Polling The Sporting Interests Of The General Election Candidates In The Kerry Constituency

Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that General Election 2024 is well and truly and upon us.

While everyone else has been busy debating policies, plans, and promises, here at Balls.ie have been trying to get to the bottom of their sporting interests.

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So, ahead of General Election 2024, we asked as many prospective candidates as possible running in the Kerry constituency three questions about their sporting interests. We asked the following three questions.

What's your favourite football club?
What is your favourite Irish sporting moment?
What was the last sporting event you attended?

Here's the answers we received.

Michael Healy-Rae TD (Independent)

What football club do you support? - Liverpool
Favourite Irish sporting moment? - One of my favourites would have to be Ronan O’Gara’s winning drop goal against Wales to secure a grand slam for Ireland.
Last sporting event you attended? Kerry v Armagh in the All Ireland Semi Final.

Pa Daly TD (Sinn Féin)

What football team do you support? Tralee Dynamos, Kerry FC, Liverpool, Athletic Bilbao, Union Berlin, the Irish national teams.
Favourite Irish sporting memory? I was fortunate enough to be in Genoa for the 1990 World Cup penalty shootout against Romania, so that would have to be it.
Last sporting event you attended? Tralee Dynamos Youths vs Killarney Athletic last weekend, after the Austin Stacks v Laune Rangers intermediate final.

Linda Gordon Kelleher (Fianna Fáil)

What football team do you support? Glenflesk GAA
Favourite Irish sporting moment? Katie Taylor winning gold in 2012
Last sporting event you attended? (Kerry) County Final Dr Crokes v Dingle

Danny Healy-Rae TD (Independent)

18 September 2024; Double Olympic Gold medallist in rowing, Fintan McCarthy and Danny Healy-Rae TD in attendance as the Federation of Irish Sport launch their Pre Budget Submission 2025 at The Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

What football team do you support? Kilgarvan of course and all Kerry Clubs
Favourite Irish sporting moment? The many All Ireland’s Kerry have won giving us endless enjoyment and entertainment.
What was the last sporting event you attended? Crokes V Castlehaven in Killarney

Michelle Keane (Independent)

What football team do you support? I support Kerry GAA my local club is Knocknagoshel & my Son Luke plays U16. I’m a very proud GAA fan I was born in 1975 the birth year of the great Kerry Team."
Favourite Irish sporting moment? The mercurial genius Maurice Fitzgerald in the 2001 All-Ireland Quarter Final against Dublin. The Kerry star scored a sideline off the outside of his right boot to level the game in the dying moments, sheer brilliance…"
Last sporting event you attended? The all-Ireland Hurling final 2024. In my opinion, it’s the greatest sport on earth.

Billy O'Shea (Fine Gael)

11 August 1996; Billy O'Shea of Kerry during the GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Semi-Final match between Mayo and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin.Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile

What football team do you support? Laune Rangers (my GAA club), Kerry & Liverpool in soccer.
Favourite Irish sporting moment? Two of them: winning the All Ireland Club Senior 1996 with Laune Rangers, and the All-Ireland with Kerry in 1997.
Last sporting event you attended? The County Intermediate Football Final (between) Austin Stacks v Laune Rangers

Catherina O'Sullivan (Aontú)

What football team do you support? I support Laune Rangers and Killorglin football club.
Favourite Irish sporting moment? Taylor and Kelly Harrington winning in the Olympics:)
Last sporting event you attended? The last sports event I went to was the Kerry Intermediate Football
Championship Final.

Mike Kennedy (Labour)

Photo: Labour Party

What football team do you support? Manchester United & Kerry FC"
Favourite Irish sporting moment? My favourite sporting moment watching my first cousin Jack Kennedy win the Gold Cup
Last sporting event you attended? My daughter’s soccer game for Dingle Bay Rovers U14s or Kerry Senior County Championship Final

Stephanie O'Shea (Sinn Féin)

What football team do you support? Liverpool (bred into me by my father)
Favourite Irish sporting moment? That’s tough, I love my rowing, I was a coastal rower myself, the Rio Olympics with the O'Donovan brothers, in particular the interview they did afterwards, legends the 2 of them
Last sporting event you attended? South Kerry Final

Cian Prendville (People Before Profit-Solidarity)

What football team do you support? - I support Bohs, cause they've done great community work
Favourite Irish sporting moment? My uncle winning the All-Ireland with Laune Rangers when I was a child.
Last sporting event you attended? I got to attend the Treaty United v Longford match during the European elections, think that's the last thing I've been at in person

Michael Cahill (Fianna Fáil)

What football team do you support? Glenbeigh Glencar GAA Club
Favourite Irish sporting moment? Mikey Sheehy’s goal v Dublin in the All-Ireland football final of 1978
Last sporting event you attended? The South Kerry Football final between St Mary’s Cahersiveen and Piarsaigh Na Dromada with Táinaiste Micheál Martin and the Mid Kerry Football Final between Beaufort and Keel.

(Education minister Norma Foley or Brandon Begley of the Irish Freedom Party could not be reached for a contribution to this piece. If they'd like to submit answers to the three questions, they can email [email protected])