Club History

On the 7th September 1994 a meeting was called in Godley’s Hotel, Fenit with the aim of establishing a soccer club in the village.

A senior team was entered in Division 5 of the Kerry District League and with the help of a local farmer who allowed them the use of a field, Fenit Samphires FC, began to compete with other clubs in Kerry. The Samphires finished third from bottom that season. An under 16 team was also registered with the Kerry Schoolboys that year.

fenitsamphiresfc1994

The following year Tralee Harbour Board was approached and agreed to give the club an annual 11 month lease on 2.4 acres in the High Field. At the time, this piece of land was unimaginable as a smooth playing surface. With a common aim the community of Fenit joined with club members and players, and through sheer hard work and dedication created the playing pitch known and loved by all in Fenit as ‘Samphire Park’.

Throughout the next 20 years the Samphires have progressed and become a force to be reckoned with in Kerry soccer. The senior team battled their way up through the divisions and in the 04/05 season were finally promoted to the Premier Division. Not only the senior team have experienced success. The Samphires’ schoolboys teams have, over the years, found themselves up against some of the great club names in Irish soccer and on many occasions have gained the upper hand. In the 00/01 season the under 16 team earned the privilege of playing Shamrock Rovers and beat them 1-0 in front of a huge home crowd at Samphire Park. Home Farm and Sligo Rovers are two of the more prominent Irish clubs that have made the journey to the hallowed turf of Samphire Park. In the 02/03 season the Samphires’ youth team reached the final of the FAI Youths Cup but lost out on the title by a single goal when they played Tolka Rovers in Dublin. This youths campaign was a shining example of how the Samphires binds together local communities under the one banner.

You can see a list of the club’s honours here.

It is testament to the commitment of club managers, committee members and players that so many players travel so regularly to Samphire Park to represent the club. The continued running of the club can be wholly attributed to those who give up a large amount of their time freely to the club in order to fulfill coaching and administrative duties.

 

 

Structure of Fenit Samphires 2020/2021

Chairman: Dave Stanton

Vice-Chairperson: Mary Kelly

Secretary: Hazel Kelly

Treasurer: Batt McCarthy

P.R.O.: Dave Stanton/John McCann

Designated Liaison Person (DLP) Dave Stanton

Club Children’s Officer (CCO) Hazel Kelly

Committee Members:

John O’Carroll, Kevin Deady, John Quilter, Ruairi Kelly, Diarmuid Reilly, John Chute, Charlotte Dolan, Ciaran O’Dwyer, John McCann

Managers:

Under 6 – 10 Academy-Diarmuid Reilly, John Keating, John McCann, Sandra Leahy, Sean Flaherty, Ronan Falvey, Paudie Whelan, Garry O’Driscoll, Sean O’Shea, Kevin Burns

Under 11 Boys – Diarmuid Reilly, Kevin Deady, Dave Stanton

Under 12 Girls – John McCann, Noel Dillon, Malachy Galvin

Under 12 Boys- John O’Brien, Paul Moloney

Under 13 Boys- John O’Carroll, Sean O’Shea

Under 13 Girls – John Quilter, Mags McCann

Under14 Boys – Ciarán O’Dwyer, John O’Carroll

Under 15 Boys – Dave Stanton, Donnchadh MacGarry

Under 15 Girls – Diarmuid Reilly, Artur Nowak

Under 17 Boys- John Chute

Under 17 Girls – Artur Nowak, Charlotte Dolan

Senior Men – Dan Maunsell