2015 Kerry Senior Football Championship

The 2015 Kerry Senior Football Championship is the 114th edition of the Kerry GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior graded teams in County Kerry, Ireland. The tournament consists of 20 teams (11 clubs & 9 divisionals), with the winner going on to represent Kerry in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship, unless they are a divisional club. In this case, the winner of the Kerry Club Football Championship will represent the county. The championship has a back-door format for the first two rounds before proceeding to a knock-out format. Generally, any team to lose two matches will be knocked out of the championship.

Kerry S.F.C.
Season2015
ChampionsSouth Kerry
RelegatedArdfert
St. Michael's/Foilmore
Laune Rangers
Munster SCFCKillarney Legion
All Ireland SCFC???
Winning CaptainBryan Sheehan (South Kerry)
Man of the MatchBryan Sheehan (South Kerry)
Matches played???
← 2014
2016 →

Austin Stacks were the defending champions after they defeated Mid Kerry after a replay in the previous years final, however they lost their crown when losing to Dr. Crokes at the Third Round stage.

This was Ardfert's return to the senior grade after claiming the 2014 Kerry Intermediate Football Championship title (They also claimed the 2014 Munster Intermediate Club Football Championship and the 2015 All-Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship. For this year they didn't supply players to the St. Brendan's divisional side.

On 22 November 2015 South Kerry claimed their 10th S.F.C. title (their first since 2009) when they defeated Killarney Legion 1-13 to 1-12 after extra time and a replay in Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney. Kerry player Bryan Sheehan raised the Bishop Moynihan Cup for South Kerry and he also claimed the 'Man of the Match' award.

- Ardfert made the straight drop back to the I.F.C. for 2016 after spending just 1 year in the senior grade. For next years S.F.C. they will supply players to the St. Brendan's divisional side once more. - St. Michael's/Foilmore were also relegated to the Intermediate grade after 7 years in the top flight. For next years S.F.C. they will supply players to the South Kerry divisional side. - Laune Rangers were demoted to the middle grade after operating as a senior side for 46 years, an era which included 4 Kerry titles, 1 Munster and 1 All-Ireland title.

Format Change

At the start of the year it was proposed by the Kerry County Committee that the number of Club teams in the Senior Championship be reduced from 11 to 9. This means that three clubs will be relegated from the senior grade in 2015 while the 2015 Intermediate champions will not be promoted to the senior grade for 2016. It was decided that if a club team(s) got to the final of the S.F.C. they would be exempt from the relegation process (Killarney Legion). It was also decided that the finalists of the Kerry Club Football Championship would be safe from relegation (Dr. Crokes & Dingle). Hence the number of teams competing in the S.F.C. in 2016 will be 17.

Team Changes

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The following teams have changed division since the 2014 championship season.

Participating Teams

The teams taking part in the 2015 Kerry Senior Football Championship are:

Team Team Location Club/Divisional Club's Divisional Side
Ardfert Ardfert Club St. Brendan's
Austin Stacks Tralee Club St. Brendan's
Dingle Dingle Club West Kerry
Dr. Crokes Killarney Club East Kerry
East Kerry x Divisional (Firies, Fossa, Glenflesk, Gneevguilla, Listry, Spa, St. Patrick's) x
Feale Rangers x Divisional (Clounmacon, Duagh, Finuge, Listowel Emmets, Moyvane, St. Senan's) x
Kenmare District x Divisional (Templenoe, Kenmare Shamrocks, Tousist, Kilgarvan) x
Kerins O'Rahillys Tralee Club St. Brendan's
Killarney Legion Killarney Club East Kerry
Kilcummin Kilcummin Club East Kerry
Laune Rangers Killorglin Club Mid Kerry
Mid Kerry x Divisional (Beaufort, Cromane, Glenbeigh-Glencar, Keel) x
Milltown/Castlemaine Milltown Club Mid Kerry
Rathmore Rathmore Club East Kerry
Shannon Rangers x Divisional (Asdee, Ballydonoghue, Ballyduff, Ballylongford, Beale, Tarbert) x
South Kerry x Divisional (Derrynane, Dromid Pearses, Renard, Skellig Rangers, Sneem, St. Mary's, Valentia Young Islanders, Waterville) x
St. Brendan's x Divisional (Churchill, John Mitchell's, Na Gaeil, St. Patrick's Blennerville) x
St. Kieran's x Divisional (Ballymacelligott, Brosna, Castleisland Desmonds, Cordal, Currow, Knocknagoshel, Scartaglin) x
St. Michael's/Foilmore Ballinskelligs Club South Kerry
West Kerry x Divisional (An Ghaeltacht, Annascaul, Castlegregory, Lispole) x

Results

Round 1

All 20 clubs enter at this stage. Winners proceed to Round 3 while losers must play in Round 2.

Round 1
Austin Stacks1-13 - 2-6St. Michael's/Foilmore
Round 1
East Kerry3-17 - 0-8Ardfert
Round 1
Rathmore2-8 - 2-5Kerins O'Rahilly's
Round 1
Shannon Rangers0-9 - 2-16Dr. Crokes
Round 1
St. Kieran's2-10 - 0-8Feale Rangers
Cordal
Round 1
Mid Kerry0-14 - 1-13Killarney Legion
Round 1
Kenmare District5-15 - 0-8St. Brendan's
Round 1
Kilcummin1-8 - 0-16South Kerry
Round 1
Laune Rangers1-14 - 0-16West Kerry
Round 1
Milltown/Castlemaine1-13 - 1-13Dingle
Round 1 Replay
Dingle2-4 - 1-4Milltown/Castlemaine

Round 2

10 losers from Round 1 play against each other in this round. The winners of this round proceed to Round 3.

Round 2
St. Michael's/Foilmore2-9 - 2-10Kilcummin
Foilmore
Round 2
Feale Rangers3-9 - 1-11Ardfert
Round 2
Shannon Rangers1-20 - 2-14St. Brendan's
Round 2
Kerins O'Rahilly's0-20 - 1-14Milltown/Castlemaine
Strand Road
Round 2
Mid Kerry1-12 - 1-17West Kerry

Round 3

The 5 Round 2 winners join the 10 Round 1 winners in this round. One of these clubs receive a bye to the Quarter-Finals.

Round 3
Kerins O'Rahilly's4-19 - 2-8East Kerry
Strand Road
Round 3
Kilcummin1-13 - 1-10St. Kieran's
Round 3
Shannon Rangers3-14 - 4-15Rathmore
Round 3
Killarney Legion2-10 - 1-11Feale Rangers
Round 3
Dingle0-14 - 1-14South Kerry
Round 3
Kenmare District3-15 - 0-9Laune Rangers
Round 3
Dr. Crokes1-11 - 1-10Austin Stacks
Round 3
West Kerry-Bye

Quarter-Finals
Quarter-Final
Kilcummin1-8 - 0-14South Kerry
Quarter-Final
Killarney Legion4-9 - 1-15Kerins O'Rahilly's
Quarter-Final
West Kerry0-11 - 1-15Kenmare District
Quarter-Final
Rathmore2-15 - 1-13Dr. Crokes

Semi-Finals
Semi-Final
Killarney Legion1-12 - 1-9Rathmore
Semi-Final
South Kerry0-12 - 0-11Kenmare District

Final
Final
South Kerry0-9 - 0-9Killarney Legion
Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (St. Senan's)
Final
South Kerry1-13 - 1-12 (AET) (a.e.t.)Killarney Legion
B Sheehan (1-5, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘45); A Walsh (0-3); D Daly (0-2, 1 free); P O’Donoghue, C O’Shea, K Young (0-1 each). Report J O’Sullivan (1-0); C Keane (0-5, 4 frees); J O’Donoghue (0-3, frees); P O’Connor (0-2); T Moriarty, B McGuire (0-1 each).
Referee: Paul Hayes (Cork)

Relegation Playoff

All club teams who did not reach either the S.F.C. final or the Club Football Championship final take place in the Relegation Playoff. Hence, Killarney Legion, Dr. Crokes and Dingle are exempt from this process.

Round 1

All 8 clubs enter the Relegation Playoff in Round 1. The 4 winners will earn a place in the 2016 Kerry S.F.C. while the 4 losers proceed to Round 2.

Round 1
Milltown Castlemaine2-9 - 2-6Austin Stacks
Round 1
Kerins O'Rahilly's1-12 - 0-9Laune Rangers
Round 1
Kilcummin3-12 - 3-7St. Michael's/Foilmore
Round 1
Rathmore1-13 - 0-5Ardfert

Round 2

The 4 losers from Round 1 play off against each other. The 2 losers will be relegated to the Intermediate grade for 2016. The 2 winners will enter Round 3.

Round 2
Austin Stacks0-15 - 1-2St. Michael's/Foilmore
Lewis Road, Killarney
Referee: Eddie Walsh (Rathmore)
Round 2
Laune Rangers1-9 - 0-8Ardfert
Ballymacelligott

Round 3

The 2 winners from Round 2 enter this round. The winner will earn their place in the 2016 S.F.C. while the loser will be relegated to the I.F.C. for 2016.

Round 3
Austin Stacks2-10 - 1-6Laune Rangers
Lewis Road, Killarney

References
  1. "The Kerryman Archives". Irishnewsarchive.com. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
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