Kerry Senior Football Championship
Annual Gaelic football competition
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kerry Senior Football Championship (known for sponsorship reasons as Garvey's SuperValu Senior Football Championship) is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1889 for the top Gaelic football teams in the county of Kerry in Ireland.
| Kerry Senior Football Championship | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition: 2025 Kerry Senior Football Championship | |
| Irish | Craobh Sinsear Peile Chiarraí |
| Code | Gaelic football |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Region |  Kerry (GAA) |
| Trophy | Bishop Moynihan Cup |
| No. of teams | 17 (9 clubs) (8 divisional teams) |
| Title holders |  Dingle (7th title) |
| Most titles |  Dr. Crokes (14 titles) |
| Sponsors | Garvey's SuperValu |
| TV partner(s) | TG4, RTÉ 2 |
| Official website | www |
The series of games are played during the summer and autumn months, with the county final currently being played in either Austin Stack Park or FitzGerald Stadium in October. Initially played as a knock-out competition, the championship currently uses a double elimination format whereby each team is guaranteed at least two games.
The Kerry County Championship is an integral part of the wider Munster Senior Club Football Championship. The winners of the Kerry county final join the champion clubs of the other five counties to contest the provincial championship. The winning team of the county championship also has the honour of naming the captain of the Kerry senior team for the following year.
The title has been won at least once by 22 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Dr. Crokes who have both won a total of 14 titles, the most recent being in 2024.
The winners receive the Bishop Moynihan Cup, named for Denis Moynihan, Catholic Bishop of Kerry in 1952–1969.[1][2][3]
Format
The Championship is contested annually by Kerry's Senior clubs for that year (the teams who compete in the Kerry Club Football Championship) and Kerry's divisional teams. The Championship has almost always being played using a knockout type format, with the exception being in 2022 and 2023 when a first round group phase was used to produce 8 quarter-finalists. The knockout type format has returned for 2024 with the first two rounds being a double-elimination format while a single-elimination format applies from then on.[4]
Relegation and promotion
Relegation from and promotion to the Championship is based on the Kerry Club Football Championship each year. Divisional sides are not affected by relegation. Due to the expansion of the Club Football Championship beginning in 2025, no teams will be relegated from the Senior Championship in 2024 or 2025.
Future expansion
With the Kerry Club Football Championship expanding to 9 teams in 2025 and then 10 in 2026, it was planned that the Kerry SFC would also increase its participants from 16 to 18 over the following two years. In this expanded format, the 8 divisional teams would play a double-elimination preliminary round which would see 6 of those teams join the 9 or 10 club sides in the first round proper of the Championship, which would then use a single-elimination format from then on.[5] However, in April 2025 the Kerry County Board approved a proposal from Feale Rangers and Shannon Rangers that they would compete as a combined team (North Kerry) in the upcoming championship, thus reducing the number of Divisional sides to 7.[6]
Teams
2026 Teams
16 teams will compete in the 2026 Kerry Senior Football Championship: 10 clubs and 7 divisional teams.
| Team | Location | Club/Division | Club's Divisional Side | Colours | Position in 2025 | In championship since | Championship Titles | Last Championship Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| An Ghaeltacht |
Dingle Peninsula | Club | West Kerry | Red and white | Intermediate champions | 2026 | 2 | 2003 |
| Austin Stacks |
Tralee | Club | St Brendan's | Black and amber | Runners-up | 2025 | 13 | 2021 |
| Dingle |
Dingle | Club | West Kerry | Red and white | Champions | 2005 | 7 | 2025 |
| Dr Crokes |
Killarney | Club | East Kerry | Black and amber | First round | 1986 | 14 | 2024 |
| East Kerry |
East Kerry | Division | N/A | Red and white | Quarter-finals | 1929 | 11 | 2023 |
 Kenmare Shamrocks |
Kenmare | Club | Kenmare District | Black and red | Quarter-finals | 2017 | 0 | — |
 Mid Kerry |
Mid Kerry | Division | N/A | Green and red | Semi-finals | 1947 | 4 | 2008 |
 Milltown/Castlemaine |
Milltown | Club | Mid Kerry | Green and white | Round 1 | 2024 | 0 | — |
| Na Gaeil |
Tralee | Club | St Brendan's | White and green | First round | 2022 | 0 | — |
 North Kerry |
North Kerry | Division | N/A | Black and white | First round | 2025 | 0 | — |
| Rathmore |
Rathmore | Club | East Kerry | Red and white | Semi-finals | 2023 | 0 | — |
 South Kerry |
South Kerry | Division | N/A | Green and gold | First round | 1930 | 10 | 2015 |
 Spa |
Killarney | Club | East Kerry | Blue and gold | Quarter-finals | 2021 | 0 | — |
 St Brendan's |
Tralee | Division | N/A | Green, black and white | Preliminary round 2 | 0 | — | |
| St Kieran's |
Castleisland | Division | N/A | Green and white | Preliminary round 2 | 1988 | 1 | 1988 |
 Templenoe |
Templenoe | Club | Kenmare District | Blue and white | Round 1 | 2020 | 0 | — |
| West Kerry |
West Kerry | Division | N/A | Red and white | Quarter-finals | 1930 | 3 | 1990 |
Clubs eligible for divisional teams
| Division | Clubs eligible for divisional team |
|---|---|
| East Kerry | East Kerry: Firies, Fossa, Glenflesk, Gneevguilla, Listry, Kilcummin, Killarney Legion |
| Mid Kerry | Beaufort, Cromane, Glenbeigh-Glencar, Keel, Laune Rangers |
| North Kerry | Feale Rangers: Clounmacon, Duagh, Finuge, Knockanure, Listowel Emmets, Moyvane, St Senan's |
| Shannon Rangers: Asdee, Ballydonoghue, Ballyduff, Ballylongford, Beale, Tarbert | |
| South Kerry | Dromid Pearses, Kilgarvan, Renard, Skellig Rangers, Sneem-Derrynane, St. Mary's, Valentia Young Islanders, Waterville, St.Michaels/Foilmore, Tuosist, |
| St Brendan's | St Brendan's: Churchill, St. Patrick's Blennerville, Ardfert |
| Tralee: John Mitchels, Kerins O'Rahillys | |
| St Kieran's | Ballymacelligott, Brosna, Castleisland Desmonds, Cordal, Currow, Knocknagoshel, Scartaglin |
| West Kerry | Annascaul, Castlegregory, Lispole, An Ghaeltacht |
Note 1: Kenmare District no longer enter a divisional team so their affiliated clubs played for East Kerry until 2025 when Kilgarvan switched to South Kerry.
Note 2: Feale Rangers and Shannon Rangers amalgamated in 2025 to revive North Kerry.
Note 3: Tralee no longer enter a divisional team so their affiliated clubs play for St Brendan's.
Roll of honour
By club
| # | Team | Titles | Runners-Up | Championships won | Championships runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr Crokes |
14 | 9 | 1901, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1991, 2000, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024 | 1889, 1900, 1987, 1988, 1994, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2019 |
| 2 | Austin Stacks |
13 | 8 | 1928, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1986, 1994, 2014, 2021 | 1929, 1933, 1980, 1981, 2001, 2010, 2013, 2025 |
| 3 | East Kerry |
11 | 3 | 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 | 1964, 1966, 1995 |
| 4 | John Mitchels |
10 | 7 | 1929, 1937, 1947, 1952, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966 | 1931, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1951, 1989 |
| Laune Rangers |
10 | 3 | 1889, 1890, 1892, 1893, 1900, 1911, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1996 | 1910, 1997, 2004 | |
| South Kerry |
10 | 3 | 1955, 1956, 1958, 1981, 1982, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2015 | 1984, 2007, 2017 | |
| 7 | Tralee Mitchels |
9 | 5 | 1896, 1897, 1902, 1903, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1917, 1919 | 1890, 1897, 1911, 1912, 1914 |
| 8 | Dingle |
7 | 6 | 1938, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1948, 2025 | 1937, 1939, 1947, 2012, 2018, 2024 |
| 9 | Kerins O'Rahilly's |
6 | 9 | 1933, 1939, 1953, 1954, 1957, 2002 | 1928, 1930, 1936, 1940, 1956, 1961, 1963, 2008, 2021 |
| 10 | Shannon Rangers |
5 | 5 | 1942, 1945, 1964, 1972, 1977 | 1948, 1953, 1955, 1971, 1974 |
| 11 | Mid Kerry |
4 | 9 | 1967, 1971, 1992, 2008 | 1965, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1990, 2014, 2020, 2022, 2023 |
| Ballymacelligott |
4 | 1 | 1891, 1894, 1895, 1918 | 1892 | |
| 13 | Feale Rangers |
3 | 6 | 1978, 1980, 2007 | 1959, 1962, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1985 |
| West Kerry |
3 | 4 | 1984, 1985, 1990 | 1960, 1967, 1973, 1996 | |
| 15 | Killarney | 2 | 2 | 1949, 1983 | 1950, 1986 |
| Kenmare District |
2 | 1 | 1974, 1987 | 2016 | |
 An Ghaeltacht |
2 | 1 | 2001, 2003 | 2000 | |
| Tralee Division | 2 | 0 | 1925, 1926 | — | |
| 19 | Caherciveen | 1 | 3 | 1896 | 1901, 1904, 1905 |
| Killarney Legion |
1 | 2 | 1946 | 1945, 2015 | |
| Castleisland |
1 | 2 | 1950 | 1943, 1944 | |
| Irremore | 1 | 1 | 1897 | 1894 | |
| St Kieran's |
1 | 1 | 1988 | 1998 | |
| Dick Fitzgeralds | 1 | 0 | 1951 | — | |
| 24 | North Kerry | 0 | 2 | — | 1932, 1938 |
| Keel | 0 | 2 | — | 1891, 1893 | |
| Kilcummin | 0 | 2 | — | 1903, 1913 | |
| Dingle Gascons | 0 | 2 | — | 1908, 1919 | |
| Farranfore | 0 | 2 | — | 1917, 1918 | |
| Listowel Selection | 0 | 2 | — | 1925, 1926 | |
| Lispole | 0 | 1 | — | 1907 | |
| Castleisland Desmonds | 0 | 1 | — | 1991 |
Performances by division
| Division | Titles | Runners-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tralee District |
41 | 27 | 68 |
| East Kerry |
29 | 20 | 49 |
| Mid Kerry |
14 | 14 | 28 |
| West Kerry |
12 | 14 | 26 |
| South Kerry |
11 | 6 | 17 |
| Shannon Rangers |
8 | 5 | 13 |
| St Kieran's |
6 | 5 | 11 |
| Feale Rangers |
4 | 9 | 13 |
| Kenmare District |
2 | 1 | 3 |
List of finals
Records and statistics
Teams
By decade
The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Kerry Senior Football Championship titles, is as follows:
- 1880s: 1 for Laune Rangers (1889)
- 1890s: 3 each for Laune Rangers (1890-92-93) and Ballymacelligott (1891-94-95)
- 1900s: 4 for Tralee Mitchels (1902-03-07-08)
- 1910s: 3 each for Tralee Mitchels (1910-17-19) and Dr Crokes (1912-13-14)
- 1920s: 3 for Tralee Division (1925-26-27)
- 1930s: 4 for Austin Stacks (1930-31-32-36)
- 1940s: 5 for Dingle (1940-41-43-44-48)
- 1950s: 3 each for Kerins O'Rahilly's (1953-54-57) and South Kerry (1955-56-58)
- 1960s: 5 for John Mitchels (1960-61-62-63-66)
- 1970s: 4 for Austin Stacks (1973-75-76-79)
- 1980s: 2 each for South Kerry (1981–82) and West Kerry (1984–85)
- 1990s: 3 each for Laune Rangers (1993-95-96) and East Kerry (1997-98-99)
- 2000s: 4 for South Kerry (2004-05-06-09)
- 2010s: 7 for Dr Crokes (2010-11-12-13-16-17-18)
- 2020s: 3 for East Kerry (2020-22-23)
Gaps
Longest gaps between successive championship titles:
- 78 years: Laune Rangers (1911–1989)
- 77 years: Dr Crokes (1914–1991) and Dingle (1948–2025)
- 45 years: Kerins O'Rahilly's (1957–2002)
- 37 years: Austin Stacks (1936–1973)
- 34 years: Killarney (1949–1983)
- 27 years: Feale Rangers (1980–2007) and East Kerry (1970–1997)
- 23 years: Ballymacelligott (1895–1918) and South Kerry (1958–1981)
- 22 years: South Kerry (1982–2004)