Kerry's journey to existence a special one for former City slicker Dennehy
NEW ROLE: Billy Dennehy before the Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup second-round match between Kerry FC and Drogheda United last year. Pic: Michael P Ryan, Sportsfile
Billy Dennehy will have a prime view from the centre of the Donie Forde stand for Kerry FC’s first-ever meeting with Cork City in the League of Ireland.
As fate would have it, the first of the clubs’ four clashes (at least) this season takes place on the opening night of the 2024 First Division campaign as two familiar foes, whose rivalry is usually saved for GAA, clash at Turner’s Cross.
Sitting alongside Billy – a former City winger and current Kerry sporting director - for morale support rather than in an official capacity, will be his brother Darren, who also enjoyed a stint with the Rebel Army during his playing days.
The two were teammates under John Caulfield and helped City to back-to-back second-place finishes in the Premier Division, and also a run to the FAI Cup final in 2015, where they were again bested by Dundalk.
And while Billy, who also played for City in 2009, admits he still has fond memories of representing the Leesiders, he will be hoping Kerry can get a positive result in what he describes as a “landmark” fixture for the two neighbouring counties.
“I had a great time there, I really enjoyed playing for the club. It’s going to be very surreal for me going back,” begins Dennehy.
“When I was playing for Cork City and I used to come home to Kerry for the weekends I was often told that it was impossible for Kerry to have a League of Ireland club, that it will never happen.
“That’s something that I’d heard for 15, 20 years. I’m very proud to be part of a group of people – Steven Conway really deserves a strong mention – that have put this club together for everyone in Kerry to enjoy.
“Going into Turner’s Cross now as part of Kerry as an established League of Ireland club on the same footing as Cork City is going to be a very proud moment for me.
“It’s something that was seen as unachievable for so long but here we are.”
Away from the significance that their trip to Cork brings, for Dennehy and co it also marks the first fixture of their second season in the League of Ireland and by their own admission, their debut campaign didn’t quite go as well as they would have liked.
After being awarded a license later than anticipated and then left scrambling a team together to compete in the second tier of Irish football, Dennehy also felt he had little alternative but to take on the role of manager and combine it with his duties as sporting director, as well as his full-time job with Clubforce.
It was a steep learning curve in their first full year in the league and by the time it concluded, they only had one win to show for their efforts – a 3-2 triumph away to Athlone Town in May - out of 36 games.
But this year is different.
Dennehy is no longer in charge of the senior team with the reigns being handed over to Conor McCarthy, who at the age of 26 will become the youngest head coach in the history of the League of Ireland.
And while the Kingdom will continue to stick to their principles of giving young, local players an opportunity, more senior footballers have been brought in to provide some much-needed experience.
Kerry may not have their sights set on a playoff spot just yet, but the club are confident they will show further signs of growth throughout the season ahead.
“We were literally starting from scratch,” adds Dennehy.
“Taking on the manager’s role was never something I was planning on doing last year but with the so little resources that we had for the team, I don’t think anyone else in the world would have taken it on.
“Results wise it was difficult but saying that we felt that we have given a lot of young players a lot of experience early in their careers in terms of the minutes they have played compared to other players their age around the country.
“As a club we could have went about it a different way in terms of allocating all the resources we had to the first team last year to try and get a few wins but that ultimately would have been to the detriment of all the other areas in the club.
“I wanted to go about it a different way, I wanted to put all those resources into the foundations of the club – the academy and the girls’ teams – because I feel that more long-term benefits will be there rather than just trying to win a game on a Friday night.
“We tried to think bigger picture last year and we took a few beatings along the way, but I think the experience will have stood to players well and they can use it to help them perform at a higher level this season.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
