Kerry championship

[blanketattack]

The Club c'ship was on the way out as far as interest was concerned, with league games often doubled up as club c'ship games, so to improve the standing of the competition getting entry to the Munster club c'ship was added as a carrot.
There was an extra carrot this year with both finalists of the competition guaranteed to avoid relegation to intermediate compared to only one club from the county c'ship.
This year 3 clubs will be relegated to intermediate. After the 1st playoff round there are 4 teams left, so 3 of those 4 will get relegated, one of which is Austin Stacks. So unless Stacks win 2 successive games we could have the possibly unique situation where the reigning Munster Club champions get relegated to intermediate.

Personally I think club c'ship should provide Kerry representatives in Munster only when both teams in county final are divisional sides.

Was wondering if any other county uses the county c'ship to dictate the county teams captain?

When the divisional side wins the county c'ship the captain is dictated by the winners of that division's club c'ship so e.g. when East Kerry won the county c'ship in 99, Glenflesk won the East Kerry c'ship and so Seamus Moynihan was captain in 00. Although this isnt always the case as some divisional sides don't have their own unique c'ship e.g. Feale Rangers' clubs would be in the North Kerry c'ship with Shannon Rangers.

A few differences between Cork and Kerry club competitions:
Cork have two intermediate grades
Cork allow b teams in their club c'ships
Cork junior grade is run at divisional level first and then the 8 winners go into the county quarters. Some divisions fall behind and have to nominate a club before they've run it off at divisional level and I think one year the county junior champions didn't actually win their division.
Cork's lowest grade is called junior b, Kerry's is called novice.

As an aside I can see Legion fielding a weakened side v Nemo to concentrate on the county final.

[Ciarrai_thuaidh]

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.

You forgot:
Shannon Rangers (Most northerly clubs on Shannon estuary or thereabouts),
St Brendans  (Couple of rural clubs around Tralee. Includes Ardfert when not Senior, traditional Senior powerhouse John Mitchels and Na Gaeil from suburbs of Tralee).

Those are the 9 Divisional teams.

[twohands!!!]

How many Divisional sides are there?

I think around 8 to 10 or something of that order. East Kerry, West Kerry, South Kerry, Mid Kerry and then there are a few with more unique names - Kenmare District i think is one, Feale Rangers another and I think there might be one or two more. Kenmare got to the county semi this year and had some of the same players who were on the Templnoe side that won the Kerry Junior this weekend -[Pat Spillane's nephew]

There is a restructuring thing going on this year in Kerry to reduce the number of Senior Clubs to 8 from 11 - there are 4 teams left with 3 to get relegated - one of the 4 is Austin Stacks who won Munster last year 

If I had to guess I would say 8 divisional sides - having 16 teams seems to be very suitable/neat number of teams for arranging a cup competition.

Club championship, County championship, District championship and County league would mean that there is a serious chunk of football played in Kerry - wouldn't be surprised if Kerry was the county where the average club player gets the highest number of games.

Edit: I was busy typing/trying to recall the various divisional sides in Kerry so missed the last 3 posts.

[twohands!!!]

This year 3 clubs will be relegated to intermediate. After the 1st playoff round there are 4 teams left, so 3 of those 4 will get relegated, one of which is Austin Stacks. So unless Stacks win 2 successive games we could have the possibly unique situation where the reigning Munster Club champions get relegated to intermediate.

[/b]

I can't see the reigning county champions being allowed get that close to relegation to intermediate the following year in too many counties - normally in that sort of situation the county board would usually pull some sort of "Irish solution" out of the bag - fairly dog eat dog stuff.

[5 Sams]

Apart from the mess this weekend I have to say the Kerry c'ship system works very well. Brings players through from junior teams. Off the top of my head how many Kerry captains have come from junior teams who were part of divisional teams. Declan Sullivan, Páidí, Pat Spillane/Mickey Ned, Dara Cinnéide, Mick O'Connell, Jimmy Deenihan, Ógie, Ambrose and Tommy Doyle...maybe one or two others!

[westbound]

Which divisional team do finuge play with (Galvin & Eamon Fitzmaurice's club)?

[AZOffaly]

Feale Rangers I'm sure. They beat South Kerry in a County Final in 2007.