The Annual Castleisland Area GAA Skills competition was a great success. Co-ordinated by Kerry senior star Michael Quirke and held in the Desmonds GAA grounds it attracted a large number of participants from the district.There are nine skills for each participant and it must be said that standard was very high indeed. Cian O'Connor of Castleisland Boys was the outright individual winner. For good measure Castleisland Boys also scooped the team award. All in all a most successful April 2008 for the Boys School which earlier in the month won the District INTO Mini-Sevens.

Here is John Crowley pictured with some Brosna fans immediately after he starred in the 2004 famous Kerry All-Ireland victory over Mayo. John is now a Garda-School Liaison Officer visiting schools in the local area.

We shall shortly upload some video footage of John as he visits a school on his circuit.

Click on Paperclip for video.

Fast internet connection needed here.

Kerry GAA coach Johnny Joy is a popular visitor to the schools. Employed by the Kerry GAA Coaching and Games Committee he is a busy man as he attends to his extensive portfolio of schools. Johnny's emphasis is on the skills and the active participation of all pupils in his very well structured programme of individual, group and team tasks plus exercises.

Welcome to the Knockaclarig National School Blog. Here we hope to detail the school's activities and the activities, profiles , history and other interesting pieces of information about the neighbouring schools that compete and socially mix with us in the course of the sporting year.We wish everybody the best of luck on the playing fields and in school.

We had a most successful Mini-Sevens District competition. 11 Boys teams competed. 7 Girls teams competed the biggest entry ever. Great credit is due to Micheal Herlihy (Loughfouder NS.) who left no stone unturned in organising a great day enjoyed by players, teachers, parents and supporters. Castleisland Desmonds pitch was in great condition and a lovely location for the games. Referees Ger Lynch, Patrick O'Sullivan, Richard Cotter and Tom McCarthy handled the games using their great experience winning the respect of both participant and spectator. Thanks very much lads!!!!

After a great day's football Castleisland Boys (Principal Mr. Timmy Nelligan)  and Presentation Convent, Castleisland (Principal Mrs. Maria O'Connor) advanced to the County Final In Tralee at a date to be announced.

Worthy champions both we wish them the best in the next phase.

In recent years Curranes NS. is emerging as a potent force in the Castleisland area. With its good organisation and will to win expect to see Curranes NS. to the fore in the coming years.

On the left is Paddy O'Sullivan, from the Beale GAA Club up there on the Shannon Estuary. A noted referee he is famous and known everywhere in Cumann na mBunscol activies. He commands the respect of schools and players due to his intensive and extensive knowledge of Gaelic Games. A referee very much in demand at all levels but a great supporter of the Cumann na mBunscol concept.

On the right is Michael Herlihy, Principal at Loughfouder NS. and Secretary of Cumann na mBunscol Oilean Chiarrai. Steeped in Kerry footballing traditions and from Knocknagoshel Michael is also deeply invoved in The International Childrens' Games Project which involves global events.

Here is Scartaglin NS. This is the school that produced Kerry All-Itreland medalist, Padraig Reidy in 2007. Not long ago, 1998/1999 in fact, we remember Padraig  playing in our local Cumann na mBunscol Allianz leagues.

There has always been a very strong tradition of football in Currow with several players representing the county at all levels. the same can be said of players from the school representing their county at school level.

The most recent product of the school is Kerry All-Ireland mid-fielder, Seamus Scanlon who was a revelation for Kerry throughout the Kerry Senior summer campaign.

This John Cahill,Deputy-Principal at Scoil Mhuire, Brosna and Manager of the team.

Principal at Brosna is Mrs. Mary Scanlon (nee Geaney) a native of Brosna Village. Mary's brother,Tim was for years a playing stalwart with Brosna GAA club and represented Kerry at several levels in his career. Mary's son has played with the Limerick minors and her nephew played this year with the Tipperary minors. 

What a continuing tradition in Gaelic Games !!!

Principal at Kilmurry is Ina Horgan. During the past five years Kilmurry NS. has enjoyed great success at District and County levels winning all before them in Boys and Girls competitions.

At the back also is Tadie O'Donoghue an avid promoter of the game for Cordal GAA club to which Kilmurry NS. feeds its players.

Presentation Convent Castleisland is making great progress in Girls football in recent years. This good work was rewarded when Presentation captured the Castleisland District Mini-Sevens for the first time this year.

Here is Loughfouder NS. with Principal Michael Herlihy.This is the school in the Parish of Knocknagoshel that produced one of the greatest legends of Kerry football. His name is the late and great Ned Roche. At full-back for Kerry in the most hyped up football final of all time, the 1955 Final of Kerry vs.Dublin Ned extinguished the famous Dublin machine as Kerry won out by 0-12 to 1-6. To this day in Loghfouder NS. under the tutelage of Michael Herlihy the pupils play in the same style and tradition of the famous Ned Roche.

Here is Sean Geaney managing Gaelscoil Aogain, just as he managed the Kerry Minors to the All-Ireland Final, just as he managed Kerry Under-21s to All-Ireland glory this summer, just as he selected the Kerry Seniors to All-Ireland glory in 2007............................What more is there to say??????

A Kerry footballing legend and a living legend at that   !!!!!!

For decades Knocknagoshel has been producing footballers of note, a tradition still upheld at school and club level. This year 2008 sees yet another Knocknagoshel footballer make the Kerry Minors. He is Padraig Reidy, not to be confused with the other Padraig Reidy from Scartaglin, the Kerry senior All-Ireland footballer. To complicate matters further Scartaglin is also part of the Castleisland District.

The famous trans three generation footballing Walsh Family comes from Knocknagoshel  featuring the late Eddie who won five All-Ireland senior medals and played in the 1947 Polo Grounds New York Final. His son Eamon also played on the Kerry Minor and Senior team and was a senior selector on Kerry All-Ireland winning teams in the Paidi O'Shea era.

Eamon's son, also Eamon has played with the Kerry Primary game team and is at the moment knocking on the door of the Kerry Minor team.

Here is a picture of the three Walshs taken at the Walsh home in Knocknagoshel shortly before the great Eddie passed away.

Go ndeana Dia trocaire ar a anam.

Tim Nelligan is Principal at Castleisland Boys. The name Nelligan is synonmyous with Gaelic football in Castleisland, Tim's cousin being the legendary All-Ireland goalkeeper Charlie Nelligan.