Kerry Boston GAA
Encyclopedia
The Kerry Boston Club are a Gaelic football
club in Boston
. They are one of the oldest in Boston
.
, along with the Galway Club.
Early history of the club is omitted. Kerry enjoyed early success; they were New England Champions in 1928. Kerry's Jim Sullivan came to Boston
in 1927 after winning two All-Ireland Medals at home. He played with Kerry Boston for a number of years. Depression and wars affected the games. All-Ireland Champions, Mayo visited Boston in 1937 and played a Boston selection, which included Kerry's Jim Sullivan, Johnny Quirke and Michael Dalton from the Kerry Club.
Football was at a low ebb during World War II
until things started back up in 1947. John Twomey spearheaded the club during this era. The team picture from 1949 shows many of the players that made up the 1947 team. According to the older members of the club, challenge games were played in 1947 but no championship. Kerry continued to thrive during the 1950s and started the 1960s with another championship success in 1960. A notable event in the '50s was the formation of the St. John's Club by a few of the Kerry players. The St. John's Club folded after three years.
In speaking to one of the former greats of the Kerry Boston scene, he recalled being paid $15.00 a game by the Galway Football Club during the early 1950s. In 1960 a number of players came from Ireland to live in Boston, John and Mickey Teahan, John Flynn, Gerry Lynch, Sean Garvey, Tim McGillicuddy, John Nash, Frank Donoghue, Jim Maunsell and Joe Courtney, winning the Championship the same year. However, the Kerry team was beaten in 1961 as some of the players were in the Army. The Kerry Club had another championship in 1963. The club's success in the 1960s was spurred by a new wave of immigrants.
Kerry won the 1974 championship on objection. Kerry won with the great players like Pete Nash, Kieran Whelan, Oliver Briody, John Loftus, P.J. Shaughnessy, Joe Maunsell and Joe Driscoll. The success of the club in the '70s and '80s was lean in comparison to the standards reached in the 1990s.
Kerry competed in five Senior Championships in the '90s, winning three. Over the same time span the club won two Junior Championships. The Kingdom's dominance of the Boston scene was reflected on two occasions in 1993 and again 1996 when they claimed the Senior/Junior double. On both occasions, Mike Christy O'Connor was the manager of the Senior team. He is the only manager since 1963 to lead his team to a Senior title on the field, without winning by objection. He still holds this distinction today.
Senior Championship wins: 1993, 1996 and 1999 Junior Championship wins: 1993, and 1996
In 1997 the club became the first club in the North American Board history to field three teams, competing in Senior, Intermediate and Junior.
With the turn of the new millennium the club continues to thrive in Boston. In 2002 the Kerry club of Boston won the Intermediate Championship in Boston, and only losing by the narrowest of margins (1 point) in the North American Final in Gaelic Park in Chicago.
The following year (2003) the club went on to win the North American Junior B title.
The Kerry Club won both the Northeast Intermediate Championship and Northeast Junior B Championship in 2007, which saw Kerry's Junior squad go all the way to the North American final with the likes of Carol O'Connell, Sean Pete O'Sullivan, Ger Barry, Dan O'Connor, Timmy O'Neill, Mike Moriarty and Chris O'Connor leading the way. The Intermediate side which featured players like Bernard O'Connor
, Johnny Maroney, Mike Godley, and John McGrath made it to the semi-final but were defeated in a tough competition against the Sons of Boru from San Francisco.
The Kerry club competed in Junior A and Intermediate football in 2008. The Juniors lost in the Boston semi-final to the Aiden McAnespies. The Intermediate squad lost in the Boston final to Galway but met the same Galway team in the North American final and claimed the title. It was the first time Kerry Boston had ever won a North American Intermediate Crown. In 2009, the Senior team made it to an Intermediate Semi-final but were badly beaten by the Connemara Gaels while the Junior team didn't qualify for the playoffs.
(*)-Denotes win by objection
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
club in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. They are one of the oldest in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
History
Kerry was one of the first clubs formed in BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, along with the Galway Club.
Early history of the club is omitted. Kerry enjoyed early success; they were New England Champions in 1928. Kerry's Jim Sullivan came to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1927 after winning two All-Ireland Medals at home. He played with Kerry Boston for a number of years. Depression and wars affected the games. All-Ireland Champions, Mayo visited Boston in 1937 and played a Boston selection, which included Kerry's Jim Sullivan, Johnny Quirke and Michael Dalton from the Kerry Club.
Football was at a low ebb during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
until things started back up in 1947. John Twomey spearheaded the club during this era. The team picture from 1949 shows many of the players that made up the 1947 team. According to the older members of the club, challenge games were played in 1947 but no championship. Kerry continued to thrive during the 1950s and started the 1960s with another championship success in 1960. A notable event in the '50s was the formation of the St. John's Club by a few of the Kerry players. The St. John's Club folded after three years.
In speaking to one of the former greats of the Kerry Boston scene, he recalled being paid $15.00 a game by the Galway Football Club during the early 1950s. In 1960 a number of players came from Ireland to live in Boston, John and Mickey Teahan, John Flynn, Gerry Lynch, Sean Garvey, Tim McGillicuddy, John Nash, Frank Donoghue, Jim Maunsell and Joe Courtney, winning the Championship the same year. However, the Kerry team was beaten in 1961 as some of the players were in the Army. The Kerry Club had another championship in 1963. The club's success in the 1960s was spurred by a new wave of immigrants.
Kerry won the 1974 championship on objection. Kerry won with the great players like Pete Nash, Kieran Whelan, Oliver Briody, John Loftus, P.J. Shaughnessy, Joe Maunsell and Joe Driscoll. The success of the club in the '70s and '80s was lean in comparison to the standards reached in the 1990s.
Kerry competed in five Senior Championships in the '90s, winning three. Over the same time span the club won two Junior Championships. The Kingdom's dominance of the Boston scene was reflected on two occasions in 1993 and again 1996 when they claimed the Senior/Junior double. On both occasions, Mike Christy O'Connor was the manager of the Senior team. He is the only manager since 1963 to lead his team to a Senior title on the field, without winning by objection. He still holds this distinction today.
Senior Championship wins: 1993, 1996 and 1999 Junior Championship wins: 1993, and 1996
In 1997 the club became the first club in the North American Board history to field three teams, competing in Senior, Intermediate and Junior.
With the turn of the new millennium the club continues to thrive in Boston. In 2002 the Kerry club of Boston won the Intermediate Championship in Boston, and only losing by the narrowest of margins (1 point) in the North American Final in Gaelic Park in Chicago.
The following year (2003) the club went on to win the North American Junior B title.
The Kerry Club won both the Northeast Intermediate Championship and Northeast Junior B Championship in 2007, which saw Kerry's Junior squad go all the way to the North American final with the likes of Carol O'Connell, Sean Pete O'Sullivan, Ger Barry, Dan O'Connor, Timmy O'Neill, Mike Moriarty and Chris O'Connor leading the way. The Intermediate side which featured players like Bernard O'Connor
Bernard O'Connor
Bernard O'Connor is a Gaelic footballer.-Biography:O'Connor was born on March 20, 1979 in Cahersiveen, County Kerry, Ireland. He is the youngest of five children born to Bernard and Mary O'Connor.-Football career:...
, Johnny Maroney, Mike Godley, and John McGrath made it to the semi-final but were defeated in a tough competition against the Sons of Boru from San Francisco.
The Kerry club competed in Junior A and Intermediate football in 2008. The Juniors lost in the Boston semi-final to the Aiden McAnespies. The Intermediate squad lost in the Boston final to Galway but met the same Galway team in the North American final and claimed the title. It was the first time Kerry Boston had ever won a North American Intermediate Crown. In 2009, the Senior team made it to an Intermediate Semi-final but were badly beaten by the Connemara Gaels while the Junior team didn't qualify for the playoffs.
Honours
- Boston Senior Football ChampionshipBoston Senior Football ChampionshipThe Boston Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition, played in the Boston region of America. The competition is organised by the Northeast Division Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The games are played at the Irish Cultural Center, in Canton, Massachusetts. The...
: 1928, 1960, 1963, 1974*, 1993, 1996, 1999* - Boston Intermediate Football Championship : 2002, 2007
- Boston Junior A Football Championship: 1993, 1996
- Boston Junior B Football Championship: 2003, 2007
- North American Intemediate Championship: 2008
(*)-Denotes win by objection
Notable Players
- John Quane LimerickLimerick GAAThe Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
- Anthony Tohill DerryDerry GAAThe Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
- Ger Keane ClareClare GAAThe Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
- Tom Harris KildareKildare GAAFor more information see Kildare Senior Club Football Championship or Kildare Senior Club Hurling Championship.The Kildare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Kildare GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kildare...
- Eamon Breen KerryKerry GAAThe Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
- Charlie Conroy OffalyOffaly GAAThe Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
- Liam Flahery KerryKerry GAAThe Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
- Padraig Joyce GalwayGalway GAAThe Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
- Tom Morrissey ClareClare GAAThe Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
- Darren HomanDarren HomanDarren Homan is a former Dublin gaelic footballer from Kilnamanagh, Tallaght.Darren retired in 2005 from the Dublin senior football panel after the 2005 quarter final against Tyrone due to injury. Darren left Ballyboden St. Enda's to join Round Towers in Clondalkin although it has recently been...
DublinDublin GAADublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams... - Paul Croft DublinDublin GAADublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
- Maurice Gavin LimerickLimerick GAAThe Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
- Anthony Gleason KerryKerry GAAThe Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
- Noel O'Sullivan KerryKerry GAAThe Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
- Mark O'Brien LaoisLaois GAAThe Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
- Bernard O'ConnorBernard O'ConnorBernard O'Connor is a Gaelic footballer.-Biography:O'Connor was born on March 20, 1979 in Cahersiveen, County Kerry, Ireland. He is the youngest of five children born to Bernard and Mary O'Connor.-Football career:...
Kerry GAAKerry GAAThe Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...