Kerry championship

[tyroneman]

Could someone please explain how this works to me. I'm. Mystified. How is it decided who progresses to the all ireland series?

[deiseach]

I was wondering about that too. What is this distinction between the club championship and the county championship?

[Sea The Stars]

Others might know more but basically there are your standard senior, intermediate and junior club championships played off in their various formats. Then you have a county championship comprising the senior clubs and divisional teams made up of intermediate and junior clubs. County champions represent Kerry in Munster unless the county champion is a divisional team in which case, it's the senior club champions (used to be best placed team in county championship). Not sure if it works that well despite the whole divisional thing getting praise for giving players from weaker clubs a chance to play senior football. I think Cork's approach to divisional sides is much better with much less confusion.

[Syferus]

You'd be sickened if you're Dingle and Legion loses the county final now. Would mean they've been robbed of a run in the Munster championship.

[Farrandeelin]

If a Divisional team wins the Kerry championship is it the captain 'chosen' by the club that wins that particular divisional championship?

AZOffaly will read and hopefully answer all questions!

[Sea The Stars]

I think if divisional winners win, they choose the captain. Declan O'Sullivan and Darren O'Sullivan came from divisional sides?

The county championship is the more prestigious. I was listening to Barry O'Shea the former Kerry football on Newstalk last night and he summarized it all. If you actually go to the Kerry GAA website, the club championship is run off very quickly, finalists were known back in May. There are only 11 senior clubs in Kerry which would seem quite small for a county of it's tradition. Compared with Dublin who have 32. Format obviously suits in some regards though as it hasn't done the county team any harm.

[tyroneman]

How are the divisional teams made up?

[AZOffaly]

I'm sure we have a few threads on this County Championship is made up of all Senior Clubs, plus Divisional Sides.

Divisional Sides are made up of teams within the division (South, East, Mid etc) that are not qualified (or do not want) to go alone as a Senior club in their own right.

Clubs can dip in and out of being part of the Divisional team if they secure senior status, and believe they can go alone. St. Mary's Cahirciveen will have this choice to make next year.

Kerry select their captain based on the nomination of the county champion. Therefore if South Kerry win it, they will likely nominate Killian Young or Bryan Sheehan. As others have said, Declan Sullivan and Moynihan would have been other divisional 'captains'.

So far so good.

The confusion seems to arrive when we talk about the Club Championship. This is graded Senior, Intermediate, Junior (and Novice). These competitions are open to clubs only, and the winners of the lower grades represent Kerry in the appropriate competition. (Mary's are in the Munster semi final next weekend).

At Senior level, as has been mentioned, the Club Champions only represent Kerry if the County Champion is a Divisional Side.

Clear as Mud.

[BennyCake]

What was all the fuss about?

[From the Bunker]

[AZOffaly]

The plot thickens!

[Ciarrai_thuaidh]

Ah c'mon..ANOTHER thread on this? AZ, we'll have to write a pamphlet or something I'd say at this stage!

[Farrandeelin]

How many Divisional sides are there?

[macdanger2]

Was talking to a Kerryman today and he reckons Legion have more interest in the county final in two weeks than in the munster game v Nemo

[AZOffaly]

How many Divisional sides are there?

Off the top of my head there are Feale Rangers, which would be North Kerry, St. Kierans, which would be around Castleisland and Currow, West Kerry, East Kerry (around Killarney), Mid Kerry, South Kerry and Kenmare (Kenmare and District technically). Ciarrai thuaidh, have I forgotton any?
South Kerry division is made up of Ballinskelligs/Foilmore, St. Mary's, Renard, Portmagee, Valentia, Dromid, Waterville, Sneem and Derrynane.

In recent years, Bally/Foilmore have struck out on their own, but they are in a relegation scrap this year and may be back intermediate, which will force them to rejoin South Kerry.  Cahirciveen have that choice to make next year, but in the past Waterville have decided not to go it alone.