LOCAL RIVALS: ST BRENDAN'S KILLARNEY v TRALEE CBS:IT'S THE footballing fusion that keeps the giant green and gold reactor churning out Kerry superstars such as Colm Cooper and Kieran Donaghy.
The rivalry between "The Sem" and "The Green" in the Kingdom has not just created brilliant games and a hatful of silverware for each school down through the years, it has also proved just the right kind of training ground when players make the step-up to intercounty action.
"It gets young fellas used to playing at a high level of competition, where there's a nice bit at stake," admits Tralee CBS teacher and football coach Fergus Clifford. "There's nothing like playing in big games to get ready for big games."
Twenty miles apart and great rivals, the two schools have won 34 Munster Senior Colleges (Corn Uí Mhuirí) titles between them, with St Brendan's leading the way with 19.
Considering the success of the intercounty team, the two schools have nowhere near the amount of All-Ireland titles you would expect from Kerry schools, with St Brendan's winning in 1969 and 1992. Tralee have yet to win a Hogan Cup, although they did reach the 2007 decider, only to lose to Omagh CBS.
The most recent clash between the schools came last week when the Killarney school won their third straight under-15 title to edge the haul of Moran Cups to nine over seven for Tralee, who do lead the tally in the Frewen Cup on a score of 10 to nine.
Of course the accolades are important, but both schools are just as keen that the right type of football is played according to Mike Leahy, who looks after the sporting programme at St Brendan's. "I think it's largely unheralded the quality of these games. More people should come and watch colleges matches just for the pure football," he says.
"Football is very strong in our local area, the skill level is very high and it shows in the school teams. Generally speaking it's a Kerry style of football."
The two sides have contested the last two Corn Uí Mhuirí deciders, with St Brendan's gaining revenge last year after losing by a point in 2007.
The benefits to Kerry football are easy to weigh up when you consider that 13 of the players that contested last year's decider were on the county's minor panel, with eight of those playing on the side that lost to Mayo in the All-Ireland semi-final replay.
Of course football is king, but basketball is also a key part of the sporting education at both schools. It's that common ground between the two sports that has produced the likes of Donaghy, a former student at Tralee CBS.
"It was more as a basketball player he would be remembered here, it was only in his last year as a minor that he started to blossom as a footballer," says Clifford, before going on to outline what attributes players bring from the court to the field. "Basketball is the ideal companion for football, particularly in the handling aspect. They really do go hand in hand if you'll pardon the pun.
"Kieran Donaghy is a prime example of it, he has very fast hands. He sees a pass very well. I suppose midfielders and full-forwards are your ideal converts from basketball," adds Clifford.
With so many teams to look after, both schools require a huge effort from teachers on the coaching front. Last year's Kerry captain, Paul Galvin, is part of the teaching staff at St Brendan's, but is only one cog in a big wheel according to Sheehan. "Paul was a involved in last year's side but he's always there to give a bit of advice though," says Leahy, who concludes by echoing the sentiments of his teaching colleagues around the country in his worry of how the Government cutbacks in spending will affect extra-curricular activities in the new year.
"We have a huge number of our staff involved which is very important in relation to the cutbacks that are coming in. It's a huge part of what we do here, we have 12 teachers directly involved in coaching and we don't depend on any outside coaches."
