KERRY HURLING STAR and national Poc Fada winner Fionan Mackessy is set to join All-Ireland hurling club finalists O’Loughlin Gaels.
Mackessy, who also won an All-Ireland minor football title with Kerry in 2016, has represented the Kingdom in three Joe McDonagh finals between 2020 and 2022. It’s a significant move for the Kilkenny side who narrowly lost out to Galway’s St Thomas in a dramatic decider last month.
He became the first Kerry man to win National Poc Fada last year in the Cooley Mountains and was also named on the 2022 Sigerson and Fitzgibbon teams of the year due to his displays for MTU Kerry.
Ardfert native Mackessy plays his hurling with the St Brendan’s club and their chairman Ger Hussey confirmed to the Kerry’s Eye newspaper that county player is set to move.
“Fionan will be a massive loss to St Brendans because he was always a player well ahead of his time.
“He played in the Féile with us when he was only 11 years old; he won a county minor hurling championship with us when he was only 15 so he has been a massive leader in our club from a young age. We wish him the best and to be fair he said he had to try it.
“He said that other fellas didn’t do it and he said he might regret it if he didn’t give it a go. I wished him all the best and look what more can you say once he has decided to go. I told him if he ever wants to come back to St Brendans we will welcome him back with open arms.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
