KINSALE JAN 2000

KINSALE


Re-vitalised Kinsale are going for three in a row. In 1998, they won AUL 3 and a year later topped AUL 2. This season, they are well placed in AUL 1 and their form in the major cup competitions suggests they'll be there or thereabouts in May. Their best cup results have come in the St Michael's and they play the final against Maymount Celtic at Turner's Cross on Sunday week (3.00pm) and that should be a cracker.



The seasiders made three important signings at the start of this season. Peter Jones, the AUL captain, gained some valuable experience with Greenmount Rangers and his return to Kinsale had been a major boost.



Pat Murphy too picked up Premier experience with Hibernians. Keeper David O'Callaghan did play with Kinsale a few years back and was quickly signed up after his recent return from England. David is doing well between the posts.



O'Callaghan's return was timely as veteran keeper Gerry Rice retired during the summer. Michael Scully McCarthy was another long serving player to hang up the boots. Between them they have given over fifty years service. And both are still helping out on the administration side, Rice concentrating on the underage side.



McCarthy is one of a trio of junior selectors who have taken the team from third to first division football in double quick time and Scully has hinted to fellow members Donal Foran and Jeremy O'Donovan that he would like a game or two before the season is out so that he can boast of playing in the seventies, eighties, and nineties.



Kinsale's success this season is in stark contrast to the position four years back as Donal Foran explains: "The biggest decision was taken by the club four years ago when because of the lack of players the committee decided to disband the Premier team to concentrate on the then 3rd division team which consisted of a mixture of mature players and a lot of promising young players. The club achievements over the last number of years can only verify that the decision taken then was indeed the right one".



The panel: David O'Callaghan, Trevor Irwin, Patrick McCarthy, Pat Murphy, Patrick O Callaghan, Michael Madden, Gerard Rice(Junior), Leonard McCarthy, Michael O'Brien, Stephen O'Donovan, Derek McCarthy, Thomas Sutherland, Sean Prior, Paul Kelleher, Jeremy O'Donovan, Neill Lynch, Peter Jones, David O'Donovan, Danny O'Donovan, Michael McCarthy, Gerard Irwin, Gerry Rice (Senior), and Gearoid Cummins.



Committee members: P Madden (Hon. President), Donal Foran(Chairman), Michael McCarthy (Secretary), Patrick O'Callaghan(Treasurer), Gerard Foran (Underage Chairman), and William McCarthy (Underage Treasurer). The committee acknowledges the tremendous support for the past few years from Denis Kiernan and all at The Cordoba Bar.



Kinsale has a thriving underage section and field teams in the West Cork League. Gerard Foran is chairman of the underage section, T.P. Sheehan is secretary, and Catherine Scanlon is treasurer. Some 150 children are involved and other people who help out include Kevin McCarthy and Alan Barrett (Under 8s), Kieran McAuliffe and Seamus McLaverty (U10s), Gerry Rice, T.P. Sheehan, and Catherine McCarthy (U12s), Donie Searls, Michael McCarthy, and Patrick McCarthy(U14s), Ger Foran, Billy Lynch, and Ann Murphy (U14s).