IT MAY BE a traditional hotbed for Gaelic football but the modest resources they draw from enshrine their achievement.
Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne completed back-to-back Hogan Cup titles on Saturday, the first Kerry school to achieve that accolade in elite schools football.
There’s only 222 boys from first to sixth year in the mixed school based in Dingle and only two clubs – Dingle and An Ghaeltacht – supplied players to the starting side in Croke Park.
Lispole’s Ryan Ó Mainnín came on as a sub, Galway native Barra Seán Mac an Bhradáin is on the panel and junior teams in the school carry an Annascaul influence. But essentially this historic Hogan Cup success was fashioned around the displays of players from two clubs.
Ciarán Ó Móráin took over the managerial reins this season attempting to emulate the success that Kerry boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice had achieved last year.
He stepped up to that considerable task in style but was keen to apportion praise elsewhere.
“The last time I asked the principal that question was 222 fellas in the school. The numbers are small but what we have are obviously good footballers and great clubs feeding into us and we’ve great support from the community. Things are looking good for football in West Kerry.”
Having a recent five-time All-Ireland winner amongst their coaching team also helps.
“We’ve Tommy Griffin training them and the standard of it is just excellent,” revealed Ó Móráin.
“There’s a game plan coming into it. The lads listen to Tommy, they list to Johnny Flannery, they listen to Tommy Begley and maybe once in a while to myself as well!
“They do play to a game plan, they do follow instructions and they have learned from the last few games to be patient. We had the drawn game in the Corn Ui Mhuiri (final), extra-time in the (Hogan Cup) semi-final and then that there (on Saturday). How could you ask for anymore battle hardened than that? It stood to them.”
Whoops!
We couldn't find this Tweet
Ó Móráin tipped his hat towards those clubs that have produced this current bunch of players.
“Tribute for that has to go back to the West Kerry board and the clubs. Liam Ó Rocháin for years behind with the Ghaeltacht, you’ve Tomás Ó Muircheartaigh with them at the moment. Vinny Flannery with the Dingle club for years, he taught these guys when they were in short trousers.
“You’ve the likes of Paul Fitzmaurice and Seamus Dowd pushing them on at the moment. Likewise with Lispole club, you have a number of people encouraging them along and doing the basic skills with them.”
For three of Saturday’s team – Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Tom O’Sullivan and Mark O’Connor -the victory marked another Croke Park day to savour after last year’s Hogan Cup win and last September’s All-Ireland minor triumph with Kerry.
“They are fantastic days for these guys,” admitted Ó Moráin. “These guys must feel like the Queen of England where everything smells of paint or something. They have an awful lot of silverware collected over the last few years.
“Some of them are starting out in Croke Park, some of them have played here once or twice. My only wish is that they will all play here again at a higher level again.
“We realise these glory days won’t last forever as much as we wish they will. We will just have to roll up our sleeves in the leaner years and maybe measure our success by the amount of guys we get wearing Kerry jerseys. It’s just fantastic that they can come along to Croke Park on a day like this, go and express themselves.”
