DINGLE ARE BACK in the Kerry county final a year after losing to Dr Crokes, and this time, they will face another of the most storied and successful clubs, Austin Stacks, in next week’s decider.
In the end, it was a three-point win for the West Kerry club against a fancied Mid Kerry team – themselves beaten in the 2022 and 2023 finals – but there was plenty of drama to the very last kick, two minutes after the hooter, when Dylan Geaney finally kicked the ball out of play to kill the game and send Dingle back to the final.
Mid Kerry had bossed the opening 18 minutes and that pre-game favouritism looked well justified when they ran up a 0-8 to 0-2 lead, with Kerry player Sean O’Brien converting a two-pointer for the divisional team.
Advertisement
Dingle hadn’t played poorly in that opening quarter, but Mid Kerry were that little bit sharper up front with scores from Ciaran Kennedy (two), Darragh O’Connor, Liam Carey and O’Brien’s two-pointer helping to open up that six-point lead.
And then Dingle started to hit their straps. Mark O’Connor, the AFL player with the Geelong Cats, was parachuted into the team and had a brilliant influence on the game. Conor Geaney and Billy O’Connor pointed for Dingle, before Tom O’Sullivan set up Geaney for a goal, and when Dylan Geaney landed a point after the hooter, Dingle were ahead, taking a 1-6 to 0-8 lead to the break.
Early second-half points from Niall, Dylan and Conor Geaney put Dingle 1-9 to 0-9 ahead, before Conor Geaney converted a two-point free to make it a five-point lead.
Mid Kerry’s Ciaran Kennedy scored a pair of points, but Dingle hit back with another two orange flags of their own, from Niall Geaney from play and then from Conor Geaney from a free, either side of two points from Liam Evans.
When Tom O’Sullivan pointed to make it 1-16 to 0-13 after 53 minutes, Dingle had one foot in the final.
Kennedy then fired over a two-pointer and Darren Houlihan found the target from a free to make it a one-score game, but try as Mid Kerry did to conjure a goal after the hooter, Dingle held firm to make it back-to-back county final appearances, though a first county championship title since 1948 still awaits.
Scorers for Dingle: C Geaney 1-6 (2 x tpf), N Geaney 0-3 (1 tp), Billy O’Connor 0-2, D Geaney 0-2, T O’Sullivan 0-1, Brian O’Connor 0-1, M Flaherty 0-1
Scorers for Mid Kerry: C Kennedy 0-7 (3f, 1 tp), K Evans 0-2, S O’Brien 0-2 (tp), D O’Connor 0-1, D Cleary 0-1, J O’Connor 0-1 (f), L Carey 0-1, D Houlihan 0-1 (f)
DINGLE: Gavin H Curran; Padraig O’Connor, Aidan O’Connor, Tom O’Sullivan; Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Conor Flannery, Brian O’Connor; Billy O’Connor, Niall Geaney; Tadhg de Brún, Paul Geaney, Mark O’Connor; Conor Geaney, Matthew Flaherty, Dylan Geaney.
Substitutes: Ned Ryan for Billy O’Connor (54), Cathal Bambury for C Geaney (57), Seán Óg Moran for C Flannery (58), Mikey Geaney for T De Brun (59), Micheál Flannery for Brian O’Connor (60)
Related Reads
Holders Ballina strike deep into injury time to force dramatic Mayo football final to replay
Athy stun five-in-a-row chasing Naas in Kildare final; Newbridge go back-to-back in Derry
Ballyboden outgun Na Fianna to win fifth Dublin SFC crown
Substitutes: Liam Evans (Keel) for N Breen (ht), Shane Evans (Keel) for E Coffey (43), Darren Houlihan (Cromane) for D O’Connor (47), Stephen Gannon (Laune Rangers) for L Carey (47), Caolam Teahan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for J O’Connor (54).
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
Dingle dream of first Kerry title in 77 years after booking return to county final
Dingle 1-16
Mid Kerry 0-16
DINGLE ARE BACK in the Kerry county final a year after losing to Dr Crokes, and this time, they will face another of the most storied and successful clubs, Austin Stacks, in next week’s decider.
In the end, it was a three-point win for the West Kerry club against a fancied Mid Kerry team – themselves beaten in the 2022 and 2023 finals – but there was plenty of drama to the very last kick, two minutes after the hooter, when Dylan Geaney finally kicked the ball out of play to kill the game and send Dingle back to the final.
Mid Kerry had bossed the opening 18 minutes and that pre-game favouritism looked well justified when they ran up a 0-8 to 0-2 lead, with Kerry player Sean O’Brien converting a two-pointer for the divisional team.
Dingle hadn’t played poorly in that opening quarter, but Mid Kerry were that little bit sharper up front with scores from Ciaran Kennedy (two), Darragh O’Connor, Liam Carey and O’Brien’s two-pointer helping to open up that six-point lead.
And then Dingle started to hit their straps. Mark O’Connor, the AFL player with the Geelong Cats, was parachuted into the team and had a brilliant influence on the game. Conor Geaney and Billy O’Connor pointed for Dingle, before Tom O’Sullivan set up Geaney for a goal, and when Dylan Geaney landed a point after the hooter, Dingle were ahead, taking a 1-6 to 0-8 lead to the break.
Early second-half points from Niall, Dylan and Conor Geaney put Dingle 1-9 to 0-9 ahead, before Conor Geaney converted a two-point free to make it a five-point lead.
Mid Kerry’s Ciaran Kennedy scored a pair of points, but Dingle hit back with another two orange flags of their own, from Niall Geaney from play and then from Conor Geaney from a free, either side of two points from Liam Evans.
When Tom O’Sullivan pointed to make it 1-16 to 0-13 after 53 minutes, Dingle had one foot in the final.
Kennedy then fired over a two-pointer and Darren Houlihan found the target from a free to make it a one-score game, but try as Mid Kerry did to conjure a goal after the hooter, Dingle held firm to make it back-to-back county final appearances, though a first county championship title since 1948 still awaits.
Scorers for Dingle: C Geaney 1-6 (2 x tpf), N Geaney 0-3 (1 tp), Billy O’Connor 0-2, D Geaney 0-2, T O’Sullivan 0-1, Brian O’Connor 0-1, M Flaherty 0-1
Scorers for Mid Kerry: C Kennedy 0-7 (3f, 1 tp), K Evans 0-2, S O’Brien 0-2 (tp), D O’Connor 0-1, D Cleary 0-1, J O’Connor 0-1 (f), L Carey 0-1, D Houlihan 0-1 (f)
DINGLE: Gavin H Curran; Padraig O’Connor, Aidan O’Connor, Tom O’Sullivan; Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Conor Flannery, Brian O’Connor; Billy O’Connor, Niall Geaney; Tadhg de Brún, Paul Geaney, Mark O’Connor; Conor Geaney, Matthew Flaherty, Dylan Geaney.
Substitutes: Ned Ryan for Billy O’Connor (54), Cathal Bambury for C Geaney (57), Seán Óg Moran for C Flannery (58), Mikey Geaney for T De Brun (59), Micheál Flannery for Brian O’Connor (60)
MID KERRY: Jason Browne (Laune Rangers), Seán Cleary (Laune Rangers), Nathan Breen (Beaufort), Ethan Coffey (Beaufort), Eoin Clifford (Laune Rangers), Mike Breen (Beaufort), Seán O’Brien (Beaufort), Ronan Murphy (Beaufort), Liam Smith (Glenbeigh/Glencar), Darragh O’Connor (Beaufort), Dáire Cleary (Laune Rangers), Keith Evans (Keel), Jack O’Connor (Beaufort), Ciarán Kennedy (Beaufort), Liam Carey (Beaufort).
Substitutes: Liam Evans (Keel) for N Breen (ht), Shane Evans (Keel) for E Coffey (43), Darren Houlihan (Cromane) for D O’Connor (47), Stephen Gannon (Laune Rangers) for L Carey (47), Caolam Teahan (Glenbeigh/Glencar) for J O’Connor (54).
Referee: Evan Horan (Glenflesk)
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Dingle GAA GAA Gaelic Football Kerry SFC Mark O'Connor Mid Kerry GAA