Kerry Senior Football Championship
The Kerry Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition organised by the Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1889 for the top Gaelic football teams in the county of Kerry in Ireland.
The series of games are played during the summer and autumn months, with the county final currently being played in either Austin Stack Park or FitzGerald Stadium in October. Initially played a knock-out competition, the championship currently uses a double elimination format whereby each team is guaranteed at least two games.
The Kerry County Championship is an integral part of the wider Munster Senior Club Football Championship. The winners of the Kerry county final join the champion clubs of the other five counties to contest the provincial championship. The winning team of the county championship also has the honour of naming the captain of the Kerry senior team for the following year.
The title has been won at least once by 22 different teams. The all-time record-holders are Dr. Crokes who have won a total of 13 titles.
East Kerry are the title-holders after defeating Dr. Crokes by 2-14 to 1-07 in the 2019 championship final.
Participating teams
The teams taking part in the 2018 Kerry Senior Football Championship are:| Team | Team Location | Club/Divisional | Club's Divisional Side |
| Austin Stacks | Tralee | Club | St. Brendan's |
| Dingle | Dingle | Club | West Kerry |
| An Ghaeltacht | Gallarus | Club | West Kerry |
| Dr. Crokes | Killarney | Club | East Kerry |
| East Kerry | x | Divisional | x |
| Feale Rangers | x | Divisional | x |
| Kenmare District | x | Divisional | x |
| Kerins O'Rahillys | Tralee | Club | St. Brendan's |
| Killarney Legion | Killarney | Club | East Kerry |
| Kenmare Shamrocks | Kenmare | Club | Kenmare District |
| Mid Kerry | x | Divisional | |
| Rathmore | Rathmore | Club | East Kerry |
| Shannon Rangers | x | Divisional | x |
| South Kerry | x | Divisional | x |
| St. Brendan's | Tralee | Divisional | x |
| St. Kieran's | Castleisland | Divisional | x |
| West Kerry | x | Divisional | x |
Wins listed by club
Finals listed by year
1880s
- 1889 Laune Rangers 0–06 beat Killarney Crokes 0–03
1890s
- 1890 Laune Rangers 1–04 beat Tralee Mitchels 0–01
- 1891 Ballymacelligott 1–08 beat Keel 0–01
- 1892 Laune Rangers 3–07 beat Ballymacelligott 1–07
- 1893 Laune Rangers 1–01 beat Keel 0–02
- 1894 Ballymacelligott beat Irremore
- 1895 Ballymacelligott
- 1896 Caherciveen, Tralee Mitchels
- 1897 Tralee Mitchels beat Irremore
- 1898
- 1899
1900s
- 1900 Laune Rangers 3-04 beat Killarney Crokes 0-03
- 1901 Killarney Crokes 1-02 beat Caherciveen 0-02
- 1902 Tralee Mitchels Awarded
- 1903 Tralee Mitchels beat Kilcummin W/O
- 1904 Tralee Mitchels W/O Caherciveen
- 1905 Tralee Mitchels W/O Caherciveen
- 1906 Not played
- 1907 Tralee Mitchels 0-11 beat Lispole 0-01
- 1908 Tralee Mitchels 0-08 beat Dingle Gascons 0-04
- 1909 Combined with 1910 championship
1910s
- 1910 Tralee Mitchels 3–04 beat Laune Rangers 0–04
- 1911 Laune Rangers 1–03 beat Tralee Mitchels 1–01
- 1912 Killarney Crokes 1–06 beat Tralee Mitchels 0–00
- 1913 Killarney Crokes 3–01 beat Kilcummin 1–00
- 1914 Killarney Crokes 1–02 beat Tralee Mitchels 1–00
- 1915 Not played
- 1916 Not finished
- 1917 Tralee Mitchels beat Farranfore
- 1918 Ballymacelligott beat Farranfore
- 1919 Tralee Mitchels 3–03 beat Dingle 2–02
1920s
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
- 1925 Tralee Division 1–05 beat Listowel Selection 0–04
- 1926 Tralee Division 7–07 beat Listowel Selection 2–01
- 1927 Tralee Division beat North Kerry
- 1928 Austin Stacks 3–04 beat Kerins O'Rahilly's 0–07
- 1929 John Mitchels 3–04 beat Austin Stacks 0–04
1930s
- 1930 Austin Stacks 4–04 beat Kerins O'Rahilly's 2–05
- 1931 Austin Stacks 2–07 beat John Mitchels 1–03
- 1932 Austin Stacks 2–03 beat North Kerry 1–05
- 1933 Kerins O'Rahilly's 5–5 beat Austin Stacks 0–05
- 1934
- 1935
- 1936 Austin Stacks 0–06 beat Kerins O'Rahilly's 0–04
- 1937 John Mitchels beat Dingle
- 1938 Dingle 3–03 North Kerry 2–05
- 1939 Kerins O'Rahilly's 2–08 beat Dingle 1–03
1940s
- 1940 Dingle beat Kerins O'Rahilly's
- 1941 Dingle 3–06 beat John Mitchels 2–00
- 1942 Shannon Rangers 2–04 beat John Mitchels 1–03
- 1943 Dingle 3–06 beat Castleisland 2–02
- 1944 Dingle 1–03 beat Castleisland 0–04
- 1945 Shannon Rangers 1–07 beat Killarney Legion 0–05
- 1946 Killarney Legion 0–07 beat John Mitchels 0–05
- 1947 John Mitchels 2–05 defeated Dingle 0–09
- 1948 Dingle 2–10 beat Shannon Rangers 0–05
- 1949 Killarney 2–07 beat John Mitchels 2–03
1950s
- 1950 Castleisland beat Killarney
- 1951 Dick Fitzgeralds 1–07 John Mitchels 0–03
- 1952 John Mitchels 3–06 beat Kenmare 0–06
- 1953 Kerins O'Rahilly's 1–04 beat Shannon Rangers 0–05
- 1954 Kerins O'Rahilly's 2–01 beat Kenmare 1–02
- 1955 South Kerry 2–05 beat Shannon Rangers 0–09
- 1956 South Kerry 1–11 defeated Kerins O'Rahilly's 0–10
- 1957 Kerins O'Rahilly's 1–11 beat St. Brendans 3–01
- 1958 South Kerry 1–13 beat St. Brendans 1–05
- 1959 John Mitchels 3–09 beat Feale Rangers 1–10
1960s
- 1960 John Mitchels 1–11 beat West Kerry 0–03
- 1961 John Mitchels 2–09 beat Kerins O'Rahilly's 0–08
- 1962 John Mitchels 1–09 beat Feale Rangers 0–05
- 1963 John Mitchels 4–04 beat Kerins O'Rahilly's 2–03
- 1964 Shannon Rangers 1–10 beat East Kerry 1–05
- 1965 East Kerry 0–10 beat Mid Kerry 0–04
- 1966 John Mitchels 2–10 beat East Kerry 1–10
- 1967 Mid Kerry 0–12 beat West Kerry 2–04
- 1968 East Kerry 6–08 beat Waterville 1–09
- 1969 East Kerry 2–07 beat Waterville 1–08
1970s
- 1970 East Kerry 1–15 beat Waterville 0–15
- 1971 Mid Kerry 0–12 beat Shannon Rangers 1–06
- 1972 Shannon Rangers 2–08 beat Mid Kerry 1–07
- 1973 Austin Stacks 2–08 beat West Kerry 1–06
- 1974 Kenmare 2–12 beat Shannon Rangers 1–05
- 1975 Austin Stacks 1-07 beat Mid Kerry 1–04
- 1976 Austin Stacks 1–14 beat Kenmare 0–07
- 1977 Shannon Rangers 0–10 beat Feale Rangers 0–06
- 1978 Feale Rangers 0–08 beat Mid Kerry 0–03
- 1979 Austin Stacks 1–11 beat Castleisland 0–09
1980s
- 1980 Feale Rangers 1–10 beat Austin Stacks 1–07
- 1981 South Kerry 1–12 beat Austin Stacks 0–11
- 1982 South Kerry 0–07 beat Feale Rangers 0–05
- 1983 Killarney beat Feale Rangers
- 1984 West Kerry beat South Kerry
- 1985 West Kerry 0–11 beat Feale Rangers 1–05
- 1986 Austin Stacks 1–11 beat Killarney 1–07
- 1987 Kenmare 3–10 beat Dr. Crokes 0–18
- 1988 St. Kieran's 0–10 beat Dr. Crokes 0–03
- 1989 Laune Rangers 2–13 beat John Mitchels 1–06
1990s
- 1990 West Kerry 4–09 beat Mid Kerry 0–07
- 1991 Dr. Crokes 2–10 beat Castleisland Desmonds 1–10
- 1992 Mid Kerry 3–09 beat St. Brendan's 1-10
- 1993 Laune Rangers 1–15 beat Annascaul 1–08
- 1994 Austin Stacks 0–12 beat Dr. Crokes 1–05
- 1995 Laune Rangers 1–07 beat East Kerry 0–06
- 1996 Laune Rangers 2–07 beat West Kerry 1–09
- 1997 East Kerry 1–11 beat Laune Rangers 0–08
- 1998 East Kerry 2–13 beat St. Kieran's, Castleisland 1–10
- 1999 East Kerry 0–10 beat Feale Rangers 1–06
2000s
- 2000 Dr. Crokes 1–04 beat An Ghaeltacht 0–06
- 2001 An Ghaeltacht 1–13 beat Austin Stacks 0–10
- 2002 Kerins O'Rahilly's 0–14 beat Kilcummin 0–05
- 2003 An Ghaeltacht 0–12 beat Laune Rangers 2–04
- 2004 South Kerry 1–13 beat Laune Rangers 2–05
- 2005 South Kerry 0–12 beat Dr. Crokes 1–06
- 2006 South Kerry 0–12 beat Dr. Crokes 1–08
- 2007 Feale Rangers 1–04 beat South Kerry 0–06
- 2008 Mid Kerry 1–07 beat Kerins O'Rahilly's 0–09
- 2009 South Kerry 1–08 beat Dr. Crokes 0–10
2010s
- 2010 Dr. Crokes 1–15 beat Austin Stacks 0–11
- 2011 Dr. Crokes 2–08 beat Mid Kerry 0–09
- 2012 Dr. Crokes 2–13 beat Dingle 0–08
- 2013 Dr. Crokes 4–16 beat Austin Stacks 0–12
- 2014 Austin Stacks 2–13 beat Mid Kerry 1–07
- 2015 South Kerry 1–13 beat Killarney Legion 1–12
- 2016 Dr. Crokes 2–16 beat Kenmare District 1–12
- 2017 Dr. Crokes 0-17 beat South Kerry 1-12
- 2018 Dr. Crokes 1-15 beat Dingle 0–12
- 2019 East Kerry 2-14 beat Dr. Crokes 1-07
Records and statistics
Teams
By decade
The most successful team of each decade, judged by number of Kerry Senior Football Championship titles, is as follows:- 1880s: 1 for Laune Rangers
- 1890s: 3 each for Laune Rangers and Ballymacelligott
- 1900s: 4 for Tralee Mitchels
- 1910s: 3 each for Tralee Mitchels and Dr. Crokes
- 1920s: 3 for Tralee Division
- 1930s: 4 for Austin Stacks
- 1940s: 5 for Dingle
- 1950s: 3 each for Kerins O'Rahilly's and South Kerry
- 1960s: 5 for John Mitchels
- 1970s: 4 for Austin Stacks
- 1980s: 2 each for South Kerry and West Kerry
- 1990s: 3 each for Laune Rangers and East Kerry
- 2000s: 4 for South Kerry
- 2010s: 7 for Dr. Crokes
Gaps
- 78 years: Laune Rangers
- 77 years: Dr. Crokes
- 45 years: Kerins O'Rahilly's
- 37 years: Austin Stacks
- 34 years: Killarney
- 27 years: Feale Rangers
- 27 years: East Kerry
- 23 years: Ballymacelligott
- 23 years: South Kerry
- 22 years: South Kerry