Ciarán Murphy: Kildare looked preconceived notions in the eye and decided to ignore them

Irish Times

a day ago

I got an email last week from a man in Las Vegas, Nevada, who has in the past few years fallen in love with Gaelic football. Earl Bostic's interest was initially piqued by the Dublin-Tyrone clash in the fourth round of the league in 2019, if you can believe that, so this guy has served his time. And if the last five All-Ireland championships are his sole frame of reference for what Gaelic football can be, he's probably been even more excited than us at what's unfolded over the last two months.
He put his money where his mouth was last week in any case, pitching up at Breffni Park for Donegal against Cavan and excitedly taking a seat just two rows behind the dug-outs.
'In the US, getting second-row seats at a sporting event is considered a great thing. I was surprised when we took our seat to see that most others had taken seats higher up in the stand. It quickly became clear to me why, when out of nowhere, it started to rain, and I realised the first few rows of the stand are not covered and thus not protected from the elements. Lesson learned.'
Even if we'd received a drenching during the Leinster final that followed, that moment would have been worth it and a lot more
Out of nowhere? No rain shower is ever really out of nowhere. But this is why one travels. You get to learn about new cultures, new modes of thought, new (rain-sodden) climates.
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I was down close to the pitch last Sunday in Croker too, vulnerable to the weather and feeling pretty glum given the likelihood of a proper soaking, but what you lose in the swings, you gain in the roundabouts. I would always prefer to be a little higher up to see the full sweep of the game, but watching hurling at pitchside remains such a visceral thrill.
Joe McDonagh Cup Final, Croke Park, Dublin 8/6/2025 Kildare vs Laois Kildares' Cian Boran and Jack Higgins celebrate Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/James Crombie
I was in position in plenty of time for the start of Kildare-Laois because I was sitting with my friend Sinead O'Carroll of The Journal and members of her family who have been lifelong members of Celbridge camogie and GAA club. The feeling beforehand was that this was a brilliant opportunity, but that there was also almost an element of unreality to it - it was hard to call this Kildare's Everest, given they'd barely established themselves at base camp. Maybe it was not supposed to happen this fast?
Kildare hurled well in the first half, but they had undoubtedly been helped by Laois's profligacy. When Laois came out and scored a fortuitous goal after the break, it would have been the most reasonable reaction in the world to look at which way the game was going and decide, well, maybe another year in the Joe Mac might not be the worst thing in the world. Chalk it down to experience for next year. But Kildare simply looked those preconceived notions in the eye and decided to ignore them. From Laois's goal until the finish, Kildare were the better team by a distance.
I would always prefer to be a little higher up to see the full sweep of the game, but watching hurling at pitchside remains such a visceral thrill
And my station on the sideline, surrounded by Kildare hurling people who were getting increasingly emotional, turned out to be a gift. As the final whistle loomed, people in Kildare jerseys and training tops started gathering at the bottom of the stand, by the gates on to the field marshalled by stewards. When the final whistle blew, the tears started to flow.
Given the way they seemed to know each other, it was obvious they were all family members of various players - doubtless the people who might have made up 90 per cent (or 100 per cent) of this team's support as they laboured in the Christy Ring Cup for years. And here they were, in Croke Park, about to go up the steps of the Hogan Stand.
Joe McDonagh Cup Final, Croke Park, Dublin 8/6/2025 Kildare vs Laois Kildare team celebrate with the Joe McDonagh Cup Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
My eye was repeatedly drawn to one woman in a white jersey who was bawling her eyes out, eager to share the moment with as many of her counterparts as possible. I waited and waited to see which player would wrap this woman in the embrace that would signify the day for me . . . and eventually over came Rita's son Jack Sheridan, the scorer of the second goal that decisively won the day for Kildare, and one of their star performers. Even if we'd received a drenching during the Leinster final that followed, that moment would have been worth it and a lot more.
Sinead has told me since that there were eight new hurlers down at Celbridge Under-11 training on Monday night. That will surely not be an isolated phenomenon. Certainly, any talented dual player in Naas has a real decision to make.
The point is churlish on a number of levels, but it's worth stating this week - Kildare are in the last eight of the Liam MacCarthy Cup, and the last eight of football's second-tier competition. Even with all the caveats, including the unnecessary complication of giving the Joe McDonagh finalists a backdoor route into the All-Ireland championship, that's incredible in its own way.
A couple of Kildare substitutes came over to our part of the Lower Hogan on Sunday too, and some of them would have easily passed for Leaving Cert students (if that's not, in fact, what they are). As Kilkenny and Galway ran out through the celebrating Kildare players, the differences in physique and strength and conditioning were starkly evident.
That's Kildare's challenge, but that is also their reward. Richly deserved, too.