2025 FAI Cup

[legendz]

FAI Cup second round draw:
Kerry v Athlone Town

No big draw for now. Kerry have a 100% record of getting to the Last 16. Had to beat Cobh away last year to get through. Will expect to advance to the Last 16. The 10 premier clubs avoided each other so there will be a high probability of a Premier opponent in the Last 16 if we advance.

[listowelceltic]

Was hoping for one of top Dublin clubs away. Athlone will be a hard sell crowd wise. Hopefully we can get past them and then get a big draw.

[legendz]

Finn Harps v UCD
Bray Wanderers v Wayside Celtic
Salthill Devon v St Michael’s
Bangor Celtic v Cobh Ramblers

If we get through to the Last 16, it'll most likely be a Premier opponent or a winner from these. Would prefer a Premier club we haven't played before coming to MH Park, otherwise a reasonable game to go further and get a Premier club at home in the quarter finals.

[legendz]

Sports Direct FAI Cup third round draw:
KERRY FC v Cobh Ramblers
Finn Harps v Bray Wanderers
Shamrock Rovers v Longford Town

Cobh will be tough but also presents something of an opportunity to get through to the quarter finals for the first time.
Our First Division rivals Longford Town have been handed a tough tie. Finn Harps v Bray will see at least one other First Division club get through to the quarter finals.

[dansultheman]

Getting favorable home draws in Cups have been something we need to start capitalizing on. A home game vs Cobh won’t be easy, but certainly the best opportunity to make it to the 1/4 Final for the first time. With a number of home games coming up, an opportunity to also gain a lot of momentum in the build up.

[legendz]

Sligo at home is a great draw. New opponent. Home advantage against a Premier Division opponent. Should be a great occasion.

[culloty82]

And the freshness factor should definitely help in ensuring a sellout, which wouldn't have been guaranteed if Cork or Galway had come out of the bowl.

[legendz]

Dundalk away at the end of this month will be a good test ahead of Sligo's visit. We are now in the territory where our away game to Athlone will have to be rescheduled.

[Zico]

WOW - surely greatest comeback in cup history. This will do the club and game in the county no end of good.

A home semi final draw against rovers and 10k in Austin stack park wud do nicely!!!!

Oh and 2 wins away from Europa league too!!!

[listowelceltic]

Did that just happen . Insane game. At 3 down I was hoping it wouldn't be 5 or 6. Some scenes at the end. Great night for the club.

[LTFC]

Your well used to success down the Kingdom, but nights like tonight build legends. Enjoy it and milk it for what its worth. May have been a cup game but GLITW!

[CraftyToePoke]

Must have been something else to have been at that match.
Fair play Kerry. Brilliant stuff.

[listowelceltic]

Fair play to Healy last night for switching formation when 2 down. Can't be easy taking off a player early. Cleary isolated doesn't work. Brosnan is on fire at the moment. Mcgrath looked back in the groove when introduced. Thought Crowe was very good as well. Selection headache for management now.
On Sligo must have been strange getting stick from your own fans then getting applause from the Kerry fans leaving the pitch. First time seen Elding in the flesh. Class act.

[Martinho II]

congrats to all at Kerry when we joined LOI in 84/85 season it took us 4 seasons to reach FAI Cup semis and in the end cos we played in our old ground Abbeycartron the home leg against Derry City was played in St Mels Park Athlone nearly 30 miles up the road!

[listowelceltic]

Rovers away. Hopefully they put out a weakened side after the European game. Either way it's going tk be tough but should be a great day for the club. Hopefully we can sell our allocation.

[culloty82]

Shouldn't be a problem, one would think, if Kerry folk living in the capital descend on Tallaght for the occasion, in addition to the regular away support.

[Zico]

What’s the allocation for a cup semi final, it’s 10% for the league but would imagine if Kerry wanted more rovers would give it to them. With European games coming fast and a Sunday afternoon kickoff as well as 1st division opposition it’s unlikely the locals will be overly enthused by it (I do hope I’m wrong). Would the KDL cancel Sunday matches to allow for a bigger travelling support?? They still own a % of the club as I understand.

[listowelceltic]

Brilliant video on YouTube featuring the Sligo game, search The football ground that's never been vlogged. 23 minutes long but worth it.

[listowelceltic]

Kerry putting on four free buses from killorglin killarney Tralee and Listowel for semi final. Nice touch from the club. Hopefully a big crowd travels now. Think the kdl have given clubs the option to cancel fixtures on the Sunday as well. The amount of people I've heard talking about the Sligo game is fantastic even people who would only mention the league in a negative way.

[Zico]

Any idea on how tickets have been selling for it and what sort of crowd will travel. Looks like 3 of the 4 buses now sold out which is positive.

[listowelceltic]

4 buses now sold out. Heard at the game last night that over 700 away tickets sold. Not sure how reliable the source is though.

[legendz]

Seating is unassigned. Hard to gauge the ticket sales. Will be in the East Stand towards the North Stand side. In the corner like MH Park.

[culloty82]

4 buses now sold out. Heard at the game last night that over 700 away tickets sold. Not sure how reliable the source is though.

Makes sense - 200 going by free bus, add in all the crowd who'll be driving up, also a cohort going by train, and you wouldn't be long reaching 700, all things considered.

[listowelceltic]

Brookwell fit for Sunday by all accounts. Anyone hear anything about Matt O Connor?

[legendz]

The profile of the club is being raised anyway. RTE News coverage. National print media previews. Kerry sporting people who appreciate what the club are doing will be in Tallaght Stadium on Sunday.

[Martinho II]

Read v good interview with Ronan Teehan in Irish sun today. Didnt know that he comes from a sporting family and his uncle is the great Maurice Fitzgerald of the Kerry GAA!

[LTFC]

Best of luck Sunday lads. Squash all your fans Sunday in together beside your ultras and as the chant goes......sing your hearts out for the lads..... you'l be amazed to see auld fellas who thought that wasnt for them joining in and loving it. !

[listowelceltic]

I see we've released a song now. Well at least Bryan Murphy the songwriter has. Not sure if it will catch on but great to see all these positive things going on.

[legendz]

Reported that 930 away tickets have been sold so far for Sunday!

[Zico]

Over 1,000 would be a fantastic crowd. I’m
Surprised the club have not shared the milestones for travelling support on social media more e.g. 500 sold by Monday, 1,000 now sold etc. you would be amazed how many more would attend knowing over 1,000 are going especially those based further up the country. It’s the one thing the FAI are good at for the cup final and definitely feeds a frenzy for a bigger crowd (FOMO kicks in)..

[legendz]

"This is more than a game - it’s a moment in our clubs story. Let’s make it unforgettable!"

The club issued a rallying shout when promoting the free buses. Maybe they'll issue another one on Friday encouraging more supporters to travel. The North corner of the Tallaght Stadium East Stand can become like the Mounthawk corner stand for a day!

[culloty82]

Looking at KDL fixtures on FAI Connect, there only appear to be two on Sunday, and both kick off at 11, which would give supporters ample time to drive to Dublin afterwards.

[listowelceltic]

Totally outclassed but what a day for the club. Players gave it everything and the huge Kerry turnout never stopped cheering on the team. Another step forward for the club and hopefully the players learn alot from today.

[culloty82]

Particularly Ronan Teahan - he covered every inch of the pitch, and certainly held his own in a game at this level.

[Zico]

Rovers played their first choice 11 which was always going to make a tough task more or less impossible.

Tried hard and to be fair some of the rovers goals we conceded were top quality, can only really complain about 2 which were Kerry errors. It shows the levels in the game, the gap is huge, although I will add rovers are a level above any other team in premier division also. Can’t fault the players, they gave it their all and played to the end. 5 homegrown players started and 3 came off the bench, in an FAI cup semi final - who would have thought that a few years ago. 9 out there if you include GO’N too!!!!

The support was fantastic and the cup run has put the club on the map for sure and hopefully will boost attendances next season again.