Cromane GAA
| Cumann Lúchtchleas Gael Réalt na Mara | ||
| Founded: | 1984 | |
|---|---|---|
| County: | Kerry | |
| Colours: | Maroon and white | |
| Grounds: | Cromane GAA grounds | |
| Coordinates: | 52°06′10″N 9°53′56″W / 52.10278°N 9.89889°W | |
| Playing kits | ||
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Réalt na Mara, Cromane, is a Gaelic Athletic Association football club from the village of Cromane, County Kerry, Ireland.
Cromane play football in maroon and white colours. The club fields teams from under-8 to senior level. The club's name is derived from the village's church, also called Réalt na Mara (Star of the Sea in English). The local national school also carries the same name.
History
There was a club in Cromane in the mid-1950s. In 1954, Pat O'Shea played for the Kerry minors as a Cromane player.[1] The current club was affiliated to the Kerry County Board in 1985.[1]
Cromane's first major triumph on the football field came in October 1994 when they claimed the Kerry Novice Championship beating Tuosist by 2-14 to 1-4 at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. They also won the title in 1998 – again beating Tuosist in the final.
Cromane's first Mid Kerry title came in 1999 when they won the O'Sullivan Cup title. Three more titles followed in 2002, 2003, and 2006. In October 2018 Cromane claimed their fifth Mid Kerry O'Sullivan Cup win.
In March 2008, Cromane won the Munster Junior B Football Championship beating Cork's St Oliver Plunkett's in the final in Knockaderry, Limerick. The final score was Cromane 1–8, Oliver Plunkett's 0–8.[2] Cromane claimed the honour of representing Kerry having won the 2007 Kerry Novice Championship (Kerry's version of Junior B) by beating Ballydonoghue in Austin Stack Park, Tralee. The final score was Cromane 0–11, Ballydonoghue 2–3.[3]
In October 2017, the club won their fourth Kerry County Novice Championship title when they beat Moyvane by 1–12 to 0–12. The game was played at Strand Road in Tralee. This win meant that Cromane represented Kerry in the 2017 Munster Junior B Championship.
Cromane played The Banner GAA club, from Ennis, County Clare, in the 2017 Munster Junior B Football Championship quarter-final in Knockaderry, County Limerick. The game was played on 20 November 2017, with Cromane winning 0–10 to 0–5. This victory set up a semi-final meeting with Tipperary champions Cashel King Cormacs. Cromane came out on top in the semi-final, winning 2–14 to 4–3 against Cashel King Cormacs to set up a Munster Junior B Football Championship final against the Limerick champions Ballybrown. Cromane lost the final by 0–11 to 1–10.
In February 2019, Cromane competed in Comórtas Peile Páidi Ó Sé tournament winning the junior final against Renard by 3–8 to 1–8. The Cromane captain John Michael Foley received the Páidi Ó Sé Memorial Perpetual Cup.
In October 2021, Cromane claimed their fifth county title when they defeated Asdee in the Covid-delayed 2020 Novice County Championship final. The final score from the final played in Ballymac was Cromane 3-9, Asdee 0-8.[4]
In September 2025, Cromane won its sixth county title when defeating Finuge in the 2025 Novice County Championship final.
The final score from the final played in Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney, was Cromane 5-14, Finuge 1-19. The team captain was Darragh McKeefry, Tony Duffy won the man-of-the-match award, while Darren Houlihan hit a hat-trick of goals.[5]
In 2025, Cromane's Ladies Gaelic football team reached the final of the All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football Club Championship.[6]
Players
Since the 1980s, when the current club was reformed, players such as 2015 GAA Football All-Star Donnchadh Walsh, Sean O'Sullivan, Patie Casey (1987 Kerry minor), Seán Walsh, and Deavan O'Flaherty have played with the Kerry inter-county teams.[7]
In May 2019, Kieran O'Sullivan represented Cromane on the Kerry minor football team in game played against Cork in Páirc Uí Rinn.[8] O'Sullivan continued to line out at corner-back in each of the Kerry minors' 2019 championship matches. Their season ended with an All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway in Croke Park.[9]
In 2022, Liam O'Neill was selected for the Kerry minor panel that contested the Munster final against Cork in May 2022.[10]
Donnchadh Walsh
Donnchadh Walsh played Kerry minor for two years (2001/02) as well as under-21 and went on to win three All-Ireland medals (2007, 2009, and 2014). In 2015 he was named as left-half forward on the GAA Football All-Stars team.[11] Seán Walsh, a brother of Donnchadh's, was a member of the Kerry under-21 football panel in 2010,[12] while Deavan O'Flaherty was a member of the Kerry minor football panel in 2012.[13] On 2 March 2003, both Donnchadh Walsh and Seán O'Sullivan lined out in the half-forward line for the Kerry senior football team in their National League win (2–11 to 0–14) over Dublin in Killarney.[14] In November 2015, Donnchadh Walsh was the only Kerry player to be selected to play Australia in a one-off International Rules game in Croke Park.[15]
Sean O'Sullivan
Seán O'Sullivan played Kerry minor in 1998 and then had three years as an under-21, losing the 1999 All-Ireland Under-21 Football final against Westmeath. O'Sullivan progressed to the Kerry senior football team and played between 2002 and 2009 during which time he won four All-Irelands (2004, 2006, 2007, and 2009).
Notable players
- Sean O'Sullivan - winner of four All-Ireland Senior Football titles with Kerry (2004, 2006, 2007, 2009) [16]
- Donnchadh Walsh - winner of three All-Ireland titles with Kerry (2007, 2009, 2014)[17]
References
- ^ a b "History". Cromane GAA Club. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Realt na Mara CLG: March 2008". cromane.blogspot.ie. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Nothing novice about Cromane as Walsh and O?Sullivan shine in rain – Independent.ie". The Irish Independent. 5 December 2007. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Cromane finally lift 2020 Novice crown with three-goal salvo downing Asdee". Independent.ie. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- ^ "Darren Houlihan hat trick helps Cromane win Kerry novice football championship title". Independent.ie. 27 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ https://munster.gaa.ie/event/2025-aib-all-ireland-junior-ladies-football-club-final-muckalee-kilkenny-1-13-cromane-kerry-2-9/
- ^ Irish Independent (11 April 2012). "Battle for minor places". Irish Independent. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ^ "Kerry minors deliver masterclass in win over Cork". Irish Examiner. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ "After 34 matches unbeaten, Galway inflict first defeat on Kerry minors since 2013". The42.ie. 11 August 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ "Kerry make two changes and Cork stick with same side for Munster minor football final". 31 May 2022.
- ^ "The 2015 Football All Stars". The Irish Times. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Cadbury Munster U21FC Final – Tipperary 1–7 Kerry 1–6 " Munster GAA Web site". 31 March 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Kerry Minor team Announced". kerry-gaa.com. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Terrace Talk :: Kerry Football :: :: 2003 League :: :: Kerry Vs Dublin". terracetalk.com. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Donnchadh Walsh Selected on Ireland Rules Squad | Radio Kerry | 96-98FM | Your Voice in The Kingdom". Radio Kerry. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ^ "Sean O'Sullivan calls time on Kerry career". Irish Independent. 9 December 2009.
- ^ "'Machine-like' Donnchadh Walsh calls it a day for Kerry". Irish Times. September 2018.