Rathmore kept their interest in this year’s Kerry SFC alive with a comprehensive victory over a gutsy but limited Mid Kerry side in Beaufort on Saturday.

Rathmore are benefiting from retired inter-county star Tom O’Sullivan’s presence as they sit proudly on top of Division 1 after a tough 0-7 to 0-6 local derby win over Gneeveguilla.

IT was a contented Nickey Brennan that greeted the media in the foyer of Melbourne’s Grand Hyatt Hotel the Monday morning after Ireland’s emphatic first Test win over Australia.

KERRY GAA chairman Jerome Conway has confirmed that he will step down from the position a year earlier than scheduled.

KERRY SFC champions Dr Crokes have been paired with South Kerry in a mouth-watering third round tie.

BEYOND the ice baths and recovery sessions, the careful diet and early nights, the final whistle in an All-Ireland title still has the power to turn a man’s focus to mush.

GER REIDY of Castleisland Desmonds and Aidan O’Shea from the Glenbeigh-Glencarr club are the two new faces on the Kerry team to play Donegal in the opening round of the Allianz NFL at Austin Park, Tralee tomorrow.

WITH time almost up in Sunday’s Kerry SFC final it seemed if Jack O’Connor’s tenure as Kerins O'Rahillys manager was to end in triumph.

THERE’S ‘no reason’ why Pat O’Shea should not be in charge of Kerry next year, according to Colm Cooper, who insisted yesterday there is ‘too much quality’ in the squad not to be able to come back and regain the All-Ireland football title.

IN their quieter moments, before they engage each other in this afternoon's AIB All-Ireland club football final (3.40pm), An Ghaeltacht and Caltra will have reflected on their good fortune to be in Croke Park for one of the biggest days in the GAA calendar.

A FEW years later than they would have hoped for, players from the West Kerry Gaeltacht are about to sample the wonderful experience of club football on the All-Ireland stage.

PÁIDI Ó SÉ was last night ratified as manager of the Westmeath senior footballers at a meeting of the county football board in Cusack Park, Mullingar.

CLARE GAA chiefs are hopeful that a six month ban hanging over football manager John Kennedy will be backdated to allow him coach the Banner next season. Kennedy’s unusually stiff suspension from the Kerry County Board is due to go before a Munster Council meeting tonight on appeal.

Clare football manager John Kennedy may be forced to step aside as Banner boss if his appeal against a six month suspension is thrown out by the Munster Council.