# John Mitchels GAA (Kerry)

John Mitchels GAA are a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. They are based in the Camp area just outside of Tralee.

## Club history

Before 1927 only one team represented Tralee in the Kerry Senior Football County Championship and they were Tralee John Mitchels. As this team was so successful the Kerry County Board requested that it should be divided into three individual teams representing, Boherbee, Rock St. and Strand St, this is where the John Mitchels, Austin Stacks and Kerins O'Rahilly's clubs came from. The John Mitchels club since 1927 are thought to be one of the most successful clubs in Kerry.
Between 1959 and 1963 they won five Senior Football titles in a row, the only team to do so in the history of the Kerry County Championship. John Mitchels Club are holders of 10 Senior, 1 U-21 and 3 Minor County Championships.
They have also played in 3 Kerry Senior Club Hurling Championship finals in 1927 and 1928 losing both to Austin Stacks and 1936 they lost to St. Brendan's, Ardfert.
Success has been limited of late, although John Mitchels player Brien Costello, captained Tralee CBS to Munster Colleges Senior 'A' Corn Uí Mhuirí Glory and in the All-Ireland Colleges Hogan Cup Final loss to Omagh CBS in 2007. In 2008 for the first time in the club's long history they dropped out of the Senior County Championship to the Kerry Intermediate Football Championship.
In 2014, the club moved to a new ground outside of Tralee, in Ballyseedy.

## Honours

Kerry Senior Football Championship: 10
* 1929, 1937, 1947, 1952, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1966
Team Captains
1929 – John Joe Sheehy (Captain),
1937 – Bill Kinnerk (Captain),
1947 – Joe Keohane (Captain),
1952 – Michéal "Haulie" Lynch (Captain),
1959 – Niall Sheehy (Captain),
1960 – Paudie Sheehy (Captain),
1961 – Fred Lynch (Captain),
1962 – Teddy O’Dowd (Captain),
1963 – Brian Sheehy (Captain),
1966 – Seamus Roche (Captain)
Finalists (6) – 1931, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1949, 1989
Semi-finals (11) – 1928, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1940, 1944, 1954, 1955, 1969, 1991
Munster Senior Club Football Championship Finalists (1) 1967
Kerry Under 21 Football Championship: 1
* 1983
Captain
1983 – Jim O’Donnell,
Finalists (2) – 1985, 1995
Kerry Minor Football Championship: 3
* 1954, 1958, 1961
Team Captains
1954 – Fred Lynch (Captain),
1958 – Philo. Healy (Captain),
1961 – Jimmy O’Mahony (Captain)
John Mitchels Kerry Captains to win the All- Ireland
Senior
1909 – Tom Costelloe,
1926 – John Joe Sheehy,
1930 – John Joe Sheehy,
1962 – Sean Og Sheehy,
Junior
2015 – Alan O'Donoghue
Minor
1931 – Jimmy O’Gorman
1962 – Jimmy O’Mahony,
U-21
1962 – Dom O'Donnell
1964 – Dom O'Donnell
48 players wore the Kerry jersey in Championship (1928–2010) and National League (1950–2014)

## Notable players

* Anthony Gleeson Dual player with Kerry.
* Joe Keohane Five time All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner and Kerry captain. Also full-back position on the Football Team of the Millennium.
* Mick Morris All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner.
* Dom O'Donnell 1964 All-Ireland Under 21 winning captain.
* Timmy O'Dowd Three time All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner.
* John Joe Sheehy 1926 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and 1930 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning captain. winning captain.
* Niall Sheehy Two time All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner and Kerry captain. All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship winner.
* Paudie Sheehy Three time All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner and Kerry captain.
* Seán Óg Sheehy 1962 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning captain.
* Dom O'Donnell First ever All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship winning captain 1964.
* Paddy Whitty Four time All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winner.
* Jimmy O’Gorman 1931 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship winning captain.
* Jimmy O’Mahony 1961 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship winning captain.
* Alan O'Donoghue 2015 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship winning captain.