by Munster PRO Ed Donnelly

The Cadbury Munster U21 football championship is 50 years old and we look back at the history of the competition.

• At the Munster Council Convention of 1961 held in Tralee it was suggested that an Under 21competition be inaugurated.

• Convention of 1962, held in Thurles, decided to inaugurate an Under 21 Football competition.

• The first game in this new competition was played on the 22/7/1962 with Cork defeating Waterford in a quarter final clash at the Cork Athletic Grounds. The second quarter final, Limerick v Kerry, did not take place as Limerick were unable to field a team because of Club commitments. In the semi-finals Cork defeated Tipperary while Kerry overcame the Clare challenge. The final was played in Kenmare on the 9th. of December with victory going to the Kerry side on a 2-7 to 1-4 scoreline. Both teams who played in the inaugural Munster Under 21 Football Final in 1962 will be honoured at the 2011 Munster Under 21 Football Final - see original match report below.

• Cork were victorious in the 1963 competition and the winning team was - Ray Cawley, Dermot Kehilly, John McGrath, Des Nangle, Donal Buckley, Denis Coughlan, Gus Harrington, Brendan Coughlan, Paul O'Sullivan, Mick Coughlan, Ned Coughlan, Dan Haredy, J.J. Murphy, Tim F. Hayes, Flor Hayes. Current Kerry Under 21 Football Selector Tom Prendergast was a member of the 1963 Kerry Under 21 Football team which lost to Cork in the final.

• Kerry were winners in 1964 and they went on to defeat Galway and Laois and so capture the first All-Ireland Title in this grade.

• Kerry and Cork have dominated this competition and only once in the history of the championship were one or both counties not involved in the final. That was in 2000 when Limerick played Waterford in the Final in Dungarvan with Limerick lifting the crown for the first and only time on a 0-7 to 0-4 scoreline. The winning Limerick Team was Mike Keogh, Mark O'Riordan, Pat Fitzgerald, Brian Geary, Conor Mullane, Stephen Lucey, Tommy Stack. Jason Stokes, John Galvin (Captain), Pat Aherne, Timmy Carroll, Declan Brouder, Conor Fitzgerald, Brian Begley, Colm Hickey.

• Waterford lifted the title for the only time in 2003 when they overcame Cork in the semi-final and Kerry in the final on a 2-8 to 1-9 scoreline. The victorious Waterford team was - David Hickey, Michael Crotty, Ger Hayes, John O'Reilly, Niall Hennessy (Captain), Edmond Rockett, John Hurney, Sean Dempsey, Michael Walsh, Liam Ó Lonáin, Mark Power, Tony Whelan, Bob Costello, Shane Walsh, Billy Harty.

• Tipperary, who suffered defeat in 9 finals, recorded their first Munster Under 21 Football success when they overcame Kerry 1-7 to 1-6 in Tralee in 2010. The victorious Tipperary team was - Kieran Kenrick, Robbie Kiely, Ciaran McDonald (Captain), Donal Lynch, Padraig O'Dwyer, John Coghlan, Dara Dwyer, Alan Moloney, Peter Acheson, Sean Carey, Bernard O'Brien, Aldo Matassa, Conor Sweeney, Brian O'Meara, Michael O'Dwyer.

• For the record Cork have appeared in 35 finals: Kerry in 33 finals: Tipperary in 10 finals: Clare in 10 finals: Waterford in 8 finals and Limerick in four finals.

• Only two Finals have been drawn. The 1987 final between Kerry and Tipperary played in Tralee finished level, 0-7 each and in the replay in Clonmel victory went to Kerry on a 0-15 to 1-11 scoreline. The 1997 final between Cork and Kerry also finished all square, Kerry 2-11 Cork 3-8, in Tralee with victory going to the Kerry side in the replay at Pairc Ui Rinn on a 0-12 to 1-7 scoreline.

• Present Cork Under 21 Selector Mick O'Loughlin won a Munster Under 21 Medal in 1965 losing to Kildare in the All Ireland Final.

• Present Cork Under 21 Manager John Cleary won Munster and All Ireland Under 21 Medals in 1984

• Munster Under 21 Football Cup: Corn na Cásca presented by the Munster Council in 1966 to commemorate the jubilee of the 1916 Rising.

• All Ireland Under 21 Football Championship. In Under 21 Football All Ireland Roll of Honour Cork have won 11 Titles and Kerry have 10 Titles to their credit. Cork were All Ireland Under 21 Champions in 1970, 1971, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1994, 2007, 2009. Kerry titles were won in 1964, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2008

Cork v Kerry - head to head

- Cork have won the last four matches against Kerry played at a Cork venue.

- The last meeting of Cork and Kerry in a Munster Under 21 Football Final was in 2004 when Cork defeated Kerry by 0-13 to 0-12 at Austin Stack Park Tralee.

- Kerry's last Munster Under 21 Football Final victory over Cork came in the 1997 replay, winning by 0-12 to 1-7 at Pairc Ui Rinn.

- The highest score by an individual team in a Cork vs. Kerry Under 21 Football match was in 1979 when Cork defeated Kerry by 4-11 to 2-9.

- The highest margin of victory in a Cork vs. Kerry Under 21 Football match came in the 1982 final when Cork defeated Kerry by 2-12 to 0-4 at Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

Munster Under 21 Football Finals
1962 @ Kenmare Kerry 2-7 Cork 1-4
1963 @ Clonakilty Cork 2-3 Kerry 1-4
1964 @ Kilmallock Kerry 0-15 Tipperary 1-2
1965 @ Castletownroche Cork 2-14 Tipperary 1-6
1966 @ Cork Ath. Grounds Kerry 3-8 Cork 0-14
1967 @ Listowel Kerry 2-12 Clare 1-7
1968 @ Kilrush Kerry 5-7 Clare 2-9
1969 @ Killarney Cork 1-14 Kerry 1-11
1970 @ Buttevant Cork 5-12 Clare 1-7
1971 @ Fermoy Cork 1-10 Waterford 2-5
1972 @ Killarney Kerry 1-11 Cork 2-7
1973 @ Skibbereen Kerry 2-12 Cork 1-12
1974 @ Cahirciveen Cork 3-5 Kerry 1-10
1975 @ Killorglin Kerry 0-17 Waterford 1-5
1976 @ Dingle Kerry 2-16 Cork 1-6
1977 @ Pairc Ui Chaoimh Kerry 2-8 Cork 0-8
1978 @ Killarney Kerry 0-14 Cork 0-9
1979 @ Limerick Cork 1-11 Clare 1-9
1980 @ Bruff Cork 3-15 Clare 0-4
1981 @ Tralee Cork 0-11 Kerry 0-5
1982 @ Pairc Ui Chaoimh Cork 2-12 Kerry 0-4
1983 @ Castleisland Kerry 1-10 Cork 0-12
1984 @ Askeaton Cork 1-18 Limerick 0-4
1985 @ Tralee Cork 1-18 Clare 1-7
1986 @ Clonmel Cork 0-8 Tipperary 0-7
1987 @ Tralee Kerry 0-7 Tipperary 0-7 Draw
@ Clonmel Kerry 0-15 Tipperary 1-11 Replay
1988 @ Cooraclare Kerry 0-14 Clare 2-6
1989 @ Limerick Cork 3-15 Clare 1-7
1990 @ Tralee Kerry 2-9 Cork 0-9
1991 @ P. Ui Chaoimh Kerry 1-8 Cork 0-10
1992 @ Tralee Kerry 3-12 Cork 1-8
1993 @ Waterford Kerry 1-21 Waterford 3-5
1994 @ Dungarvan Cork 2-11 Waterford 0-4
1995 @ Killarney Kerry 1-21 Waterford 2-5
1996 @ Tralee Kerry 3-14 Clare 0-6
1997 @ Tralee Kerry 2-11 Cork 3-8 Draw
@ Pairc Ui Rinn Kerry 0-12 Cork 1-7 Replay
1998 @ Tralee Kerry 3-10 Tipperary 1-11
1999 @ Tralee Kerry 1-10 Cork 0-7
2000 @ Dungarvan Limerick 0-7 Waterford 0-4
2001 @ Kilmallock Cork 1-12 Limerick 0-8
2002 @ Ennis Kerry 3-15 Clare 2-11
2003 @ Waterford Waterford 2-8 Kerry 1-9
2004 @ Tralee Cork 0-13 Kerry 0-12
2005 @ Limerick Cork 1-14 Limerick 1-11
2006 @ Pairc Ui Rinn Cork 4-14 Waterford 1-6
2007 @ Limerick Cork 3-19 Tipperary 3-12
2008 @ Ardfinnan Kerry 0-15 Tipperary 2-7
2009 @ Thurles Cork 1-9 Tipperary 2-5
2010 @ Tralee Tipperary 1-7 Kerry 1-6

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