The Kerry District League (known as the Denny Kerry District League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league featuring amateur and junior clubs from County Kerry. The KDL is a winter league run by Adrian Casey. Its top division, the Premier A, is a seventh level division in the

Republic of Ireland football league system The Republic of Ireland football league system currently consists of 12 levels. Traditionally association football leagues in the Republic of Ireland have been classified as either senior, intermediate or junior. These leagues are effectively nation ...

. The league is regularly featured in the local newspapers – ''

The Kerryman ''The Kerryman'' is a weekly local newspaper published in County Kerry in Ireland by Independent News & Media who are a subsidiary of Mediahuis. The newspaper was founded in 1904 by Maurice Griffin and cousins Thomas and Daniel Nolan. Independen ...

'' and the '' Kerry's Eye''.

History

The league was formed in 1971 with eight teams competing in its first season. Its founding members included Tralee Dynamos and Killarney Athletic, both of whom had previously played in the

Limerick Desmond League The Limerick Desmond League is an association football league featuring amateur, junior, youth and under-17 teams from the part of County Limerick west of the N20. Its top division, the Premier Division, is a seventh level division in the Repu ...

. Other founding members included St Brendan's Park. Tralee Dynamos were the inaugural champions and subsequently became the league's most successful team.

Mounthawk Park

The KDL purchased Mounthawk Park in

Tralee Tralee ( ; ga, Trá Lí, ; formerly , meaning 'strand of the Lee River') is the county town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland. The town is on the northern side of the neck of the Dingle Peninsula, and is the largest town in Count ...

in the mid–1990s. It now serves as both the headquarters of the league and as home ground for the Kerry League representative teams. Several KDL clubs, especially those in the greater Tralee area, also use Mounthawk Park as their home pitch. In August 2015 a new all-weather pitch was opened at Mounthawk Park by

Martin O'Neill Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, (born 1 March 1952) is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. Starting his career in Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playi ...

and John Delaney. It will be the home ground of newly formed Kerry F.C. in the 2023 League of Ireland First Division.

Representative teams

A senior Kerry League representative team regularly competes in the

Oscar Traynor Oscar Traynor (21 March 1886 – 14 December 1963) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and republican who served as Minister for Justice from 1957 to 1961, Minister for Defence from 1939 to 1948 and 1951 to 1954, Minister for Posts and Telegra ...

Trophy, playing against teams representing other leagues. In recent seasons they have also competed in the

League of Ireland Cup The League of Ireland Cup ( ga, Corn Sraithe na hÉireann), also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', is an annual knockout competition in men's football in the Republic of Ireland. It is contested by League of Ireland clubs and invited c ...

. In 2016 a Kerry League U17 team will play in the League of Ireland U17 Division. Kerry now have both U17 & U19 teams competing in both the SSE Airtricity National U17 & U19 respectively.

Clubs

Premier A

List of winners by season

https://www.kerrydistrictleague.ie/about/kdl-facts/roll-of-honour/

References

{{Football in Ireland 7 Association football leagues in Munster 1 1971 establishments in Ireland Sports leagues established in 1971