All-Ireland Kick Fada Championship

The All-Ireland Kick Fada Championship is an annual tournament testing the skills of Ireland's best Gaelic footballers. Fada is Irish for "long". Until 2012 the Kick Fada was sponsored by MBNA while the DAA will sponsor the event in 2013. The tournament (first played in 2000) is held annually at Bray Emmets GAA club, County Wicklow. In 2012, 19 men and 22 women competed in the competition. The competition starts at the 35 meter mark, with each contestant allowed 3 attempts to kick the ball over the bar. Each contestant can kick from their hands, off the ground or drop-kick the ball. If a contestant fails to kick the ball over the bar in the 3 attempts they are eliminated from the competition. Rounds proceed with the successful contestant from the previous round kicking with the distance increased by a further 5 meters. Whoever can score a point from the furthest distance is the winner. There are separate competitions for men and women.

The Kick Fada record, which stands at 72 metres, was achieved by four time champion Mark Herbert from Kildare. Suzanne Hughes from Ballyboden St Endas GAA Club holds the all time female record of 52m from back in 2001.

As part of the Kick Fada, famous GAA stars and legends of the past are inducted into the "Hall of Fame"

Roll of honour

Men
Year Winner Club County Winning kick
2016 Fintan Ruddy[1] Kilcommon Mayo
2015 Fintan Ruddy[2] Kilcommon Mayo
2014 Damien Sheridan Dromard Longford 75m
2013[3] Damien Sheridan Dromard Longford 75m
2012[4] Damien Sheridan Dromard Longford 65m
2011 Shane Duffy Magheracloone Mitchells Monaghan 60m
2010[5] Damien Sheridan Dromard Longford 65m
2009[6] Brian Sheridan Seneschalstown Meath 71m
2008 Paul Hearty Crossmaglen Armagh 70m
2007 John Brennan O'Hanrahans Carlow 67m
2006 Fintan Ruddy Kilcommon Mayo 62m
2005 Pádraig Kelly Shamrocks Offaly 63m
2004 Pádraig Kelly Shamrocks Offaly 70m
2003 Mark Herbert Ballyteague Kildare 59m
2002 Mark Herbert Ballyteague Kildare 61m
2001 Mark Herbert Ballyteague Kildare 72m
2000 Mark Herbert Ballyteague Kildare 63m

Women
Year Winner Club County Winning kick
2016 Serena Hannon Clanna Gael Fontenoy Dublin
2015 Serena Hannon Clanna Gael Fontenoy Dublin
2014[4] Serena Hannon Clanna Gael Fontenoy Dublin 48m
2013[4] Serena Hannon Clanna Gael Fontenoy Dublin 51m
2012[4] Serena Hannon Clanna Gael Fontenoy Dublin 45m
2011 Irene Munnelly Wolfe Tones Meath 37m
2010 Mary Sheridan Seneschalstown Meath 45m
2009 Suzanne Hughes Ballyboden St. Enda's Dublin 48m
2008 Mary Sheridan Seneschalstown Meath 43m
2007 Irene Munnelly Wolfe Tones Meath 45m
2006 Gillian Bennett Seneschalstown Meath 48m
2005 Irene Munnelly Wolfe Tones Meath 45m
2004 Gráinne Nulty Seneschalstown Meath 45m
2003 Mary Sheridan Seneschalstown Meath 40m
2002 Vourneen Quigley Kilkerley Emmets Monaghan 43m
2001 Suzanne Hughes Ballyboden St. Enda's Dublin 52m
2000 Ann McGillycuddy An Tóchar Wicklow 40m

Hall of Fame
Year Inductee County
2012 Mickey Whelan Dublin
2011 Brian McEniff Donegal
2010 Billy Morgan Cork
2009 Frank McGuigan Tyrone
2008 Paddy Doherty Down
2007 Mick O'Dwyer Kerry
2006 Jimmy Keaveney Dublin
2005 Dermot Early Roscommon
2004 Donie O'Sullivan Kerry
2003 Peter Nolan Offaly

Masters
Year Winner County Winning kick
2003 Damien Sheridan Meath 49m
2002 Martin McHugh Donegal 54m
2001 Keith Barr Dublin 62m
2000 Pat Spillane Kerry 51m

Rules
  • The competition is open to all current GAA members over the age of 18.
  • The object of the event is to find the longest yet most accurate kickers of a standard GAA football.
  • The winner of the competition will be the contestant with the longest successful kick.
  • A successful kick is deemed to be one where the ball crosses over the bar and between the posts prior to touching the ground.
  • The ball used will be standard Size 5 for men and Size 4 for ladies.
  • Each kick will be taken from a pre-determined marked distance from the target.
  • The kick may be taken from the hand or from the ground.
  • Players may use a tee if they so wish.
  • The taking of a kick by each remaining contestant as a specific distance will be called a 'round'.
  • There will be a maximum of three rounds per distance.
  • Once a contestant has achieved a successful kick they will be deemed to have qualified for the next round and will not be required to take a further kick at the current distance.
  • Each contestant will tak a kick in turn until all remaining members of the group have completed an attempt at the current distance.
  • After a maximum of three rounds at a particular distance the distance will be increased by a pre-determined number of metres and a new round will begin for all successful kickers.
  • If a contestant fails to make any successful kick at a particular distance they will not go forward to the next round.
  • In the event of no contestant achieving a successful kick in a round, there will be a sudden-death playoff of all contestants who qualified for that round.
  • The winners of the competition whill have the choice of continuing within the rules, to establish the longest successful kick and attempt to set a new record.
  • The decision of the Kica Fada Event Co-ordinator will be final in the event of a dispute.

References
  1. "Club Notes 28th September-Bray Emmets". www.brayemmets.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
  2. "Bray Emmets GAA Club on Twitter".
  3. "Kick Fada title for Longford's Sheridan". 14 September 2013.
  4. "Sheridan and Hannon take Kick Fada titles-Bray Emmets". www.brayemmets.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  5. "Sheridan crowned Kick Fada champion - Hoganstand.com". www.hoganstand.com.
  6. "Sheridan is Kick Fada champion - Hoganstand.com". www.hoganstand.com.
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