Kerry GAA aces pack their bags and head Stateside for summer ball

Also, Kerry Under 20 manager, Tomás Ó Sé is considering a one-year extension to his term as manager, delegates to a County Board meeting have been told

Heading Stateside: Kerry's Stefan Okunbor. Pic: Evan Treacy, Inpho

A PAIR of Kerry Championship players, plus two more from the 2023 group, are among a surge of Kingdom footballers heading to the United States this summer to play ball.

Micheal Burns and Stefan Okunbor are the latest in a long list of Kerry club players to head Stateside for six to eight weeks. 

Burns only left the Kerry squad in February and has been playing great football with Dr Crokes who are on top of Division 1 with their last round meeting with Rathmore probably deciding who will be league champions. 

Burns is already in Chicago to play with Wolf Tones, having been granted a sanction.

Okunbor (Na Gaeil) has been dogged with injuries and is hoping a summer with the Connemara Gaels in Boston might get him back on track. Donal O’Sullivan (Down) from Kilgarvan is also off Boston to play with Donegal while another ex-Kerry senior Jack Savage is heading for Chicago, as per County Board sign-off. 

Glenflesk's Luke Crowley has been the subject of erroneous stories about being added to the Kerry senior squad, and transferring to a Dublin dual club, but the explosive Glenflesk talent is off to New York to play with the Cavan club.

Two prominent Kenmare Shamrocks, Tommy Cronin and David Ciuciu are also in Boston and will play with Shannon Blues. Other Kerry players who have flown to Boston include Darragh Reen (Na Gaeil), Luke Chester (Austin Stacks), Daire Keane (Ballymac) and Niall O’Connor (Dromid Pearses).

Pa Warren is gone to New York on a J1 and four more Kerry players are gone to play with Padraig Pearses in Chicago, Cathal O Beaglaoich (Gaeltacht), Killian Falvey (Annascaul), Barry Foley (Kerins O’Rahillys) and Conor Greaney (Castlegregory). Adam P O’Donoghue from Desmonds has also joined the Padraig Pearses and there are likely to be more players heading out to the US this week.

It is expected that most of the lads who have decided to head to the US for the summer will be back in August for the start of the club championship but Tralee Parnells look like they will be down a number of players for the SHC because of the exodus.

Meanwhile, as reported in Examiner Sport, AFL outfit Carlton are keen on Charlie Keating the Munster U-20 footballer of the year. It is also rumoured that at least two Kerry U20s are heading to Dublin to take part in some trials organised by Brisbane Lions.

The Under 20 manager, Tomás Ó Sé, is considering a one-year extension to his term as manager, delegates to a County Board meeting have been told.

Chairman Patrick O’Sullivan confirmed that he was having discussions with Ó Sé following the completion of his two year term with an All-Ireland loss to Tyrone. 

Meanwhile the Chairman has asked Hurling Officer Liam Ross and Munster Council delegate Paudie Dineen to seek expressions of interest in three Kerry hurling management vacancies. The succession race has begun to find the next Kerry senior, U-20 and Minor managers after the departure of Stephen Molumphy, Sean Maunsell and Jerome O’Sullivan.

It was also decided that for one year only the Kerry SFC will be run using the Christy Ring format so no groups in the SFC though the Club Championship remains the same.

There was frustration expressed regarding the way older folk who arrived without printed out tickets for the Kerry-Monaghan SFC game were treated. 

Rathmore delegate Donal Murphy said he saw both Kerry and Monaghan folk being turned away. 

“It’s a disgrace and simply good enough,” he said.