were played in West-Kerry, North-Kerry, South-Kerry and Tralee. The following appeared in the Kerry Sentinel on Wed. 9th Jan: “There seems to be no Co. Board in existence in Kerry at all at present. It is time that the GAA should be re-organised in the county, and something done to safeguard the county’s interests, when both the Munster and Central Councils show a pronounced disposition to treat Kerry in the most unfair manner possible. Imagine that it was only six weeks ago that the Kerry team got their gold medals for the first All-Ireland Championship they won. Even then they got no medals for their substitutes and they had to return the first gim-crack set sent to them as being practically valueless. This is nice treatment to mete out to a team that fought and vanquished Kildare in three of the most sensational matches that ever decided an All-Ireland final, and a team that helped to fill the coffers of the GAA to overflowing. It is only too evident that the executive authorities could do with a little reformation – not that they desire it, but that they assuredly need it.”
The following appeared in the Kerryman on Sat. 24th Aug: “We have kept this subject before our readers for the past couple of months with the hope that the Gaels of the county would at last rouse themselves from their lethargy and re-establish a County Board but, thus far, no practical step has been taken in the matter. Time presses and, if a convention of Gaels is not held this season, we fear hurling and football cannot live in Kerry. As long as there are no yearly championships and no organisation, football and hurling can never rise to any great standard in the Kingdom. The Kerry football team can never hope to win an All-Ireland Championship again if the present state of affairs is allowed to continue, nor will we ever have the satisfaction of seeing a Kerry hurling team aspiring even to the championship of Munster, as long as there is nothing to encourage wielders of the camán in the Kingdom. The one vital necessity of the present is the establishment of a County Board, and the first work of the new board must be the starting of a County Football and Hurling Championship. For this purpose we call upon the Gaels of Tralee, Killarney and Dingle to meet in the near future and we have pleasure in placing our offices at their disposal, if they so desire, as well as in giving any other assistance in our power.”
‘Pars from Puck’, in the Kerryman, wrote the following: “It is a great draw-back to the spirited lads of ‘Puck’ that they have not a sports-field to practice on. It may be mentioned that the KYMS only takes over the field for a month or so. If there were a suitable field in which a ball could, without dread, be kicked, things would be far better. As things, are, very little can be done for the present.”
Munster Senior Football semi-final on Sun. 29th March 1908 at Limerick: Cork 1-9; Kerry 0-9.
Kerry (Tralee Mitchel’s): Maurice McCarthy (capt.), John Thomas Fitzgerald, P. J. Cahill, John O Sullivan, Con Healy, J.J. O Riordan, Jack Lawlor, Tom Costello (all Tralee), Paddy Dillon (goals), Dick Fitzgerlad, Con Murphy, Edward Spillane (all Killarney), P.J. Houlihan, Batt Connor, M. Moriarty, Michael O Sullivan (Dingle), Denny Breen (Castleisland).
Co. Junior Football Final on Sun. 13th Sept. 1908 at Listowel: Tralee (Mitchels) 0-11; Dingle 0-4.
J.P. O Sullivan acted as manager/starter at the following sports meetings under the auspices of the GAA:
Sat. 20the July – Castleisland Sports; Sun. 21st July – Listowel Sports; Sun. 11th Aug. – Tralee Sports; Sun. 24th Aug. – Killorglin Sports; Sun. 8th Sept. – Dingle Sports.
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Dr. Douglas Hyde paid a visit to Killorglin on Fri. 10th May and was made the recipient of a warm welcome by the townspeople. He journeyed from Killarney on the morning train and was met at the station by a large and representative gathering. Rev. Father Tom Lawlor P.P. presided. In the evening the distinguished visitor was entertained at a banquet by the Killorglin Gaelic League in the Railway Hotel. At the time Craobh Cill Orglan was very active with Mícheál O Doherty as its Secretary. It was most honoured to have the President of the Gaelic League in its presence that evening. At 8 o’clock at the new Concert Hall, Iveragh Road, an Irish play was produced under the auspices of the Killorglin Gaelic League, after which Dr. Hyde delivered a lecture.
On Thurs. 10th Oct. the Killorglin Races, after a lapse of eight years, were run over the Mountlyne course in most unfavourable weather, as the rain fell heavily during the day and continued with severity throughout the evening.