North Kerry: where they postpone Christmas

BEAMS of light punch through the December darkness. In their glare, ghostly figures race in a co-ordinated routine. The difficulty of the training is underlined by lingering clouds of breath.

This is Finuge, outside Listowel, a tiny village in the heartland of north Kerry. Christmas is in the air, yet in competitive terms if feels like summer.

The year began with county league commitments in February and has careered out of control beyond the conventional football calendar.