Kill favourite’s for Junior Football Co Final but could be Shocked by Western Champions

Let’s start this with a history lesson.

1949 – What was happening in Ireland and around the world that year?

Harry Truman was inaugurated for the first time for a full term as President of the United States of America. Of course he was President from 1945 to 1949 but did not serve a full term, taking over the position from Franklin D. Roosevelt who was sworn in as President but died 82 days later.

World heavy weight champion Joe Lewis decided to retire, Ireland decided to leave the British Commonwealth and a Republic was declared.

Albert II a Rhesus monkey became the first primate to enter space, the Federal and Democratic Republic’s of Germany were formed, Princess Elizabeth and her Husband Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh were given the Freedom of Belfast, Douglas Hyde the first President of Ireland died at the age of 89 and amongst those born around the world included Denis Taylor, Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins, Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing), Billy Joel, Jim Sheridan, Ben Dunne, Pat Rabbitte, Bryan Murray (Bob Charles from Fair City), Phil Lynott, Charlie Bird, Eddie Makin and Martin ‘The General’ Cahill.

1994 – What was happening in Ireland and around the world that year?

Ireland won the Eurovision with Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan singing ‘Rock n Roll Kids’, Riverdance took place at the interval at the same show, Jack Charlton was given the Freedom of Dublin, Niamh Bhreathnach, the Education Minister pledged to have free third level education for everyone which would be phased in over the next three years and Transition year was introduced in secondary schools.

Albert Reynolds was to meet Borris Yeltsin at Shannon Airport but the Russian President refused to get off his plane, the Fianna Fail and Labour coalition collapsed and Albert Reynolds stood down as leader of the Fianna Fail party and was replaced by Bertie Ahearn, John Bruton became the new Taoiseach of the Rainbow Government which was made up of Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left.

Eamon Coughlan became the first man over 40 to run a sub four minute mile indoors, Down beat Dublin to win the All-Ireland Football Final and Offaly beat Limerick to win the All-Ireland Hurling Final.

Amongst those to die were Martin ‘The General’ Cahill, Richard Nixon, Ayrton Senna, Tip O’Neill, Sir Matt Busby and Telly Savalas.

Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peris and Yitzhak Rabin shared the Nobel Peace Prize, the Channel Tunnel opened, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first black President of South Africa, Finland decided to join the EU, Norway decided not to join the EU.

Nicole Brown Simpson was killed in Los Angelus and her husband O.J was acquitted of her murder.

Lorena Bobbitt was in the news, but I am not going to tell you what she did on here.

1994 was the last time that Kill won the County Junior Football Final, beating Tallow in the final at Portlaw and going back to 1949, Old Parish won the Junior Football County Final beating Kill in the final.

Both sides have gone close to reaching a county final in recent years, but lady luck was not to shine on them. Kill appeared in last year’s Junior Football Final where they were beaten by Mount Sion who would go on to win the County Final beating Colligan at Fraher Field. Old Parish were in a Western Final in 2011 where they were beaten by Sliabh gCua who would go on to beat Mount Sion in the final.

Kill no doubt will go into this game as the favourites. They are a stronger outfit to what they were twelve months ago after the footballers in Fenor decided to throw their lot in with the neighbours and the hurlers of Kill doing vice-versa. It is also worth noting that Kill would have played in the Intermediate grade from 1995 until they were relegated in 2012 and playing at a higher grade will have to count for something surely.

They come into this game with a good win over Roanmore in the Eastern Final under their belts.

There is a only Irish saying that when translated means ‘a good start is half the work’ and in the Eastern Final the mid county side did have a good start, going four points up in the first nine minutes with Sean Cheasty, Anthony Kelly and Ray Hennessy sharing the raising of white flags.

Some good work by Sean Cheasty and Ray Hennessy helped set up Ben Gallagher for the games only goal on twenty minutes and when the impressive Ray Hennessy landed two further points it gave his side a 1-7 to 0-3 lead at the turn around.

The same player at the start of the second half brought his tally for the afternoon to six as he kicked four points in a row which were cancelled out in a six minute spell at the start of the third quarter with a similar tally of scores coming from the boot of Dale Sheridan.

These scores gave the city outfit a great deal of hope and in an attempt to come more into the game and to make things difficult for the mid county side, Brian Nolan went for goal six minutes from the hour mark but Kieran Dunphy in the Kill goal made a great save to deny him.

The eventual winners in the time that remained outscored their opponents to win the game on a 1-13 to 0-8 score line.

Old Parish needed two attempts to reach this Saturday’s decider, but they will know that they could just as easily not be involved in this game as they needed goalkeeper Aidan Power to make a great save late in a drawn final to keep them in the game.

In the replay however there was only going to be one winner as Old Parish proved too strong for the 2013 Western Champions.

Old Parish to some are the surprise team of the championship, but they are there on credit.

They have John Phelan who worked with The Nire’s senior team for a long number of years involved with a couple of years now and he is getting results. They have got together in the region of 100 times this year for games and training.

They have also added two major additions to the team in recent times as well. Graham Guiry has played senior football with The Nire in recent years and Declan Ryan won a Senior Hurling County Final medal with Midleton last year and both have decided to throw their weight in with ‘The Shock’s’ and are proving to be vital cogs playing at centre forward and full forward.

Graham Guiry is a massive target man on the edge of the square for Old Parish this year and had hit some crucial scores, including two of his side’s goals in a 3-7 to 0-7 in the Western Final replay win. He also played a part in winning a late penalty in the first half which was converted by Cormac Nugent and was denied a hat-trick in the game when John Flynn made a late intervention to deny him the chance of putting the ball in its intended target while the Cork Man has proven to be a very capable of fining the range from frees and from play and is also able to pick out others, setting them up for scores with some clever ball.

Kill with the likes of Ray Hennessy, Jim Halley, Conor Hennessy, Ben Gallagher and Anthony Kiely to choose from will go into the game as the favourites to move up a grade in 2015, but Old Parish are an improving side all year and beating Colligan the last day out will give them much hope this weekend, and with the already mentioned Graham Guiry, Declan Ryan, Aidan Power as well as the likes of Ray Terry, Patrick Conway, Padraig Healy, Cormac Nugent to pick from Old Parish’s chances cannot be ruled out too quickly. In the Western Final replay they had team captain Shane Power sent off on a straight red which would rule him out of this game, but ‘The Shock’s’ have or about to appeal that decision and if they were to win the appeal, it would further strengthen them this Saturday in Walsh Park.