Kerry rivals going for glory
Flannery kicked ball for Dingle while Moynihan lined out for John Mitchel’s and they collided in plenty of club games. Their playing careers may now be winding down but their managerial ones have intertwined.
Flannery did his diploma in Coláiste Chríost Rí while training to be a teacher, where he counted Moynihan amongst his colleagues. Now Flannery has gone back to his west Kerry roots, presiding over the fortunes of Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne Dingle, while Moynihan holds the managerial reins at Chríost Rí Cork. Both insist that their focus will not be sidetracked ahead of tomorrow’s decider.
“There’ll be no divided loyalties,” smiles Flannery. “I’m sure Aidan won’t be thinking about that either. I’m back now in my alma mater as I’m from Dingle myself and we’re just looking forward to tomorrow.”
“We crossed paths a few times on the field of play all right”, laughs Moynihan. “John was a hardy operator on the field of play and I’m sure his team will be in the same vein. They’ll tear into us.”
For the west Kerry outfit, appearing in the college showpiece is a momentous occasion.
“This is historic for the school,” admits Flannery. “We only amalgamated the monastery and the convent in 2007. Going back to the 1930s, I think a team from Dingle might have made it to the final of the Corn Ui Mhuirí but there’s big interest in this game around the place now. It’s a tough task, though, as Chríost Ri have a big history and tradition.”
They may not have a stellar record amongst the elite of Munster colleges but Flannery is keen to stress the work that the late Liam Higgins did in boosting the stock of schools football in west Kerry.
“As a former student of his myself, Liam was fabulous. He put in great foundations for football in west Kerry and would have helped in the coaching at schools level of a lot of great future Kerry players like the Ó Sé brothers, Tommy Griffin and Dara Ó Cinnéide. Sadly he’s passed away now but his contribution will always be remembered.”
On the Chríost Rí side, Moynihan has inherited the managerial hotseat from Mick Evans, who guided the school to plenty of success.
“I used to help out Mick but as I was going down to Tralee three times for John Mitchel’s, I couldn’t give the proper commitment. Mick did savage work for the school but he left this year to take up a principal position in the North Mon. I took it over and the first thing I wanted to do was to have proper lines of communication with the two clubs that supply most of our players – Nemo Rangers and St Finbarr’s. That’s why I asked Ephie Fitzgerald and Declan O’Mahony to come on board.”
Both schools entered the semi-final stage in the role of outsiders. Tralee CBS were heavily fancied in their clash with Chríost Rí.
“There were nine John Mitchel’s players on the panel and seven on the team, so it was always going to be a bittersweet experience,” Moynihan said. “But after all the work we’ve put in this year and the job I had to do, my loyalties were firmly with Chríost Rí.
“Everyone was commenting on Tralee’s forward power before the game but not many people had seen us perform, and we really played well that day. I think the spirit in our team is our chief attribute and we’ve shown great character all year.”
Flannery regards Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne as being a similarly tight-knit bunch after they produced a brilliant display to defeat reigning champions St Brendan’s in their semi.
“These fella’s wouldn’t have played much A football in the underage college grades but we did a lot of training over the winter and had a good quarter-final win over Macroom.
“St Brendan’s were hotly fancied but schools are different, it’s all about performing on the day. I remember when I was in school, the rivalry between the clubs seemed to be a hindrance but I think that rivalry has subsided..”
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