Kerry's Seamus Moynihan NAME: Seamus Moynihan DATE OF BIRTH: 22/10/73 HEIGHT: 5' 11" WEIGHT: 13st CLUB: Glenflesk COUNTY: Kerry HONOURS: 1 Minor Munster medal 1990; All-Ireland medal with St. Brendan's College 1992; 1 Under 21 Munster medal 1992; Munster Under 15, 16 with St. Brendan's College PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Student (UCC) TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Ross Carr FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Fitzgerald Stadium (Killarney) FAVOURITE POSITION: Midfield SPORTING AMBITION: To win an All-Ireland with Kerry DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS? Not other sports competitively, but mingle with soccer and basketball BOYHOOD HEROES: John Egan, Frank Stapleton FAVOURITE PLAYERS: Club - Tony Murphy (goalkeeper). County - Bomber Liston BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: My three other brothers who had me kicking football before being able to talk WAYS OF IMPROVING THE GAME: Linesmen and umpires to have more say in games. Bring back the hand pass for goal scoring BEST GAME SEEN: Kerry v Cork 1987 (draw) PLAYERS WITH A PROMISING FUTURE: Jerry Murphy (Rathmore), John Crowley (Glenflesk) HOPES FOR 1993: Capture Munster and All-Ireland titles YOU PLAYED ON THE ST. BRENDAN'S ALL-IRELAND COLLEGES WINNING TEAM OF 1992: Yes, it is the biggest highlight in what I have achieved so far in football. Anyone competing in Second School football would give their right hand for an All-Ireland medal. St. Brendan's had been knocking on the door for so long but in 1992 the school dream came true. It was also extra special to beat St. Jarlath's, a college so steeped in tradition. This tradition is so strong that they have reached the All-Ireland Final again this year MOST OBSERVERS VOTED YOU MAN OF THE MATCH THAT WINTRY DAY AGAINST ST. JARLATH'S IN THURLES: Any of the players that day could have been picked. Every player showed great character and the hunger that is needed to win an All-Ireland. Our backs defended like lions and were at times under severe pressure while our forwards moved the ball swiftly and accurately. All 15 players deserved the label 'Man of the Match' YOU APPEAR TO BE A BIT OF A UTILITY PLAYER AND IN THE PAST YEAR HAVE PLAYED AS A HALFBACK, MIDFIELDER AND AS A HALF FORWARD FOR KERRY: To establish a permanent position on any inter county team takes time and great consistency wherever you line out, your favourites or most disliked position, you still have to give it 100%. I don't know whether I am a utility player or not but to line out for Kerry in a position is a great honour THOSE TWO POINTS AGAINST DOWN IN THE QUARTER FINAL GAME MUST HAVE GIVEN YOU A SPECIAL THRILL: Yes, it was an extra bonus to score against Down that day, but the most important thing is that we won. Both shots could have as quickly gone to the corner flat but on the day they went right YOU WERE ON ROSS CARR THAT PARTICULAR DAY: It made the occasion more special to mark a player of such experience and skill of Ross Carr. When marking him you are always conscious of his brilliant free taking ability so I had to play a very disciplined game against him YOU HIT THE HEADLINES LAST SUMMER WHEN GAINING A PLACE ON THE KERRY TEAM TO PLAY CLARE IN THE MUNSTER FINAL, REPLACING NONE OTHER THAN AMBROSE O'DONOVAN - DID YOU FEEL UNDER PRESSURE? To play in any game of football, whether club or school, there is always a certain amount of pressure. To come into a Munster Final and to make your debut was really nerve racking, more so to replace Ambrose O'Donovan was a great honour but there was severe pressure to replace such a determined and experienced player IT WAS A VERY DISAPPOINTED KERRY WHO TROOPED OFF THE LIMERICK GROUNDS THAT JULY DAY. WERE CLARE GOOD? It was definitely disappointing to be defeated that day but we were beaten by the better team. That day was to be the upsurge of Clare football and they have shown during this year's National League that they are no one-hit wonder but a team to be reckoned with for the forthcoming championship YOUR CLUB, GLENFLESK WERE VOTED CLUB OF THE YEAR IN KERRY FOR 1992: 1992 was a great year for my home club Glenflesk. They reached Division 1 status in the Kerry County League for the first time of the history of the club. What made it so special was that 4 years ago we were in Division 4. It was a deserved honour as there was unselfish work carried out by the backbone of the club, the trainer Mick Donoghue and the father figure of the club, Derry Crowley TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLUB: Glenflesk is a town in East Kerry. It has captured many honours in Kerry but 1992 was the highlight of it's existence as previously stated, we gained promotion to Division 1 and the club captured the Junior Championship in Killarney against Sneem in a replay. The success of our underage teams has been the main reason of Glenflesk's rapid improvement. The hard work is due to men like Liam Bartlett, Pat Healy and Michael O'Donoghue ANY PAST KERRY GREATS FROM THE AREA? Paddy Healy (Headford) played for Kerry in the 1912-14 era at centre back, winning two All-Ireland Finals, reputed to be one of the greatest fielders the game has ever seen. Derry Crowley won 2 All-Ireland medals in 1969 and 1970, playing at corner back and an All-Ireland Club medals with East Kerry in 1971. Now a minor selector, plays a leading role in the success of his club WITH MICK O'DWYER INVOLVED, THERE HAS BEEN A CLOSE LINK BETWEEN KERRY AND KILDARE FOOTBALL IN RECENT YEARS. BUT WE ARE TOLD THAT A MEMBER OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD DONNED THE LILYWHITE JERSEY NOT TOO LONG AGO? Yes, my older brother played for the Lilywhites for 2 years under the guidance of Pat Fitzgerald, the former Offaly wing back. He kept the Kerry contact as he played with the great Jack O'Shea above in Kildare with Leixlip. It was disappointing that he had moved the year before Mick O'Dwyer took over them YOU ATTEND UCC. IS IT DIFFICULT TO ATTEND THE KERRY TRAINING SESSIONS? The journey from Cork to Tralee two nights a week is certainly tiring but the journey is made shorter with the company of Karl O'Dwyer, Sean Burke and Billy Shea, who are all situated in Cork YOUR IMPRESSION OF DENIS 'OGIE' MORAN: Denis 'Ogie' Moran so far has been an ideal trainer for Kerry. He is a great motivator and has brought confidence and belief back into the present Kerry team. He has been a winner all his life, the holder of 8 All-Ireland medals is evidence of this. Defeat is not a word in his vocabulary WE KEEP HEARING A LOT ABOUT THE GREAT YOUNGSTERS THAT KERRY ARE TRAINING FOR THE FUTURE. WHO WOULD BE THE BEST YOUNG FOOTBALLERS IN THE KINGDOM AT THE MOMENT? It is hard to isolate any young footballer, especially in Kerry but Jerry Murphy was a minor last year at the age of 16 and still has 2 more years left. His strength and scoring ability would be on par with John Egan, John Crowley, my own clubmate played a vital part in the Kerry Vocational Schools All-Ireland final victory last year. He is also involved again this year as they have reached the All-Ireland final again. He was voted by the Cork Examiner as the Munster Player of the Year for 1992 AND THE FUTURE OF THE KERRY SENIORS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF 1993? Noone can ever rule out Kerry to capture the Sam Maguire but over the years teams have levelled off considerably and there is no longer an easy game in any province. The present Kerry team still have a lot of work to do but Ogie Moran is making great progress. I think if we got out of Munster this year, it will take a good team to stop the Kingdom Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 23rd April 1993 Vol 3 No 16 Tweet

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