Tim Kennelly (6 July 1954 – 6 December 2005) was Irish Gaelic footballer. His league and championship career at senior level with the Kerry county team spanned ten years from 1974 to 1984.
Born just outside Listowel, County Kerry, Kennelly played competitive Gaelic football in his youth. He came to prominence with the Listowel Emmets club, winning two divisional junior championship medals as well as a county junior championship medal in 1972. Kennelly was a regular on the Feale Rangers divisional team over a ten-year period, and won two county senior championship medals.
Kennelly made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of seventeen when he was picked on the Kerry minor team. He had two championship seasons with the minor team, however, he was a Munster runner-up on both occasions. Kennelly subsequently joined the Kerry under-21 team, winning two All-Ireland medals as a substitute in 1973 and on the field of play in 1975. By this stage he had also joined the Kerry senior team, making his debut during the 1974–75 league. Over the course of the next ten years, Kennelly won five All-Ireland medals, beginning with a lone triumph in 1975 before a record-equalling four championships in-a-row from 1978 to 1981. He also won nine Munster medals, three National Football League medals and claimed back-to-back All Stars in 1979 and 1980. He played his last competitive game for Kerry in February 1984, but remained on the panel for the subsequent provincial championship.
After being chosen on the Munster interprovincial team for the first time in 1977, Kennelly was an automatic choice on the team for six successive championships. During that time he won four Railway Cup medals.
Kennelly's two sons also played for Kerry. Noel Kennelly won an All-Ireland medal in 2000 while Tadhg Kennelly claimed a winners' medal in 2009, having earlier become the first Irish person to win an AFL Premiership medal with Sydney Swans.
Biography
Tim Kennelly was born in Listowel, County Kerry, in 1954. He grew up on the family farm in Coolaclarig, an area that had a great tradition for Gaelic football. As a young boy, Kennelly showed great skill as a footballer, and his father had influence on his subsequent inter-county career.
Kennelly was a publican by profession. His sons, Noel and Tadhg, also represented their native county in football. Noel won an All-Ireland medal with Kerry in 2000. Tadhg later played Australian rules football in the AFL with the Sydney Swans. In 2005, Tadhg became the first Irishman to win an AFL premiership medal. Tadhg returned to Ireland in 2009 and joined the Kerry senior football team, winning an All-Ireland Senior Medal and being selected as an All Star.
Tim Kennelly, who suffered from a heart condition, died on 6 December 2005.
Playing career
Club
Kennelly played his club football with his local team called Listowel Emmets. He won numerous underage league and championship winners' medals before making his way onto the club's senior team. 1972 proved to be a successful year for Kennelly and for his club. He captured a North Kerry senior championship winners' medal while also winning a North Kerry league title. He finished off the year be claiming a Kerry Junior Football Championship winners' medal.
A second North Kerry championship title followed in 1976 while, two years later, in 1978 Kennelly added a second North Kerry league title to his collection. By this stage he was also lining out with divisional side Feale Rangers. An 0–8 to 0–3 defeat of Mid Kerry in 1978 gave Kennelly a county senior championship winners' medal. Two years later in 1980 Feale Rangers defeated Austin Stacks by three points, thus securing a second county senior championship title.
Minor and under-21
By the early 1970s, Kennelly had joined the Kerry minor football team; however, he had no success in this grade as Cork dominated the provincial championship. He was promoted to the county's under-21 team, winning a Munster title in this grade in 1973. He later lined out in his first All-Ireland final at under-21 level. Mayo provided the opposition on that occasion; however, Kerry recorded a 2–13 to 0–13 victory. The win gave Kennelly an under-21 All-Ireland winners' medal.
In 1975 Kennelly captured a second Munster under-21 title following a nine-point win over Waterford. Kennelly's side later qualified for the All-Ireland final with Dublin providing the opposition. A 1–15 to 0–10 score line gave Kerry the victory and gave Kennelly a second All-Ireland winners' medal.