The INEC Killarney will host a tribute night for Kerry's Ó Sé brothers on December 8, with tables costing €1,500.
The announcement comes just after the dust from the Colm Cooper furore has settled, which saw the former Kerry star criticised for becoming the first player to host a testimonial event. That event took place last month and was priced at €5000 per table. Last month Cooper claimed over 50% of the proceeds were going to charity, Kerry GAA and his club.
It is understood the O'Se's event is solely for the purposes of financing a new pitch for their club An Ghaeltacht.
Boird, leath bhoird & ticéadaí aonaracha ar díol anois. Breis eolais ar fáil [email protected] pic.twitter.com/1tkBhlDuCY
— Cumann Caide na Gaeltachta (@AnGhaeltacht) November 5, 2017
Darragh, Tomás and Marc collected 16 All-Ireland medals between them as well as 11 All-Stars. They also have an older brother, Fergal. Their club compete in the Intermediate Football championship in Kerry.
Much of the criticism aimed at Cooper was focused on the fact he was set to personally benefit from his event. In his Sunday World column this week, Pat Spillane said now neither Kerry GAA or Cooper's club Dr. Crokes were allowed to accept any funds from his event. "They have been instructed by the powers that be not to accept any money from it" he said.
Spillane wrote:
The general consensus was that it wasn't a good move and it certainly left a bad taste. Last Sunday I met several County Board officials, dozens of club officers and other die-hard GAA people.
Not a single one of them was in favour of Gooch's testimonial dinner.
He went on to report that Kerry GAA officals were also frustrated by Cooper's event.
Kerry GAA officials are privately seething over it.
The county's GAA Centre of Excellence is now nearing completion - it will have eventually cost €7m and there is still a shortfall of almost €3m.The issue for the county board is that Gooch's gig was tapping into the people and companies that they would have been looking at to provide finance for the centre.
Spillane is of the opinion events like this should mirror the upcoming Ó Sé event, where a tribute benefits the club that developed the player. His Sunday Game colleague, Joe Brolly, was also a vocal critic of Cooper's event.
An Ghaeltacht were quick to highlight their event is strictly to benefit the club.
Absolutely. Club fundraiser... #cynicism
— Cumann Caide na Gaeltachta (@AnGhaeltacht) November 6, 2017
You can read Spillane in full here.
