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Seán O'Shea in action for Kenmare Shamrocks against Austin Stacks (file photo). Ken Sutton/INPHO

Kerry champs Austin Stacks relegated to intermediate, Kerins O'Rahillys win club final

Seán O’Shea kicked 0-8 in the win for Kenmare Shamrocks in the Kerry relegation play-off.

Results

Kerry

Senior club football relegation play-off

  • Kenmare Shamrocks 3-11 Austin Stacks 1-15

Senior club football final

  • Kerins O’Rahilly’s 0-15 Templenoe 0-14

Limerick

Senior football semi-finals

  • Newcastle West 1-10 Monaleen 0-10
  • Adare 1-10 Fr Caseys 0-8

Waterford 

Senior football semi-final

  • The Nire 2-12 Ballinacourty 0-6

******

REIGNING KERRY SENIOR champions Austin Stacks have been relegated to the intermediate ranks for the 2023 season, just under 11 months since they lifted the Bishop Moynihan Cup and were at the summit of football in the Kingdom.

On a key day in shaping the club football landscape in Kerry, Austin Stacks fell through the relegation trapdoor while their Tralee rivals Kerins O’Rahillys won the senior club final, thus ensuring they will represent Kerry in the Munster club championship this year.

Kenmare Shamrocks capacity to fire early goals proved critical  in deciding today’s Kerry senior club relegation final at Fitzgerald Stadium as they won out 3-11 to 1-15, while their star man Seán O’Shea finished with 0-8 to his credit, five of those slotted over in the second half.

A dramatic first half saw Kenmare hit the net three times at the Killarney venue. All-Ireland senior winner Stephen O’Brien set them on their way with the first goal in the 13th minute. That was followed up soon after by a goal from James McCarthy and David Hallissey struck the third to leave them in front 3-2 to 0-4 after 17 minutes.

Austin Stacks fought back before the break with Michael O’Donnell raising a green flag, while Seán Quilter and Shane O’Callaghan grabbed five first-half points between them. Two late first-half pointed frees from Seán O’Shea left Kenmare ahead 3-5 to 1-8 at the interval.

O’Shea’s accuracy in the second half helped Kenmare push clear 3-10 to 1-9 by the 51st minute. Austin Stacks, Munster club finalists last January, fought hard to the finish with David Mannix pointing the way as they cut the gap to two points but time ran out on their challenge.

Kerins O’Rahilly’s won the second game at Fitzgerald Stadium, narrowly prevailing 0-15 to 0-14 against Templenoe in the Kerry senior club final. The Strand Road club last contested the Munster senior club championship in 2009. 

With two divisional teams – East Kerry and Mid Kerry contesting the county championship final – Kerins O’Rahilly’s will now represent Kerry in the Munster championship, playing a semi-final on 27 November against the Clare or Waterford winners.

David Moran was man-of-the-match for Kerins O’Rahilly’s with Jack Savage (0-6), Barry John Keane (0-3) and Tommy Walsh (0-2) all making big scoring contributions for the winners. Killian Spillane posted 0-9 on the board for Templenoe and was unlucky not to tie the game with a late free.

In Limerick this year’s senior football final will  be contested by Newcastle West and Adare, the two clubs that have dominated the championship of late, sharing out the last five senior titles between them, the former winning out  by six points in last year’s decider.

Champions Newcastle West were the first team through to this year’s final. A late goal by Diarmuid Kelly was the critical score as they saw off Monaleen in a hard-fought clash in Askeaton, 1-10 to 0-10.

Monaleen were in front 0-5 to 0-4 but Newcastle West ultimately prevailed to return to the final.

The second semi-final saw Adare play Fr Casey’s later this afternoon with Shane O’Connor’s goal  helping manufacture a 1-10 to 0-8 success for Adare.

In Waterford, The Nire advanced to a senior football final meeting with Rathgormack, a repeat of last year’s decider which saw The Nire win by a point.
Today’s semi-final saw The Nire ease past Ballinacourty by 2-12 to 0-6. It was 1-4 to 0-3 in favour of The Nire at the break  and they eventually pulled clear by 12 points, Aaron Ryan and Dylan Guiry grabbing the goals on the day.
Yesterday’s first semi-final in Waterford saw Rathgormack defeat Gaultier by 3-7 to 0-6 with Conor Murray scoring 2-2 for the winners. It’s a fourth final showing on the bounce for Rathgormack, they lifted the trophy in 2019 before losing the last two deciders.

More to follow…

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