Sheahan set to take Mid Kerry all the way

THEY will never be the most glamorous football division in Kerry. Mid Kerry have struggled for respect, much less titles, lacking the marquee names of East, West and South Kerry, and the blood-chilling winter intensity of North Kerry.

When Milltown-Castlemaine followed neighbours Laune Rangers into the senior ranks, Mid Kerry was left with a ragbag of Division 3, 4 and 5 clubs to select from. But the day officials swallowed their pride and drafted in Killorglin coach James Sheahan, things began to gel.

“Give me a committed bunch of players, who are positive in their attitude and are prepared to listen, and you always have a chance,” Sheahan says, as Mid Kerry prepare for tomorrow’s Kerry SFC semi-final against Dr Crokes (Tralee, 3.30pm).

“It was important we got someone from the outside to pull things together,” says Sheahan’s fellow selector Peadar O’Sullivan.

“We brought in 40 players and told them that everyone would get a chance. The response has been heart-warming and we’ve taken a lot of people by surprise,” O’Sullivan says.

His Division 4 Glenbeigh side has helped shape the surprise outfit of the season in Kerry, with Beaufort (Div 3), Keel (Div 3) and Cromane, of Division 5. The latter club provides Kerry’s flying forward Sean O’Sullivan, who plays on the ‘40’ for the division, while the Kingdom’s other All-Ireland medal winners provide a lethal inside line — Darren O’Sullivan in one corner and Kerry junior Kieran Foley of Keel in the other.

It was only their defeat of Gaeltacht (3-7 to 2-8) in the quarter-final that forced followers in Kerry to sit up and take notice.

“If any of our fellas had self-doubts, it helped remove them,” agrees the coach. “I believe they have the ability to win the county championship.”

However, tomorrow is their biggest test to date, especially in holding a Crokes attack featuring Colm Cooper and Kieran O’Leary.

Donncha Walsh (Cromane) was rated the new midfield hope in Kerry as a minor. Five years later he forms a powerful midfield platform with Beaufort’s Rory McGrath.

However, the selectors believe the secret to their success has been the blossoming talent that no one outside the division has heard of — especially Aaron Cahillane and James Nagle in defence.

The winners of tomorrow’s semi-final will face either reigning champions South Kerry or Kerins O’Rahillys, who meet today at Fitzgerald Stadium (4.30pm).

MID KERRY (v Dr Crokes): M Moriarty (Beaufort); A. Cahillane (Keel), F. Griffin (Glenbeigh/Glencar), E. O’Malley (Beaufort); K O’Brien, capt (Beaufort), A. O’Shea (Glenbeigh/Glencar), J. Nagle (Keel); D. Walsh (Cromane), R. McGrath (Beaufort); L. Sheehan (Keel), S. O’Sullivan (Cromane), P. McCarthy (Cromane); D. O’Sullivan ((Glenbeigh/Glencar), A. O’Connor (Glenbeigh/Glencar), K. Foley (Keel).