Kick Fada 2012
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September 17th
This year's All Ireland Kick Fada competition proved to be the most competitive in its 13 year history with Longford's Damien Sheridan emerging victorious for the second time in three years with a massive kick into the wind of 65 metres at Bray emmet's last Saturday.
Photos of the day can now be viewed here. Can you spot yourself...
Photos of our U6's having a go can be found here
Photos of the Ladies competition can be found here
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September 12th
The Kick Fada will take place on the 15th September 2012 at Old Conna. Further information regarding the kickers who will be participating is detailed in the further down this piece. We will also have U16 Hurling and Camogie tournaments a mini all ireland, stalls, food and lots more. The ladies competition starts at 1.15pm whilst the men's competition starts at 2.00pm. We would look to all the club members to support us on this annual club day.
Many of the country's leading GAA stars will line up on Saturday next in Bray Emmets for the 13th annual All Ireland Kick Fada competition at Old Conna (1.15pm start)
There have been a number of great champions in the history of the competition with Mark Herbert (Kildare) leading the way with four titles to his credit. Offaly's Padraig Kelly was a double winner in his time and both will be seeking to make history by returning this weekend to claim the top prize.
Last year Monaghan's Shane Duffy came through a crowded pack to claim the ultimate honour but Wicklow pair Tony Hannon and Conor McGraynor showed enough form on their debut performances to suggest that they might be even closer this time around.
McGraynor is a prodigious kicker from the hand but Hollywodd star Hannon is a lethal deadball kicker who on his day is more than capable to bringing the All Ireland home to Wicklow for the first time.
The star-studded list which will once again feature Dublin's Mark Vaughan and Armagh's Paul Hearty, as well as the three Sheridans - Meath brothers Joe and Brian, and Longford's Damien.
Wicklow will also make a big effort to strike gold in the Ladies competition with a number of members of the high-flying county team expected to take part.
Only once in the history of the competition has the All Ireland medal stayed in Wicklow. That occurred in the first year -2000- when Aine McGillycuddy from An Tochar emerged victorious in the ladies competition.
Speaking at the launch of this year's competition, Emmets Chairperson Frances Stephenson paid tribute to MBNA for the sponsorship over the past 12 years and explained that when they pulled out of it this year, she was determined that the Emmets club would still run the event.
"What we are talking about is an All Ireland senior football competition in Wicklow on an annual basis and I think it is something we should fight to keep on the GAA calendar."
The club is hopeful that they will be able to source a new sponsor for the event for next year and are most happy to hear from any businesses inside the county who might be interested in the association which carries a lot of national profile and coverage.
The Kick Fada determines who is the longest and most accurate kicker of a Gaelic football in Ireland. Competitors must kick the ball over the bar through specific competition goalposts twice the width of conventional goal sizes.
Explaining the considerable interest in the All Ireland Kick Fada competition among established GAA inter-county stars, competition organiser Pat Wogan of Bray Emmets said: "For the past dozen years a huge array of inter-county stars have taken part annually in the competition. Ultimately, any player at inter-county level is a serious competitor at heart and the opportunity to test the core skill of kicking a Gaelic football against top quality opposition in a novel fashion becomes addictive. Last year , we had players from over 15 counties represented and our aim is to have every county in Ireland represented."
The ladies event begins at 1.15 pm with the Men's Final due to kick-off at 2.00pm. As part of the activity at the Old Conna Grounds on Saturday, there will be a hurling mini All Ireland blitz
List of Kickers in 2012 All Ireland Kick Fada
Mens
Shane Duffy (Monaghan) HOLDER
Tony Hannon (Wicklow)
Mark Vaughan (Dublin)
Dick Clerkin (Monaghan)
Ross Munnelly (Laois)
John Doyle (Kildare)
Conor McGraynor (Wicklow)
Stephen Carton (Wicklow)
Paul Finlay (Monaghan)
Padraig Kelly (Offaly)
Paddy O'Rourke (Meath)
Felim O'Rourke (Meah)
Joe Sheridan (Meath)
Brian Sheridan (Meath)
Paul Flood (Kildare)
Mark Herbert (Kildare)
Shane Nallen (Mayo)
Gerry McGill (Donegal)
Paul Broderick (Carlow)
Paul Hearty (Armagh)
Damien Sheridan (Longford)
Sean Connolly (Louth)
LADIES
Irene Munnelly (Meath) HOLDER
Kim Flood (Dublin)
Mary Sheridan (Meath)
Grainne Nulty (Meath)
Geraldine Norton (Wicklow)
Emer Miley (Wicklow)
Aideen Lenihan (Wicklow)
ROLL OF HONOUR
The champion male and female kickers receive the Kick Fada All Ireland medal as well as holiday vouchers with the overall winning kicker receiving the Bray Emmets All Ireland Champion Trophy.
The Kick Fada record, which stands at 73 metres, was achieved by four time champion Mark Herbert from Kildare. Suzanne Hughes from Ballyboden St Endas GAA Club holds the all time female record of 52m from back in 2001.
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September 9th
The Kick Fada will take place on the 15th September 2012 at Old Conna. Further information regarding the kickers who will be participating will be available in the next few days and will be posted on the website and facebook.
The ladies competition starts at 1.15pm whilst the men's competition starts at 2.00pm.
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August 29th
KICK FADA 2012 has been launched with Mickey Whelan inducted into the All Ireland Kick Fada hall of fame.
WHERE: CrokePark
WHEN: Wednesday, August 29th 11.00am
Former Dublin star Mickey Whelan was today inducted into the All Ireland Kick Fada Hall of Fame as its 2012 winner. The St Vincent's man has been a GAA colossus over the years as a player, coach, manager and mentor to a myriad of different teams.
He joins fellow Dub Jimmy Keaveney in the Kick Fada Hall of Fame list. Other players who have been honoured by the Bray Emmet's initiative over the years include Brian McEniff (Donegal), Peter Nolan (Offaly), Donie O'Sullivanand Mick O'Dwyer (Kerry), Billy Morgan (Cork), Paddy Doherty (Down), Frank McGuigan (Tyrone) and the late Roscommon stalwart Dermot Earley.
Bray Emmets Chairperson Frances Stephenson today said Bray Emmets and the All Ireland Kick Fada Committee were honoured and enriched by Mickey's acceptance of the award. "He has been an outstanding servant to Gaelic Games at all levels and I would like to congratulate him on what he has given back to the association after his playing career ended. He is an example to all about giving a life commitment to the GAA."
The Bray Emmets Chairperson also announced that the annual All Ireland Kick Fada competition would take place at the Club grounds in EmmetPark, Old Connaught Avenue in Bray on Saturday September 15th at 1pm.
Now in its 13th year, the All Ireland Kick Fada draws the top long-kickers from around the country in both male and female categories. Past winners include such players as Paul Hearty (Armagh), Padraig Kelly (Offaly), Brian Sheridan (Meath), four-time winner Mark Herbert (Kildare) and current holder Shane Duffy (Monaghan). Past female winners include Mary Sheridan (Meath), holder Irene Munnelly (Meath) and Suzanne Hughes from Dublin who holds the all-time female record of 52m from back in 2001.
The Kick Fada competition tests the abilities of the country's best footballers in one of the most vital skills of Gaelic Football - kicking for distance and accuracy. Every year, the country's best inter-countyGaelic Footballers compete in two divisions - Senior men and Senior ladies.
The champion male and female kickers receive the Kick Fada All Ireland medal as well as a voucher towards a holiday.
For further information please contact Frances Stephenson (087-2499362)
MICKEY WHELAN - BACKGROUND
Mickey was a selector on the Dublin senior football team which won last year's All Ireland final against Kerry.
That team's manager Pat Gilroy, played for Mickey when he managed St Vincent's to All Ireland club success in 2008
Indeed he holds the rare distinction of being a former player and manager of both St Vincent's and Dublin senior football teams.
Before joining the Marino Club, Mickey played for Clanna Gael with whom he won a Dublin SFC medal in 1968
Inter-county career
Mickey was on the All-Ireland winning side for Dublin in 1958 as a substitute and again in 1963 when he won a Cú Chulainn award for his performances with the Dublin senior football team during that campaign.
He won the National football league division one title with Dublin and three Leinster SFC medals in 1962, 1963 and 1965.
As well as winning a Dublin SFC medal with Clanna Gael, Mickey won championships with St Vincent's in '75 and '76. He won a Leinster SFC club medal and All Ireland SFC club medal with Vincent's in 1976.
Whelan was the Dublin senior football manager between 1996 and 1999. In 2007 he won the Dublin SFC as manager of Vincent's and later that year the Leinster SFC against Tyrrellspass. The following year he led St Vincent's to All Ireland club victory over Nemo Rangers and stepped down from that role two weeks later.
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August 29th
RULES OF THE KICK FADA COMPETITION
The competition is open to all current GAA members over the age of 18.
The object of the event is to find the longest yet most accurate kickers of a standard GAA football.
The winner of the competition will be the contestant with the longest successful kick.
A successful kick is deemed to be one where the ball crosses over the bar and between the posts prior to touching the ground.
The ball used will be standard Size 5 for men and Size 4 for ladies.
Each kick will be taken from a pre-determined marked distance from the target.
The kick may be taken from the hand or from the ground.
Players may use a tee if they so wish.
The taking of a kick by each remaining contestant as a specific distance will be called a 'round'.
There will be a maximum of three rounds per distance.
Once a contestant has achieved a successful kick they will be deemed to have qualified for the next round and will not be required to take a further kick at the current distance.
Each contestant will tak a kick in turn until all remaining members of the group have completed an attempt at the current distance.
After a maximum of three rounds at a particular distance the distance will be increased by a pre-determined number of metres and a new round will begin for all successful kickers.
If a contestant fails to make any successful kick at a particular distance they will not go forward to the next round.
In the event of no contestant achieving a successful kick in a round, there will be a sudden-death playoff of all contestants who qualified for that round.
The winners of the competition whill have the choice of continuing within the rules, to establish the longest successful kick and attempt to set a new record.
The decision of the Kica Fada Event Co-ordinator will be final in the event of a dispute.
Patrick Wogan,
Kick Fada Event Co-ordinator
