By Cian O’Connell

“There was something missing when we didn't have a senior team,” Valentia Young Islanders chairperson Andrew Quigley says. “To have a football field with no senior team playing in it seemed very wrong.”

That was the painful predicament Valentia, founded in 1905, had to deal with. Unable to field at adult level for a couple of years, Sunday’s South Kerry League match against Sneem/Derrynane proved to be an emotional afternoon.

“The way I would describe it is that I met a guy after the game on Sunday, he was a former player for Valentia for many years, the way he described it to me 'Andrew, there was a lump in my throat' - that is the feeling throughout the whole island,” Quigley states.

“It is great, there was a great sense of anticipation and a lot of joy in the community now - looking forward. We started on Sunday with a game against Sneem/Derrynane in the South Kerry league, we had a great crowd at the game which reflected a great sense of community.”

For Valentia difficult days were endured. “Some of them didn't play at all, others got permission to play with Dromid,” Quigley explains. “It was very good of Dromid to take us on board, it gave the lads that wanted to play a place to play basically.

“It gave us a team to follow because we had X amount of lads out there playing football. Without having a senior team of our own to follow it was great to follow the lads, albeit with another club.”

Passionate about the Valentia cause, Quigley is optimistic that a foundation has been established once again.

“We've got a few that came through this year, we'd hope to have another few next year,” he says about emerging players in the club. “Also we have a couple of guys moving home. Remote working is helping us also. It is something new and we have gained a couple of players through that.”

At underage level Valentia are used to collaborating with other clubs. “We amalgamate at all levels outside of U11,” Quigley adds. “From U13 up we amalgamate, that in itself has not been easy to do. That is rural living, I suppose.

“There is a lot of travelling with it, a lot of sacrifice on behalf of parents because you're alternating between different football fields training each week. It is not easy on parents amalgamating with other clubs, but it is the future of football in rural Ireland.”

Tradition counts in Valentia. Mick O’Connell’s greatness is well documented, while others from the club flourished for Kerry too. Keeping the flame lit is critical. “It matters big time,” Quigley replies.

“Even if we never had a great history, the GAA is about community, it is about family. That was something missing in the last couple of years, even though we had teams at underage level, we had success at minor level last year.

“We were joined with Portmagee, we won the South Kerry Championship and we also won our Division in the County. You cannot beat having your senior team to support, for the young fellas to have something to look up to.

“People came from all over to watch us, we were very appreciative of the people throughout South Kerry. They came in on Sunday to O'Connor Park to watch what we call the new beginning. It is just a great feeling to be part of it.”

The assistance received from others won’t be forgotten by Valentia either. “To be quite honest the GAA has been very good, the County Board have been very good to us, the South Kerry Board and adjoining clubs too,” Quigley says. “It really epitomises what the GAA stands for, we are one big family.”

Ultimately it is why Valentia are grateful to others throughout the country considering the majority of the panel live elsewhere. “Between working away and college, more than half are away,” Quigley remarks. “That is a great sacrifice on those players, travelling home for training and games. It is a great sign that they want to do it, they want to see the Valentia flag flying.

“That is what we are encouraging, for fellas to come home as much as they can. In fairness to other clubs throughout the country, they are giving our guys a place to train.

“We have a lot of guys around the country training with other clubs, so there is a big thanks to those clubs for looking after those guys.”

So when did it become a distinct possibility that Valentia would be able to field again at adult level? “We had given the lads permission to play for two years basically, we knew that a few minors were coming up and this was our hope,” Quigely says about wanting to make a competitive return to action in 2023.

“We knew we had a couple of more coming home, it was our hope all going well we would be able to field this year. So far, so good. We have another few more coming next year, it is up to us as a community to manage it going forward.

“We would have about 25 or 26 players, but you are never going to have all of those because a lot of them are away. Our hope is with what we have and trying to bring fellas home. It is about a management thing going forward, it is up to us as a committee and a management team to learn how to manage fellas - those that are away from home and those that will be travelling in the future.

“It is a small world we are living in now, young guys need to travel, we just have to learn how to handle that. Hopefully they will go away for 12 months or two years, hopefully then they will come back to us. It is up to us to keep the club going for them. If we can manage it that they don't all go the same year.”

That Valentia feature Ukrainian Shevket Dzaparow in the panel provided another layer of encouragement. “He got a run out on Sunday,” Quigley says.

“Even though the result went against us, it was never about the result. It was about us going out on the field, giving every fella a run. So we had our Ukrainian footballer, he was delighted to be a part of it.

“Himself and his family are settled in the community, it is a great outlet for him to be able to play. He plays indoor soccer in the local community centre, now he is playing GAA with us. That is what it is all about.”

Valentia Young Islanders new beginning has commenced.