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04 Apr 2026
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04 Apr 2026
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Fr Morty O'Shea pictured with Kerry player Seanie O'Shea and his parents in Kenmare on Wednesday
One Kerry player will have some divine intervention from Donegal when he takes the field in the All-Ireland final on Sunday next in Croke Park against Jim McGuinness’s Donegal.
Kerry’s centre-half-forward Seanie O’Shea will have the prayers of his Donegal-based cousin, Fr Morty O’Shea, who is CC in Ardaghey in the Parish of Inver.
Speaking at Mass in Ardaghey on Sunday, the popular Fr Morty told the congregation he was on his way home to Kenmare on Monday and would be praying for his cousin, Seanie O’Shea who will be playing for Kerry against Donegal on Sunday next.
Fr Morty was due to meet his cousin in Seanie O’Shea’s father’s shop in Kenmare on Wednesday morning and he was looking forward to that.
“I would have played a little football when I was young, at U-14 and U-16 along with Tom Spillane,” says Fr Morty.
The Kenmare native has been serving in the Raphoe Diocese for some time and is a very popular curate in the Parish of Inver, home of St Naul’s GAA club, who will have three players involved with Donegal on Sunday next - Gavin Mulreany, Brendan McCole and Peadar Mogan.
“Isn’t it great that the Parish of Inver has such a great representation on the Donegal team. It makes Sunday much more interesting.”
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Fr Morty joked with the congregation on Sunday that he would be in the air and nearer to Heaven at 33,000 feet on Sunday next when the final was being played and his prayers for his cousin would have less distance to travel.
Fr Morty said he came to Donegal just two weeks after the last All-Ireland meeting between Donegal and Kerry in 2014 and was firstly located in Leitirmacaward, the parish of the then minor manager, Declan Bonner.
“I was having the craic with them about the final and I thanked them for beating Dublin that year because we were just not able to beat Dublin at the time,” said Fr Morty.
Kenmare’s Seanie O’Shea is one of the star players for the Kerry team but hopefully Fr Morty will be keeping his parishioners, the St Naul’s trio, also in his prayers for Sunday next.
Fr Morty pictured with Seanie O'Shea and his brother Darragh back in 2016
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