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Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Kildare's Leinster SHC clash with Galway will be special for the Qualter family
Joe McDonagh Cup final hero David Qualter says facing Galway in next year's Leinster SHC will be a particularly special moment for him and his family. Free-taker Qualter blasted 13 points at Croke Park to help Kildare secure a breakthrough tier two title win, returning them to the MacCarthy Cup race for the first time since 2004. The Maynooth clubman is the grandson of Galway great PJ Qualter who, ironically, lined out in the 1975 National League and All-Ireland finals alongside Joe McDonagh, scoring a goal in both deciders. David's father, Paul Qualter, is a Turloughmore stalwart too while his uncle, Seamus Qualter, had spells in charge of the Westmeath and Roscommon senior teams, as well as Ireland's hurling/shinty side. "My Dad is Turloughmore and growing up I would always imagine myself playing for Galway nearly when I was out on the green playing hurling with the lads," said Qualter. "That's what we're trying to be now for the young Kildare hurlers, a team to look up to and aspire to. Hopefully young lads are looking out at Cian Boran, James Burke and lads like that. We just need to give them a platform to look up to, at what they can be when they grow up. "And look, now we're in the Leinster championship ourselves and we'll be facing them (Galway). It's unreal, I can't believe it." Read More Kildare roar to Liam MacCarthy status with convincing victory over Laois Kildare will have another opportunity to promote hurling in the county when they host Dublin in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final tie this weekend. "We'll get a big crowd into Newbridge," predicted Qualter. But it's a MacCarthy Cup fixture that few anticipated, particularly when Kildare started the McDonagh Cup campaign with a loss to Kerry. "We were in a dark place," acknowledged Qualter. "Especially after losing to Down in the league final before that, and then the loss to Kerry. I don't know if I've ever been in a worse room in my life, never mind a dressing-room, after that loss to Kerry. "But we had a chat about it and said a few realities there on the Tuesday night after that and we've just come such a long way since then." Sunday's 10-point defeat of Laois followed Kildare's 11-point win over the same opposition at the group stage last month. They beat Westmeath and Carlow along the way too. It has the appearance of an overnight success story though Qualter smiled at that misconception. "It's just absolutely savage work that's been done by people in the background and Jesus, it's something to be really proud of," he said. "That work didn't just appear after we beat Westmeath, Carlow and Laois, that work was already done even after we lost to Kerry." Qualter said that he personally felt a Joe McDonagh Cup triumph was a possibility from as far back as a couple of seasons ago. That's despite losing all of the games that they'd played in the competition in their two previous seasons in it, 2021 and 2023. "When we got relegated from it two years ago, we were in the pub the day after and we honestly said, 'We are good enough to win the Joe McDonagh'," said Qualter. "We knew we had the talent within the group but then after the loss to Kerry, look, there might have been a seed of doubt out there but between us in the dressing-room and in the panel, and the management, we knew we were going to come back."
The Irish Sun
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘It's unreal' – Kildare GAA hero ‘imagined myself playing with Galway' like iconic granddad who played with Joe McDonagh
KILDARE'S David Qualter is delighted to keep the famous family name going in the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Qualter blasted 13 points in the 2 David Qualter has carried on his family name in hurling Credit: John Sheridan/Sportsfile 2 David Qualter shot 0-13 in the Joe McDonagh Cup final against Laois Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile The Lilywhites' reward is a golden ticket back to the Leinster SHC in 2026 having not featured there since 2004. There is a more immediate Liam MacCarthy Cup fixture this Saturday with Qualter's grandfather PJ is a the 1975 National League and All-Ireland finals. He played alongside Joe McDonagh in both of those deciders. And the Maynooth forward's uncle Séamus Qualter is a former Read More on GAA David's dad Paul hurled for Turloughmore too and the Galway club sent a best wishes message ahead of Sunday's ten-point defeat of Laois. Qualter smiled: 'My dad is Turloughmore and growing up I would always imagine myself playing with Galway when I was out on the green playing hurling with the lads. 'That's what we're trying to be for the young Kildare hurlers, a team to look up to. Young hurlers are looking out now at Cian Boran, James Burke. 'We just need to give them a platform to look at what they can be. Most read in GAA Hurling 'Now we're in the Leinster Championship ourselves and we'll be facing Galway. It's unreal, I can't believe it.' Kildare will have another opportunity to promote hurling in the county this weekend when the Dubs visit the redeveloped Cedral St Conleth's Park. Brendan Cummins defends time-keeping in Munster GAA hurling final between Cork and Limerick Qualter predicted: 'We'll get a big crowd.' But it is a fixture few anticipated, particularly when Kildare started the McDonagh Cup campaign with a loss to Free-taker Qualter said: 'We were in a dark place. Especially after losing to Down in the league final. 'I don't know if I've been in a worse room in my life, never mind a dressing room , after that loss to Kerry. 'But we had a chat about it and said a few realities there on the Tuesday night after that and we've just come such a long way since then. 'Between us in the dressing room, the panel and the management, we knew we were going to come back.'
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
McGrath: Are we punishing Joe McDonagh Cup finalists?
Joe McDonagh Cup finalists Kildare and Laois will be back in action this weekend, but in truth, anything other than wins for Dublin, and in particular Tipperary, would be seen as major shocks. The Lilywhites will enter the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final at home to the Dubs with huge momentum behind them. Having already secured 1B hurling earlier this year, Brian Dowling's men will compete in the Leinster Championship in 2026 after a maiden success in the McDonagh Cup on Sunday. Laois, on the other hand, will have to pick themselves up after the 10-point defeat at Croke Park, where the challenge will be significantly tougher against a rejuvenated Tipperary. The preliminary quarter-finals tend to be one-sided games, with Laois' victory over Dublin in 2019 the only time a Joe McDonagh side has prevailed against stiffer opposition. Laois' 12-point defeat to Wexford at the same stage last year could be seen a success in the context that the average losing margin for the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists before that was just shy of 22 points. Earlier this year, Leinster Council chairman Derek Kent proposed scrapping the All-Ireland hurling preliminary quarter-finals to accommodate potential provincial final replays, insisting the preliminaries offer "no promotion of hurling". Speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, former Tipperary hurler Shane McGrath outlined his own concerns over the fixtures, especially the short turnaround from the McDonagh Cup final. "Take the All-Ireland hurling final on the third week of July," he said. "Imagine after that match, you say to everyone, 'by the way, you won this, but to play in this competition you have to play next Saturday'. "Are we nearly punishing them for winning the thing by playing seven days later." Former hurling referee Barry Kelly praised Kildare and Brian Dowling for being the hurling and managerial story of the year respectively, but feels the preliminaries offer little hope for the McDonagh sides. "The average defeat in those games is 17 points," he said. "No-one would be surprised if Tippeary beat Laois by 17 points. Let's be honest, 17 points would be regarded by Laois as an achievement next weekend." Follow a live blog on the All-Ireland Football Championship on Saturday on and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Saturday Game at 9.30pm. Watch an All-Ireland Football Championship double-header, Monaghan v Down and Donegal v Mayo, on Sunday from 1.30pm. Follow a live blog on and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1. Watch highlights on The Sunday Game at 9.30pm.
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Short turn around for Dowling and Kildare are tough McDonagh Cup final victory
Joe McDonagh Cup hurling final: Kildare 2-26 Laois 1-19 Brian Dowling has revealed that he questioned his ability to manage Kildare after they lost to Kerry in the opening round of this season's Joe McDonagh Cup. Seven weeks on, he's celebrating surely his greatest achievement in management after capturing the tier two title and, in the process, ending the county's 21-year absence from the Leinster SHC. The Lilywhites produced a stunning second-half performance at Croke Park to see off favourites Laois. Sub Jack Travers and Jack Sheridan grabbed the goals while free-taker David Qualter finished with 0-13. It was a giant collective effort from a team that appeared noticeably fitter as the game wore on. Cian Boran stood tall at the centre of a brilliant defensive effort. Kildare's immediate reward for the maiden win is an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final clash with Dublin next weekend. They will then spend the winter months preparing for a first Leinster SHC tie in 2026 since they were beaten by Westmeath in 2004. All of which seemed highly unlikely after the defeat to Kerry back in mid-April. That was the county's ninth defeat in the McDonagh Cup from nine games across three different campaigns. Kerry ended up being relegated while Kildare, who only won the Christy Ring Cup last year, went on to win the title though a few 'home truths' needed to be dished out first. "It's incredible, I can't describe the dressing-room after that Kerry match," said Dowling who previously managed Kilkenny camogie and St Kieran's College hurling teams to All-Ireland successes. "I've been in a lot of dressing-rooms down the years, losing All-Ireland finals and stuff, but that honestly was one of the worst I've ever been in. I didn't know what to say to the lads. It was hard to say anything. I questioned my own ability as a manager, you know, where do you go? What do you do? "We actually met the lads on the Tuesday night and we did no video analysis, like we normally would. We just had a hard chat. We told a few home truths between ourselves, as players and management. Then we just went back at it. "We actually trained hard afterwards that night and it was the best thing that ever happened." Five wins later - including two against Laois - Kildare have achieved one of the greatest triumphs in the county's hurling history. They were actually fortunate to be level with Laois at half-time, 0-11 to 0-11, considering all the point attempts that favourites Laois butchered. When Ben Conroy bundled home a Laois goal seconds after the restart, leaving the 2024 runners-up three points ahead, and with momentum on their side, it all looked ominous. Kildare's response, just like that turnaround after the Kerry game, was truly impressive, outscoring Laois by 2-15 to 0-8 from there on to win by a 10-point margin. The Travers goal in the 60th minute summed up all that was good about Kildare on the day. Darragh Melville defiantly stripped a Laois defender of possession after a short puck-out and worked the ball across to Sheridan whose blocked shot was slammed home by Travers. Sheridan netted himself five minutes later, shrugging off a jersey pull as he darted by Laois defender Ryan Mullaney and shot low past Cathal Dunne. Only for goalkeeper Dunne's excellence earlier, it would have been three goals for Kildare. Dunne pulled off a brilliant double save to thwart firstly Cathal McCabe and then, somehow, Sheridan. Kildare sub Muiris Curtin punched the air in delight when he fired over in the 68th minute, sensing the job was done. Only once has a side coming from the Joe McDonagh Cup won an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final, when Laois beat Dublin in 2019. But if Kildare can repeat this wholehearted performance in Newbridge next Saturday, they'll have a chance. "We'll do everything we can to be ready for it," said Dowling. "But look, obviously six days is difficult. If you had two weeks that would be a lot better and would give lads a chance. "These lads are going to be very sore. There were a couple of them, I won't name names, but how they got on the pitch at all I don't know. We really had to patch them up. We had serious injuries coming into this game but we got through it." Laois will play Tipperary in Portlaoise next weekend, probably on Saturday too, though manager Tommy Fitzgerald reckons the short turnaround is a 'joke'. "It's all very raw at the moment but we will regroup in a day or two and it's important that we represent the jersey and the county as well as we can the next day," said Fitzgerald. "But it's a bit of a joke doing it next Saturday, to be honest with you." Scorers for Kildare: D Qualter 0-13 (11 frees, 1 65); J Sheridan 1-4; J Travers 1-1; G Keegan 0-3; J Burke 0-2; S Leacy, P Dolan, M Curtin 0-1 each. Scorers for Laois: T Keyes 0-6 (5 frees); B Conroy 1-2; P Delaney (2 frees), J Keyes, P Purcell, PJ Scully (1 free) 0-2 each; L Cleere, FC Fennell, J Duggan 0-1 each. KILDARE: P McKenna; R Hogan, R Boran, D O'Meara; P Dolan, C Boran, S Leacy; D Guerin, C McCabe; C Dowling, J Sheridan, D Qualter; D Melville, J Burke, G Keegan. Subs: J Travers for Dowling (59); M Curtin for McCabe (64); C Kehoe for Melville & L O'Reilly for Dolan (69); O Lynam for Keegan (72). LAOIS: C Dunne; F C Fennell, J Walshe, C Comerford; P Delaney, L Cleere, D Conway; A Corby, J Keyes; P Purcell, T Keyes, D Dooley; M Dowling, J Quinlan, B Conroy. Subs: A Dunphy for T Keyes (54); P Dunne for Comerford (60); J Duggan for Dowling (62); R Mullaney for Walsh (64); PJ Scully for Conroy (66). Referee: M Kennedy (Tipperary).
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Brian Dowling leads Kildare to Joe McDonagh Cup glory against Laois after questioning his own ability
BRIAN DOWLING said he questioned his own ability to manage Kildare at the start of this season's Joe McDonagh Cup. Now he's celebrating his greatest achievement in management after winning the competition and getting Kildare back into the Leinster SHC. 2 The Kildare team celebrate after they claimed their first ever Joe McDonagh Cup against Laois on Sunday 2 Kildare manager Brian Dowling admitted he questioned his own ability at the start of the 2025 campaign The Lilywhites produced a stunning second-half performance to see off favourites Laois and capture a first ever Joe McDonagh Cup title. Sub Jack Travers and Jack Sheridan grabbed the goals while free-taker David Qualter finished with 0-13. It was a giant collective effort from a team that appeared noticeably fitter as the game wore on. Cian Boran stood tall at the centre of a brilliant defensive effort. Kildare's immediate reward for the landmark win is an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final clash with Dublin next weekend. read more on gaa And they will spend the winter months preparing to return to the Leinster SHC after a 22-year absence. All of which seemed highly unlikely after Kildare's Round 1 defeat to Kerry only seven weeks ago. That was the county's ninth defeat in the McDonagh Cup from nine games across three different campaigns. Kerry ended up being relegated while Kildare went on to win the title though a few 'home truths' needed to be dished out first. Most read in GAA Hurling Dowling, who previously managed Kilkenny to two All-Ireland camogie titles, said: "It's incredible, I can't describe the dressing-room after that Kerry match. "I've been in a lot of dressing-rooms down the years, losing All-Ireland finals and stuff, but that honestly was one of the worst I've ever been in. RTE GAA pundits argue over who started halftime row as Cork eventually topple Limerick in Munster epic final "I didn't know what to say to the lads. It was hard to say anything. I questioned my own ability as a manager, you know, where do you go? What do you do? "We actually met the lads on the Tuesday night and we did no video analysis, like we normally would. We just had a hard chat. "We told a few home truths between ourselves, as players and management. Then we just went back at it. "We actually trained hard afterwards that night and it was the best thing that ever happened." Five wins later - including two against 2024 runners-up Laois - Kildare have achieved one of the greatest triumphs in the county's hurling history. They were actually fortunate to be level with Laois at half-time, 0-11 to 0-11, considering all the point attempts that favourites Laois butchered. And when Ben Conroy bundled home a Laois goal seconds after the restart, leaving the 2024 runners-up three points ahead, and with momentum on their side, it all looked ominous. Kildare's response, just like that turnaround after the Kerry game, was truly impressive, outscoring Laois by 2-15 to 0-8 from there on to win by a 10-point margin. The Travers goal in the 60th minute summed up all that was good about Kildare on the day. Darragh Melville stripped a Laois defender of possession after a short puck-out and worked the ball across to Sheridan whose blocked shot was slammed home by Travers. Sheridan netted himself five minutes later, shrugging off a jersey pull as he darted by Laois defender Ryan Mullaney and shot low past Cathal Dunne. Only for goalkeeper Dunne's excellence earlier, it would have been three goals for Kildare. Dunne pulled off a brilliant double save to thwart firstly Cathal McCabe and then, somehow, Sheridan. Kildare sub Muiris Curtin punched the air in delight when he fired over in the 68th minute, sensing the job was done. Only once has a side coming from the Joe McDonagh Cup won an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final - when Laois beat Dublin in 2019. But if Kildare can repeat this wholehearted performance in Newbridge next Saturday, they'll have a chance. Dowling said: "We'll do everything we can to be ready for it. But look, obviously six days is difficult. If you had two weeks that would be a lot better and would give lads a chance. "These lads are going to be very sore. There were a couple of them, I won't name names, but how they got on the pitch at all I don't know. "We really had to patch them up. We had serious injuries coming into this game but we got through it." Kildare 2-26 Laois 1-19 Kildare: P McKenna; R Hogan, R Boran, D O'Meara; P Dolan 0-1, C Boran, S Leacy 0-1; D Guerin, C McCabe; C Dowling, J Sheridan 1-4, D Qualter 0-13, 11f, 1 65; D Melville, J Burke 0-2, G Keegan 0-3. Subs: J Travers 1-1 for Dowling 59, M Curtin 0-1 for McCabe 64, C Kehoe for Melville 69, L O'Reilly for Dolan 69, O Lynam for Keegan 72. Laois: C Dunne; F C Fennell 0-1, J Walshe, C Comerford; P Delaney 0-2, 2f, L Cleere 0-1, D Conway; A Corby, J Keyes 0-2; P Purcell 0-2, T Keyes 0-6, 5f, D Dooley; M Dowling, J Quinlan, B Conroy 1-2. Subs: A Dunphy for T Keyes 54, P Dunne for Comerford 60, J Duggan 0-1 for Dowling 62, R Mullaney for Walsh 64, PJ Scully 0-2, 1f for Conroy 66.
