Southern Gaels achieve Feile glory out west

Southern Gaels captured their fourth Feile title in 9 years
as they beat Dublin giants Ballyboden St Enda’s in the Division
1 girls decider in Carrick-on- Shannon on Sunday. Nerves were
frayed by the time the South Kerry outfit took to the field as
the final was delayed for over an hour.

Still with County stars Leanne Curran and Megan O’Connell leading
the way they settled well as Curran booted over two early points
to leave them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead at half time (15 minutes a half).
The South Kerry outfit who had handed out footballing lessons
to Aughawillian and Aughavas (both from Leitrim) also accounting
for Cork outfit St Vals. Friday’s results set up a semi-final
meeting with last year’s winners Clare side The Banner. The 2006
champions were no match for the Southerners who were backboned
by five of Denis Healy’s Kerry U-14 side and the Clare side surrendered
their title meekly going down 4-6 to 0-2. The second period of
the decider was a tense affair but the eventual winners kept the
scoreboard ticking over in a low scoring affair as Karina Curran
and Bronagh O’Sullivan were very much to the fore. In the finish
Southern Gaels held firm, restricting the south Dublin side to
just one further score as they closed out the game 0-6 to 0-2
to take the title they previously won in 1999, 2000 and 2004.

Huge credit should go to the club who are one of Kerry’s leading
ladies football clubs and a concerted fundraising effort behind
the scenes ment the €6,000 it cost to take this talented bunch
to the three day extravaganza will be offset. The club have furnished
Kerry teams with previous Feile winners Kacey O’Driscoll, Caroline
Kelly, Sarah O’Connor. No doubt several of these girls will become
household names in the Ladies code in a few short years.