Christy Ring Cup Final

Kerry 1-20           Derry 0-12

Kerry made it third time lucky at Croke Park when ending a losing sequence of Christy Ring Cup final defeats in Croke Park to record their second title with an emphatic victory over Derry in windy conditions.

It will not bother the Kerry team or management that this game never reached any explosive heights of excitement nor will it bother them that Kerry have often played better – and lost, fact is that Kerry were always in control even though at times throughout the game they did not always translate this onto the scoreboard. However, when one considers that Kerry outscored their opponents from play by 1-13 to 0-3 you do get a picture of the trend of the game.

Kerry were out of the blocks fast with points inside the opening minute and a half by Michael O’Leary and Shane Nolan and when Keith Carmody added his first of three from play Kerry led by 3 to 1 after just four minutes. Derry levelled but Colum Harty, Shane Nolan and John Egan all added welcome points given that Kerry had the lion’s share of possession and it was 6 to 3 by the end of the first quarter. Bryan Murphy made some very telling contributions in the corner to repel  the best Derry had to throw at the Kingdom  and the full back line as a whole was very solid.

Kerry had four wides totted up by this stage but Michael O’Leary – who was a real match-winner on the wing until injured on the stroke of half time – added two good points inside a minute and when Daniel Collins added another Kerry led by 9 to 4 by the 27^th minute. Then Shane Nolan cut in from the left and under pressure found the net inside the far post to give Kerry a comfortable lead. Colm Harty added a point but Derry stayed in the game adding 3 pointed frees in that final five minutes to be just five adrift at the break, 1-10 to 0-8 with just one of the Oak Leaver’s points coming from play.

That lead could indeed have been greater had Colm Harty not pulled  wide of the mark before the break and indeed just after the resumption Mikey Boyle’s snap shot also went just wide of the far post two minutes in.

Kerry struggled to score from play during the third quarter despite ample possession with the Boyle brothers inside have to deal with double marking given John Egan’s roving role but Shane Nolan did keep the scoreboard ticking over from frees keeping a five or six points margin between the sides. John Griffin played a captain’s part with some very effective sweeping up jobs around the centre and Keith Carmody grew into the game by the minute. Ruairí Convery, who was proving a handful for the Kerry half backs – thankfully he was not deployed closer to goal – and Patrick Henry very very accurate from placed balls to keep Derry in touch but then, like a good racehorse, Kerry headed for home and there was no catching them. Keith Carmody started a scoring spree from play and Patrick Kelly added two more from distance before Carmody added his third with a great score from the wing and Kerry led by nine points, 1-17 to 0-11. Kerry’s goal was never threatened and Kerry completed the job with three pointed frees from one of their best players on the day, Shane Nolan.

After the game the Christy Ring Cup was presented to Kerry Captain John Griffin – a truly deserving recipient – by Uachtarán CLG Aogán Ó Fearghail.

So a very successful year for Kerry Hurling and this team in particular who now progress to the Liam McCarthy Cup in 2016 and participation in Division 1a of the AHL. Heady time indeed for Kerry Hurling.

Scorers for Kerry: Shane Nolan 1-8 (0-7f), Michael O'Leary 0-3, Keith Carmody 0-3, Colum Harty 0-2, Patrick Kelly 0-2, John Egan 0-1, Daniel Collins 0-1.

Scorers for Derry: Ruairi Convery 0-5 (0-5f), Patrick Henry 0-4 (0-4f), Alan Grant 0-1, Liam Hinphey 0-1, Jonathan O'Dwyer 0-1.

KERRY: Stephen Murphy; Rory Horgan, Paud Costelloe, Bryan Murphy; Keith Carmody, Darren Dineen, Daniel Collins; John Griffin, Patrick Kelly; Michael O'Leary, John Egan, Colum Harty; Mikey Boyle, Shane Nolan, Padraig Boyle. Subs: John O'Neill for Padraig Boyle (43), Davy Butler for O'Leary (Injured 50), Sean Weir for M Boyle (58), James Flaherty for Harty (63), Dougie Fitzell for Dineen (69).

DERRY: Daryl McDermott; Michael Warnock, Conor Quinn, Sean McCullagh; Liam Hinphey, Conor McSorley, Kevin Hinphey; Sean McGuigan, Brendan Quigley; Patrick Henry, Paul Cleary, Patrick McCloskey; Alan Grant, Ruairi Convery, Aaron Kelly. Subs: Niall Ferris for McCloskey (6), Dean Flanagan for Quigley (31), Jonathan O'Dwyer for Cleary (40), Ruairi McCloskey for McSorley (57), Michael Conway for Grant (60).

Referee: John Keane (Galway)..

Click here for some photos from Croke Park 

Click Here for Preview prior to game

Kerry Senior Hurling Team V Derry Christy Ring Cup Final

The Kerry Senior Hurling Team to play Derry in the Christy Ring Cup Final in Croke Park  on Saturday (5:30pm) shows 1 change in personnel from the side that defeated Kildare in the semi final; Patrick Kelly, club-tied for the semi final, is named at midfield with John Egan moving to corner forward to the exclusion of David Butler.

The team, captained by John Griffin, lines out as follows:

1          Stephen Murphy         Causeway

2          Rory Horgan                St Brendans

3          Paud Costelloe            Ballyduff

4          Bryan Murphy             Causeway

5          Daniel Collins              Kilmoyley

6          Darren Dineen                        St Brendans

7          Keith Carmody                         Causeway

8          John Griffin     (c)        Lixnaw

9          Patrick Kelly                Clarecastle

10        Michael O’Leary         Abbeydorney

11        Shane Nolan                Crotta O’Neills

12        Colum Harty                Causeway

13        Mikey Boyle                Ballyduff

14        Padraig Boyle              Ballyduff

15        John Egan                    St Brendans

Fir Ionaid:

16        Philip Lucid                  Ballyheigue

17        David Butler                Knockavilla Kickhams

18        Tommy Casey             Causeway

19        Dougie Fitzell              Kilmoyley

20        James Flaherty            Lixnaw

21        John O’Neill                 Clonoulty-Rossmore

22        Brendan  O’Leary        Abbeydorney

23        Adrian Royle               Kilmoyley

24        Darragh Shanahan      Lixnaw

25        Sean Weir                   Crotta O’Neills

26        Giles O’Grady              Ballyduff

Bainistíocht:   

Manager:                    Eamonn Kelly (Kildangan, Tiobraid Árann)

Coach/Selector:         Conor Gleeson (Boherlahan- Dualla, Tiobraid Árann)

Selectors:                    D. J. Leahy (Causeway), Tom O’Connell (Abbeydorney)

Physical Trainer:        Damien Ryall (Abbeydorney)

The Christy Ring Cup Final 2015 Ciarraí V Doire 
When: Saturday 6th June 
Where: Croke Park 
Time: 5.30pm 

Tickets Prices: 
Adults: €25 
Juveniles: €5 
€5 concession will be returned to Students/OAPs on day with Valid ID. 

Tickets available from:

The Kerry County Board Office, Austin Stack Park,
The Kerry GAA Store in the Outlet Centre Killarney,
and via the usual outlets at Garveys Supervalu, and participating Centra and SuperValu Stores throughout the county
and on-line[www.tickets.ie]www.tickets.ie