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The 42
2 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Kildare crowned Joe McDonagh Cup champions with victory over Laois
Updated at 16.16 Kildare 2-26 Laois 1-19 Paul Keane reports from Croke Park KILDARE HAVE capped a remarkable 12 months of hurling success with a landmark Joe McDonagh Cup title win, securing their place in the Leinster SHC for the first time since 2004. Brian Dowling's side only won the Christy Ring Cup 12 months ago and, initially at least, would have been happy to simply retain their Joe McDonagh Cup status this term. They even lost their opening group game to Kerry, their ninth defeat from nine games in the competition, but have bounced back in remarkable fashion since then to claim a historic win. Tied at half-time in their first-ever McDonagh Cup final, and fortunate to be level at that stage given the number of chances Laois wasted, Kildare cut loose after the break to beat Laois comfortably for the second time in the competition. Second-half goals from Jack Sheridan and substitute Jack Travers proved crucial, while free-taker David Qualter finished with 13 points on a famous day for the county. But it was a powerful collective performance with centre-back Cian Boran standing out in a strong defence. Kildare, who have already secured Division 1B hurling for 2026, will get an immediate chance to test themselves at the higher level next weekend when they play Dublin in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final. Laois have at least another week to run in their campaign too, with Dublin set to visit Portlaoise in the MacCarthy Cup. Just like the Dublin footballers a week earlier on the same turf, Laois reflected on a first half of squandered chances, which cost them dearly in the end. The half-time stats made for painful reading for them: 11 wides, five point attempts that dropped short and a shot at goal that was saved. Kildare were more efficient when the ball was at the opposite Davin End and started brighter, showing no signs of anticipated nerves. It was their first final at the grade, and they were bidding to return to Leinster championship hurling for the first time since losing to Westmeath 21 years ago. But they were calm and composed and deserved their early 0-4 to 0-2 lead with Sheridan, James Burke and Qualter picking off three terrific points from play. They showed their athleticism in the 18th minute when they snuffed out a Laois goal chance and worked a speedy move up the pitch that ended with a free and a handy Qualter tap over. Free-taker Qualter finished the half with seven points to his credit and was influential in open play too. Kildare retained their two-point lead approaching the half-hour mark when they were 0-9 to 0-7 ahead. But with the Laois wides tally into double figures at that stage, the scoreline flattered the Lilywhites. Three Laois points in a row from James Keyes and free-taker Tomas Keyes amounted to a strong finish to the half from them, levelling it up at 0-11 apiece at the break. And Laois held onto that momentum with their goal coming just seconds after the restart. Paddy Purcell raced clear with the ball from the throw-in, and though his eventual shot off the turf was saved, Ben Conroy came sliding in and bundled it to the net. Advertisement Laois were desperate to kick on from there and to impose themselves on the game, but couldn't. Instead, it was Kildare that reeled off two separate bursts of three points, taking a three-point lead at the hour mark and then killing off Laois with the two goals. Travers grabbed his in the 61st minute, following up on the rebound after Sheridan's initial shot was blocked. Five minutes later, Sheridan netted himself, shrugging off a jersey pull and darting beyond Ryan Mullaney to get a low shot away that hit the net. Kildare sub Muiris Curtin pointed in the 68th minute and punched the air in delight, realising that the job was done at that stage. Kildare scorers: David Qualter 0-13 (0-11f, 0-1 65), Jack Sheridan 1-4, Jack Travers 1-1, Gerry Keegan 0-3, James Burke 0-2, Simon Leacy 0-1, Paul Dolan 0-1, Muiris Curtin 0-1. Laois scorers: Tomas Keyes 0-6 (0-5f), Ben Conroy 1-2, Padraig Delaney 0-2 (0-2f), James Keyes 0-2, Paddy Purcell 0-2, PJ Scully 0-2 (0-1f), Lee Cleere 0-1, Fiachra C Fennell 0-1, James Duggan 0-1. KILDARE 1. Paddy McKenna (Clane) 2. Richy Hogan (Naas) 3. Rian Boran (Naas – Captain) 5. Daniel O'Meara (Maynooth) 7. Paul Dolan (Eire Og Corra Choill) 6. Cian Boran (Naas) 4. Simon Leacy (Naas) 8. Daire Guerin (Naas) 10. Cathal McCabe (Maynooth) 14. Cathal Dowling (Naas) 11. Jack Sheridan (Naas) 12. David Qualter (Maynooth) 13. Darragh Melville (Leixlip) 9. James Burke (Naas) 15. Gerry Keegan (Celbridge) SUBS 17. Jack Travers (Leixlip) for Dowling (59) 21. Muiris Curtin (Moorefield) for McCabe (64) 20. Conn Kehoe (Moorefield) for Melville (69) 19. Liam O'Reilly (Naas) for Dolan (69) 22. Oisin Lynam (Celbridge) for Keegan (72) LAOIS 1. Cathal Dunne (Clough Ballacolla) 8. Fiachra C Fennell (Rosenallis) 19. Jordan Walshe (Clough Ballacolla) 2. Cody Comerford (The Harps) 6. Padraig Delaney (The Harps) 3. Lee Cleere (Clough Ballacolla) 4. Diarmaid Conway (Clough Ballacolla) 10. Aidan Corby (Clough Ballacolla) 21. James Keyes (Coillte Seanchua) 12. Paddy Purcell (Rathdowney Errill) 11. Tomas Keyes (Camross) 9. David Dooley (Rosenallis – Captain) 13. Mark Dowling (Camross) 14. Jer Quinlan (Borris-Kilcotton) 15. Ben Conroy (Sliabh Bladhma) SUBS 23. Aaron Dunphy (Borris-Kilcotton) for Tomas Keyes (54) 17. Padraic Dunne (The Harps) for Comerford (60) 24. James Duggan (The Harps) for Dowling (62) 19. Ryan Mullaney (Castletown) for Walshe (64) 25. PJ Scully (Borris-Kilcotton) for Conroy (66) Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
Irish Examiner
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Beirne bags a dozen as Kildare put a scoring clinic on Leitrim
Tailteann Cup: KILDARE 0-36 LEITRIM 0-11 Alex Beirne scored 12 points as Kildare brushed off their Leinster Championship disappointment by strolling to the most facile of victories at a sunny Cedral St Conleths Park in the opening round of the Tailteann Cup. Any lingering hangover from the Leinster semi-final defeat to Louth was blown away as Brian Flanagan's men turned in an exhibition of shooting on a perfect evening for football. Kildare had their chances in that game against Louth and had shown a reluctance to shoot from long range in earlier games this year. Here, against admittedly weaker opponents, you could see their confidence grow with every point as they began to shoot with freedom. Beirne led the way with a superb display of free taking and long-range shooting but he was far from on his own with Darragh Swords and Ryan Sinkey sharing 12 points evenly between them. It wasn't quite all plain sailing though. After a blistering start when Kildare led 0-6 to 0-1 after 14 minutes, Leitrim showed that they weren't just in Newbridge to make up the numbers. Barry McNulty kicked an excellent two-point free and then when Keith Keegan scored in the 27th minute there was just two points between the teams, 0-7 to 0-5. That, however, just woke Kildare from their slumber and they took off on a run of 11 points in the next eight minutes of play, including a two point effort from Beirne. McNulty and Keegan scored the last two points of the half but Kildare still led 0-16 to 0-7 at the break. Leitrim could have fashioned a goal in the opening 30 seconds after the restart but the final pass to Keegan was just at the wrong height and he couldn't make the right connection. After that, it was one way traffic with Kildare completely dominating the tie. Their performance reach a crescendo seven minutes into the second period when the injury-jinxed Jimmy Hyland, making his first Championship start since 2022, set up Beirne for a two-point score and then he brilliantly converted from similar range himself a minute later. To their credit, Kildare never took their foot off their pedal and kept the scoreboard ticking over right up until the last kick of the game when goalkeeper Cian Burke converted a 45. The only thing missing from the Kildare performance was a goal but after scoring 36 points there was few of a Lilywhite persuasion complaining. Scorers for Kildare: A Beirne 0-12 ( 2tp, 2tpf, 3f), D Swords 0-6(1f) R Sinkey 0-6(1f), K Feely 0-3, J Hyland 0-3 (1tp),D Kirwan, M O'Grady, J McGrath, H O'Neill, N O'Sullivan, C Burke (1f) 0-1 each Scorers for Leitrim: B McNulty 0-6 (2 tpf, 1f), T Prior 0-2, K Keegan 0-2, R O Rourke 0-1 KILDARE: Cian Burke; Harry O'Neill, Mark Dempsey, Ryan Burke; Kevin Flynn, David Hyland, James McGrath; Kevin Feely, Mick O'Grady; Darragh Swords, Alex Beirne, Paddy McDermott; Ryan Sinkey, Darragh Kirwan, Jimmy Hyland. Subs: Rian Teahan for Kirwan, h/t; Brendan Gibbons for Feely, 44; Ryan Houlihan for J Hyland, 52; Niall O'Sullivan for K Flynn, 56-63 b/s), Daniel Flynn for Beirne, 59; Niall O'Sullivan for O'Neill, 66. LEITRIM: Daire O'Shea; Éanna McNamara, Donal Casey, Kieran Clancy; James Rooney, Mark Diffley, Jack Foley; Barry McNulty, Cillian McGloin; David Feeney, Keith Keegan, Tom Prior; Ben Guckian, Riordan O'Rourke, Darren Cox. Subs: Tom Hughes for McNamara, 47; Seán Harkin for David Feeney, 52; Ryan Bohan for Rooney, 63; Joe McGloin for O'Rourke, 65; Shane Finn for Clancy, 65. Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo)
