Limerick sides prepare for Kennedy Cup bonanza at UL

The 2025 SFAI Kennedy Cup will commence at UL this Monday June 9 and will run until Friday Friday June 13. Teams from all over the country will participate in the U14 inter-league soccer competition. 

Limerick County, Limerick Desmond and Limerick District will all take part in the five-day competition.

READ MORE: Limerick learn opponents for home quarter-final draw in Tailteann Cup

Limerick County will be the first side from the Treaty County to take to the field when they face Cork in a Munster derby at 4pm in group four. 

Manager John McLoughlin is looking forward to the game and this year's competition as a whole.

"Everyone is really excited now, this has been building for three years now. Three years of preparation and hard work. This group have already had a little taste of what it could be like after taking part in the Galway Cup last year and they're just mad to get going now. They are really looking forward to it", he said.

Our first game is a Munster derby so yeah they're should be a bit of needle in that and were excited for it."

"Obviously where we are, it's dominated by hurling but these boys have been so committed because this is what they want to do, they've prioritised the Kennedy Cup this year and it's been brilliant and it just shows how much they want it", John added.

Limerick District get their Kennedy Cup journey underway at 6pm in group five against Inishowen of Donegal. Noel O'Connor, who is a member of the Limerick District management team, says his side are raring to go for this year's competition.

"We're absolutely looking forward to it, the group we have at the moment have put in a massive effort over the course of the past two years. In this particular age group we get a lot of what I like to call 'late bloomers', players who maybe might not have featured last year in the 13s but have made such a massive leap over a short period of time," he said. 

"We're concentrating on ourselves as it's been a while since we have topped the group and that's something that's on our mind going into it. We're not really looking past our first game against Inishowen who have a great tradition of football, a lot of their players going back the years would have played for Finn Harps and Derry City. We're expecting all of the games to be tough but we're also expecting to be tough opposition for anyone we play," he added. 

"I know from talking to players down through the years that the Kennedy Cup is the highlight of their careers even players who have gone on to play at a high level. You can't beat the competition due to the fact that's it's teams from all over the country and the level is so high, it is an All-Ireland in the truest sense", he concluded. 

Limerick Desmond also get their cup journey underway at 6pm when they take on WWEC (West Waterford/East Cork) on Monday evening. Manager Dean Muane says his side can't wait for the action to get underway. 

"We just can't wait for things to get going now. We've all the work done and we've just spent the last two or three weeks just preparing for the first game and looking forward to everything getting started," he said.

"We don't know too much about WWEC but we know that we're a decent side and that's what we're going to be focusing on, we're going to focus on ourselves and put our best foot forward. The biggest thing about the first game of the Kennedy Cup is handling the nerves and the pressure. If you can get through that first game, it can set you up for the rest of the week," he added.

"This is the premier soccer competition for anyone of any age, it's the pinnacle, it's very difficult to get back to this level again afterwards so this is a massive occasion for everyone there's no doubt about that.

The whole week leading up to it is intense as well and you just hope that they do themselves justice and enjoy themselves and with that hopefully a few results go our way which would make the week even more enjoyable, hopefully the lads play the game like they always do and not the occasion but we won't know until we get in and amongst it," concluded.

Limerick District: Ryan Twomey (Pike Rovers), Joseph Cronin (Corbally), Mark O'Grady (Aisling Annacotty), Kareem Mohamed (Fairview), Shay McGuire (Pike Rovers), Casey Doran (Caherdavin), Luke Gleeson (Pike Rovers), Ciaran Maher (Fairview), Mudathir Alkahafu (Aisling Annacotty), Adam O'Shea (Newport), Craig Sheehan (Fairview), Noah Cassidy (Aisling Annacotty), Aden France (Fairview), Jack Houlihan (Mungret), Shane McAnulty (Newport), Samuel Crowley (Fairview), Kacper Poprawski (Shelbourne), Mohamad  Gabyow (Fairview), Oliver Galecki (Shelbourne), Lee Ryan (Pike Rovers)

Management: Cillian Finn (Geraldines AFC), Terry Waters (Fairview Rangers), Noel O'Connor, Aidan Ryan, Sean Heaney, JJ Hartigan

Limerick County: Jamie Ryan (Charleville), Marko Boyle (Charleville), Adam McLoughlin (Charleville), Adam O' Mahony (Charleville), Tadgh McMahon (Charleville), Lucas Lira (Charleville), Sean Whelan (Kilmallock), Dáithhí Curley (Kilmallock), Conor Ryan (Kilmallock), Tom O'Mahony (Kilmallock), Conor Philpot (Castle United, Cormac O'Farrell (Castle United), Conor Kiely (Cullen Latin), Gearoid Maguire (Cullen Latin), Billy Ryan (Cullen Latin), Dan Ryan (Murroe), Tom O'Brien (Murroe), Alex Sibert (Herberstown), Olaf Kuruski (Croom), Alfie Donnegan (Holycross)

Management: Jp McLoughlin (Charleville), Paul Philpot (Castle United), Tom Brady (Kilmallock), Sandra Boyle (Charleville)

Limerick Desmond: Michael Giltenane (Shountrade), Kian Brosnahan (Abbeyfeale), Adam Mulqueen (Ballingarry), Harry Smith (Breska Rovers), Darragh O'Connor (Newcastle West Town), Ronan Magner (Abbeyfeale), Darragh Collins (Newcastle West Town), Dan Healy (GB Rovers), Precieux Malonga (Newcastle West Town), Joey O'Regan (Shountrade), Kyle Smith (Abbeyfeale), Joseph Carr (Newcastle West Town), Liam Gibourne (Newcastle West Town), Sean Walsh (Creeves Celtic), Conor Mullenger (Newcastle West Town), Eamon Kirby (Adare), Conor Geary (Shountrade), Jimmy Mullane (GB Rovers), Dan Phillips (Newcastle West Town), Stephen Pierce (Broadford Utd)

Management: Dean Muane (Rathkeale), Caragh Kelly (Kilcolman Rovers), Alasdair MacInness (Ballingarry), Tom Healy (Glin Rovers)

See https://www.limerickleader.ie/section/245/sport for live updates on the 2025 Kennedy Cup throughout the week.