This year's county senior hurling final between Lixnaw and Kilmoyley will be remembered not for the quality of the hurling, which was poor, but rather for a nasty fracas that flared up just before the second half started and which could have resulted in serious injuries.

The opening half had been mediocre, with Kilmoyley not fully using the strong wind to their backs. They carried a 0-7 to 0-4 lead to the dressing room, thanks to three points from sharpshooter Daniel Collins, two from robust centre forward Adrian Royle and a penalty keeper Aiden McCabe tapped over the bar, when a goal would have given added momentum.

Nothing prepared the crowd for what was to transpire before referee John Sexton, threw in the ball for the second half. An altercation appeared to take place between Tom Murnane and former Kerry great Paul Galvin and, with Murnane on the deck, things turned nasty as rival players rushed in to join the fray.

A third party was seen running onto the pitch, swinging a hurley at Galvin’s upper body. Galvin, while not taking the full force of the blow, did take a hit and one of his Lixnaw team-mates was seen striking the third party. However quick action by the steward saw the offender being frogmarched off the pitch. He was then escorted by a garda from Austin Stack Park. The CCC of the Kerry County Committee is awaiting the referee’s report before deciding what course of action to take.

Before the second half got under way, yellow cards were brandished to both Galvin and Murnane, and thankfully the second half proceeded without incident.

Lixnaw took over with points from Heffernan (3) and one each from Galvin and Stephen Power, bringing the score to 0-9 to 0-7. Kilmoyley scored through a Collins free, in the 52nd minute and when Brendan Brosnan and Heffernan added two frees, Lixnaw looked winners. However points from Collins and Tom Murnane levelled matters.