Cork and Kerry set for cross-code showdown

ALL-IRELAND hurling and football winners Cork and Kerry are in discussions over a novel football clash to raise money for their respective end-of-season holidays.

GAA chiefs in the counties are at an advanced stage of discussions on a first ever clash later this month.

They have tentatively pencilled in a floodlit face-off at Pairc Ui Rinn on Sunday, November 28, with proceeds to be evenly divided between their holiday funds.

Initially, a home and away aggregate was mooted, but pressure of club fixtures in each county has scuppered that idea.

The clash would not be the mis-match it might appear. Several of the Cork hurlers would be considered good enough for inter county football if they had the time.

The likes of John Gardiner, Tom Kenny, Sean Óg ÓhAilpín, Ronan Curran, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Joe Deane and Brian Corcoran have all played championship football at one level or another in recent years.

County Board chairmen, Jim Forbes (Cork) and Sean Walsh of Kerry have pioneered the challenge to help finance exotic winter holidays for the players who brought All-Ireland glory to their counties.

Cork are travelling to New Zealand after Christmas, while Kerry will visit Las Vegas and Mexico in the new year. Both sets of players must involve themselves in fund-raising initiatives to finance the trips.

Kerry have already resumed their 2005 season training, with a get-together in Killorglin on Wednesday night.

Said selector Ger O’Keeffe: “We have decided to do one night a week right up to Christmas, just to see how fellows are going and to see how they are getting on with the programme they have been given by Pat Flanagan.

“We have a match against the TG4 Underdogs in December and then it will be off on holidays early in the New Year before the real work will begin again.

“We will be taking the Underdogs game pretty seriously as it will help refocus for the 2005 campaign.”

Kerry coach Jack O’Connor has intimated that the management team will be looking for new blood:

“You are always looking for new fellows to come in because that is the only way you can keep the squad fresh and keep players on their toes. We will certainly be looking at players from the county final and possibly bringing them in training with a view to bringing them into the squad for the initial League games in February.”

Of the holiday plans, Kerry GAA chairman, Sean Walsh added: “The players were 11 months training like demons and lived like monks. They put in a Trojan year and fully deserve a holiday.”