Kildare revive Joe McDonagh Cup hopes with six-point win over Carlow
Kildare got their Joe McDonagh Cup hopes back on track with this fully deserved win over Carlow at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
The eventual winners came into the game as underdogs but they quickly belied the amateur pundits as they pulled the Carlow defence apart at will. Marty Kavanagh may have given Carlow an early lead with two converted frees but the home side was quickly reeled in.
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Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Boran and Kildare dreaming of staying afloat in Leinster
Monday evening in Carlow and Rian Boran finds himself on the same pitch facing the combined talents of TJ Reid, Chris Crummey and Lee Chin. It's all fun as the Kildare captain is taking part in the Hurling for Cancer Research charity game but in 2026 he'll lock horns with Leinster's best players for real. Tipperary may go down as the breakthrough hurling team of 2025, given their MacCarthy Cup triumph, but Boran and Kildare can't be far behind given their remarkable progress. It's only 18 months or so since they were navigating the Christy Ring Cup competition but now, after winning that and the Joe McDonagh Cup, they are preparing for life in hurling's fast lane in 2026. They will replace Antrim in the Leinster championship and just one win, as Offaly proved this season, might even be enough to keep them up. Can they do it? "Everyone has hopes and dreams - it would definitely be a dream of mine to stay up in the Leinster championship," said Boran. "But there's a lot of work to be done. I'm already looking forward to getting back in with the lads again. We'll try to drive on with the club first but we'll look forward to the new year with Kildare, absolutely." Kildare were defeated by Down in March's Division 2 league final but both sides were promoted to 1B for 2026. That will be another significant challenge for the Lilywhites, pitching them in alongside Crummey's Dubs and 2024 All-Ireland winners Clare next spring. "It's a huge challenge," acknowledged Boran of the overall test awaiting Kildare next year. "We'll try our best not to underestimate it. We know there's a huge amount of work to do to try to reach that level because it's a really different standard but we're up for trying to reach that level and we'll hopefully give a bit of entertainment to our fans too." And yet Kildare's season was in danger of bottoming out at the beginning of the McDonagh Cup. Fresh off that league final defeat, they lost their Round 1 game against Kerry in Newbridge. At that stage, the county had played nine Joe McDonagh Cup games ever and lost the lot. Remarkably, Kerry ended up getting relegated to the Ring Cup while Kildare redoubled their efforts and reeled off five wins to take the McDonagh Cup, beating favourites Laois by 10 points in the Croke Park final. "It was a lot of the lads' first time up in the Joe McDonagh Cup, it's a young team compared to previous years, so that first game definitely had a huge impact," said full-back Boran. "That was a tough one, we took it pretty hard but in fairness to the lads they showed the right attitude. Kerry are a good team as well. But we took that beating to heart and came back stronger. We had to up the physicality for the next game against Westmeath."
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I'm GAA star who worked with Ger Brennan in his first inter-county job – he was destined to be Dublin football manager
'BIG COUP' I'm GAA star who worked with Ger Brennan in his first inter-county job – he was destined to be Dublin football manager AS Dublin look to Ger Brennan to be their messiah, the new Sky Blues boss has already shown that God is in the details. Brennan's first inter-county role was with Carlow, where he served as coach following Niall Carew's appointment as manager in 2020. 2 Ger Brennan's first inter-county job was as a coach with Carlow Credit: Matt Browne/Sportsfile 2 Darragh Foley has fond memories of that time Credit: Matt Browne/Sportsfile Advertisement And Barrowsiders stalwart Darragh Foley has fond memories of working with the man who recently succeeded Dessie Farrell as Dubs gaffer. Foley told SunSport: 'It was very enjoyable with Ger, even though it was only for a year. 'You could tell by the standards he set and the way he went about things that he was always destined for big jobs. 'Ger would never have said it but I'd imagine the Dublin gig is one he had his eyes on from a long time out. He's earned that job and I think he'll be a big success. Advertisement 'He's a fella who does well in anything he turns his hand to.' Brennan was persuaded to get involved with Carlow by Carew, who first encountered the former Dublin defender when he played under the Kildare native at Maynooth University. Foley continued: 'It was a big coup from Niall to get someone like Ger in as a coach. 'You could tell it was something he was really buying into and he was always ultra- professional. He was just very detail-oriented. Advertisement 'Going into every session, you knew what it was going to entail before you got there. 'You were sent the details of it that day and that kind of thing is great for players when you know exactly what you're going to be facing. Henry Shefflin among GAA stars at Oasis gigs where Man City tradition made its Croke Park debut 'That was my first experience of that, where you got that information beforehand. 'He's also hungry to be successful. He's a winner, it's in his character and that rubs off on lads too. I'm delighted he got a big job and I'd say he'll do very well.' Carlow's all-time top scorer first crossed paths with Brennan — who had just won the first of his two All-Ireland SFC medals — in a win for Dublin in the 2012 O'Byrne Cup. Advertisement And Foley, 34, recalled: 'We were actually marking each other, which was an experience in itself! 'Ger was an unbelievable footballer but he was tough as nails as well. To be coached by him then later on in my career was great. 'He was really good at dealing with players especially. He'd always touch base with you during the week just to make sure everything was good. 'Even since Ger stepped away, any time we got a good result with Carlow or if there were personal things, he'd always drop you a text. 'Ger is so busy in his own life but those little touches are a testament to the man he is.' Advertisement 'INTERESTING' Brennan's stock in management rose this summer when he led Louth to a first Leinster SFC title 68 years. But bringing glory to Dublin is his next assignment. Foley added: 'Ger comes from St Vincent's, which is one of the traditionally strongest clubs in Dublin. 'Their ethos is very much about letting the ball do the work and that would have been his message to us in Carlow as well. 'Louth were more of a counter-attacking team but that just shows his strength. He's able to adapt to the players available to him. Advertisement 'I'm sure for Ger, the backroom team he puts together with Dublin and the players he has, their aim will be to get back and win All-Irelands. 'There have probably been at least four or five teams in that mix over the last couple of years. 'It will make for a very interesting 2026, to see how it plays out.'
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Wexford star Lee Chin calls for major All-Ireland SHC shake-up with four teams qualifying from Leinster and Munster
Chin says the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists deserve a break and insists extra provincial spots would boost competitiveness in the Championship ALL CHANGE Wexford star Lee Chin calls for major All-Ireland SHC shake-up with four teams qualifying from Leinster and Munster WEXFORD captain Lee Chin has added his voice to calls for four teams to qualify for the All-Ireland SHC from both Leinster and Munster. GAA president Jarlath Burns has vowed to review the current structure of the hurling Championship, admitting that the pathway into the All-Ireland series for the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists could be abolished. 2 County icon Chin says the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists deserve a break and insists more provincial spots would boost competitiveness 2 Wexford skipper Lee Chin has called for a major adjustment to the senior hurling championship campaign Along with the likes of Clare's Tony Kelly and Waterford's Stephen Bennett. Chin was one of many leading players whose season ended in May after Wexford failed to secure the top-three finish required to advance from the provincial stages. He said: "Every inter-county hurler wants to be hurling as late into the year as they can. It'll be interesting to see what will come if they do potentially change what way the format goes. "My own feelings on it would be that if they're going to keep the same one, maybe change it so that four teams come out of each province. "I mean this with the greatest respect, but the teams that are coming up from the Joe McDonagh over the last number of years, their games in the preliminary quarter-final just haven't really been competitive.' In light of the introduction of participation in the top-tier of Championship hurling as a bonus for Joe McDonagh teams, the 2019 win for Laois over Dublin remains an outlier. Since then, the eight preliminary quarter-finals have ended in victories for the Liam MacCarthy Cup sides by an average margin of more than 17 points. Chin added: "It's quite unfair on them too that they have to go out and play again only a week after playing their All-Ireland. "They're not able to put in the best week of preparation as a result and it's probably something that just needs to change. "If those places were taken by the teams who finished fourth in the provinces, I think it would just add more competitiveness to the rest of the Championship. Scottie Scheffler suffers major blow ahead of PGA Tour playoff event after $43 million season earnings are revealed "From a player welfare point of view, let the Joe McDonagh finalists have their few days to celebrate afterwards or whatever it might be because the bodies wouldn't necessarily be right to go into a high-intensity Championship game. "If there's not going to be any change to that – and I don't know where it's going to be found – then they're going to have to give those teams an extra week or two to be ready for it. "But if the same timeframe is there, the more appropriate alternative would be to have four teams coming out of both Munster and Leinster." Chin's next outing will be the annual Hurling for Cancer Research game at Netwatch Cullen Park, where he will be among an array of big names lining out on Monday evening. He said: "It's an absolutely fantastic occasion each year. I'm privileged to be involved in it and I love heading up to see the players, the coaches and the crowds that have gathered over the years. "Since my first year involved, which was 2015 or 2016, there's been a huge difference in the size of the crowds attending the game and the number of people who have bought into it. "Fair play to everybody who continues to make it happen because it's a brilliant thing they're doing for such a great cause."
