Laune Rangers – 1915

 

Mick Duffy played on the Kerry Junior team that defeated Limerick in the first round of the Munster Junior Football Championship.

 

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Co. Senior Football Championship

 

The 1914 Co. Senior Football Championship Final was played in Listowel on Sun. 11^th April 1915 and Tralee Mitchel’s defeated Killarney Croke’s by 1-2 to 1-1. As there had been a dispute surrounding one of the points scored by Mitchels in that game, in keeping with the Gaelic spirit of that time, they agreed to a replay. That game was played on 11^th July in Listowel, resulting in a 2-3 to 1-6 draw. Various Co. Board meetings were held to re-fix the final, which did not take place until Sun. 9^th January 1916 and Killarney Crokes defeated Tralee Mitchels by 1-2 to 1-0. As a result of the 1914 final being deferred until 1916, the 1915 championship was not played.

 

Munster Junior Football Championship

 

Rd. 1 on Sun. 25^th April at Tralee: Kerry 2-3; Limerick 1-1.

Paud Slattery, Jackie Walsh, T. Killeen, John Dunne, Mick Duffy, Jerry O Connor and T. Tangney were the outstanding players on the Kerry team.

Kerry: Dick Power (Tralee) capt., Paud Slattery (Parnells), E. Riordan (goal), T. Killeen (Mitchels), Jerry O Connor (Parnell’s), John Dunne (Mitchels), Bill Sheehan (Farranfore), Mick Duffy (Killorglin), M. O Sullivan (Listowel), M. Purtill (Listowel), P. Griffin (Dingle), E. Somers (Castlegregory), Dan Rohan (do.), Jackie Walsh (Cahersiveen), T. Tangney.

 

When Kerry defeated Cork by 0-5 to 0-1 in the semi-final in September, and Waterford in the final in Tipperary on Sun. 17^th Oct., Mick Duffy was not on the team.

Administration/Miscellany

 

Alderman James Nolan (Cill Coinnigh) was Uachtarán CLG.

 

The Annual Convention of the Munster Council was held in Limerick on Sun. 7^th March. The following officers were re-elected: Chairman – Jeremiah O Brien (An Clár); Secretary – Pat McGrath (Tiobrad Árainn), Treasurer – Ailbe Quillinan (Luimneach).

 

There was no Annual Convention of the Kerry Co. Board in 1915. Diarmuid Crean was Chairman, Diarmuid Cronin was Vice-Chairman, James A. McDonnell was Secretary and John Moran was the Treasurer.

 

‘Pars from Puck’ wrote in the Kerryman on Sat. 15^th May: “Now that a start is shortly to be made for the 1915 GAA Championships in Kerry, it is only in keeping to ask what is being done in Killorglin. There surely is enough of Gaelic spirit as well as sufficient muscle energy and material from which to organise a football club. Last season we were threatened with two clubs, but, up to the present, we have not heard of even the one this season. Perhaps it is best to leave this subject unlaboured, only hoping that those interested just want a reminder. ‘Tis time to begin anyway.”

He returned to the subject on Sat. 22^nd May. “I have not heard a word about the reorganisation of the football team here since I wrote my last notes on the subject. It is undoubtedly time that something were done in that direction as it ‘is rather late in the season.’ Perhaps if the matter were earnestly taken up, we could, from the ashes of last season’s two teams, raise one, which would represent the town worthily. When will the matter be taken up, I wonder?”

On Sat. 2^nd Oct. he reported that the noise like that of a football had been heard in the sports-field on the previous Sunday. A few of the ‘boys’ had been out. He hoped to see them even more in the future.

In the edition of the 23^rd Oct. he reported as follows: “At long last, the footballers of the town have awakened from their long inactivity and are now beginning to see things as they should be. They have begun to practice and the sound of a football – so long absent from here – is again to be heard in the sports-field on Sundays with a few of the old ‘blues’ among the number of enthusiasts. The football spirit is there and cannot brook control so must needs find an outlet, which it does (so far only) on Sunday evenings. The trouble with the team here is that it is of such little consequence and so long forgotten that it is best left so. But it was so unfortunate last year as to be responsible for the division caused in the Gaels of the place and, for a time it looked as if instead of one strong, worthy representative ‘fifteen’ from Killorglin, we were to have two weak, unrepresentative and unfit teams. The differences were so slight that when one looks back, one can’t help wondering why there should be any division or disunion. Why in a small place like this, the comparatively few young men could not work in harmony and put forward their best efforts for the common good and so prove themselves worthy successors of the noble and famous men whose name they bear – the Laune Rangers of 1892.”

 

The 1914 Co. Senior Football Championship semi-final between Cahersiveen and John Mitchels and the Co. Junior Hurling Championship Final between Valentia and Ballyheigue were scheduled for Killorglin on Sun. 21^st Feb. but were cancelled due to the inability of both John Mitchels and Ballyheigue to play. Neither South-Kerry team, however, accepted a bloodless victory. At the Co. Board meeting on Sat. 27^th Feb., the games were again fixed for Killorglin on Sat. 14^th March. John Mitchels defeated Cahersiveen by 0-3 to 0-0 and Ballyheigue overcame Valentia to win the Co. Junior Hurling Championship.

 

The attendance at the Co. Board meeting on Sat. 13^th Feb. was not up to expectations. The Board was rather heavily in debt due to the fact that the closing months of the previous year had been anything but favourable to outdoor exercise, as a result of which many fixtures had been written off as failures from a financial point of view. The expenses incidental to the training of the All-Ireland winning football team had been very heavy and the upkeep of the sports-field in Tralee had been another contributory factor. Attention was drawn to the backward state of the county, football-wise, and the lack of enthusiasm shown by country clubs. It was decided that a strenuous effort would be made to reorganise the county and place the Association in a more healthy condition.

 

Co. Board meetings were not held as regularly as required and some had to be cancelled due to a lack of a quorum. At the Co. Board meeting on Sat. 8^th May it was decided to present the departing Jerry Collins, former football coach to the Kerry team, with a testimonial, as he was about to leave the county. It was decided to appoint representatives of the Gaels in each district to collect subscriptions towards the testimonial. William Roche and Jimmy O Leary were appointed for the Killorglin area.

 

Laune Rangers Football Club was represented at just two meetings of the Co. Board during the year. W. O Riordan represented the club at the Co. Board meeting on Sat. 4^th September and Nick Flynn represented the club at the special meeting of the Board on Sat. 11^th September.

 

Kerry defeated Clare in the Munster Senior Football Championship Final on Sun. 17^th Oct. at Tipperary by 4-3 to 0-1. In the All-Ireland final on Sun. 7^th Nov. in Croke Park, Kerry lost to Wexford on the score of 2-4 to 2-1. Kerry: Dick Fitzgerald (capt.), Maurice Donovan, Denis Doyle, Paddy Healy, Con Murphy, Humphrey Murphy, Jimmy O Connell (all Killarney), Dan Mullins (goal), Maurice McCarthy, Jack Lawlor, Tom Costello, Tom Rice, Jack Rice, Con Clifford (all Tralee), Pat O Shea (Castlegregory).

 

Kerry won the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship final by defeating Westmeath by 0-6 to 1-2 in Athlone on Sun. 20^th Aug. 1916.

Kerry: Dick Power (Tralee), Bill Sheehan (Farranfore), Jack  Cronin (Ballyhar), Martin Carroll (Tralee), Phil O Sullivan (Tuosist), John Dunne (Tralee), Tim Doherty (Killarney), Eugene Moriarty (do), Jerry O Connor (Tralee), Tommy King (Tralee) capt., Pat ‘Gal’ Slattery (Tralee), Matty Daly (Rathmore), Jackie Walsh (Cahersiveen), Ben Hickey (Rathmore), Jack McGaley (Tralee).

 

The Ampere Electrical Company quoted £1,175 as the local contribution for the installation of an Electric Lighting Scheme in Killorglin. A committee was appointed to visit the people of the town to ascertain the number of them willing to have the light installed and the necessary number of people was found to make the project viable.

 

The Killorglin Sports meeting, under the rules of the GAA, was held on Sun. 4^th July. The secretaries were Messrs. Nick O Flynn and O Brien. The meeting had been for years regarded as one of the most popular fixtures in the county and athletes from all parts of the county and from as far away as Cork gave it due recognition.

 

During the first week of February a letter was received from Gunner Jack Galvin, Killorglin, of the Irish Guards, in which he said that all talk of concerts in the trenches was simply moonshine. Instead of concerts they had mud waist-high and the only music was the rattle of the guns and the whiz of the bullets. He hoped to be home in Killorglin shortly and enjoy a time with the boys.

He arrived home at the beginning of May to recuperate, having been wounded on 12^th March. He had been in the trenches since the previous August.

A Church-gate Collection was taken up in the Diocese of Kerry on Sun. 26^th Dec. in aid of the Polish people. The amount collected in Killorglin was £17-6-6.