Dingle crowned champions in the Kingdom as Kenmare Shamrocks suffer more final heartache

Dingle 1-09 Kenmare Shamrocks 0-11

Fourteen-man Dingle secured their first Kerry Senior Club Football Championship title since 2015, taking home the Michael O'Connor Cup for only the second time in the club's history after a cracking game of skill, passion, and determination at Austin Stack Park.

In a physical and free-flowing game of football in a very warm, but cloudy, in Tralee, an 18th-minute Dylan Geaney goal proved to be the difference at the break as Dingle held the narrowest of winning margins – 1-04 to 0-06 – at half-time.

After the mist and rain fall at the break, both sides were level twice in the final 30 minutes before an injury-time Dylan Geaney mark secured the win for Dingle.

As expected, Dingle started the stronger of the two sides and opened up an early three-point lead after Paul Geaney, hoping to impressive Kerry manager Jack O’Connor in the stand, slotted over three frees inside four minutes.

Dingle grew in confidence after this, and Geaney, who had superbly linked up with returning Australian rules footballer Mark O’Connor and Micheál Ó Flannúra, had his shot on goal blocked before Kenmare hit the West Kerry men on the counterattack.

At the other end, David Ciuciu hit a low, dipping shot but his effort was pushed onto the post by Dingle goalkeeper Gavin H Ó Curráin. Kenmare thought it had crossed the line for a goal, but referee Billy O’Shea quickly dismissed such calls.

However, by the time Conor Geaney scored Dingle’s first point from play in the 12th minute, Pádraig Ó Corcoráin’s charges were four points ahead – 0-04 to 0-00.

A lovely curling Sean O’Shea score – Kenmare’s first point of play – made it a two-point game midway through the half – 0-04 to 0-02.

Dingle almost had the game’s opening goal a