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The 42
07-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Kildare's Joe McDonagh dream - 'This was probably only in the far off depths of my brain'
SHORTLY AFTER WINNING the Christy Ring Cup yet again last year, Kildare goalkeeper Paddy McKenna and his colleagues met with manager Brian Dowling to discuss pushing on. No county had won the competition more times and, frankly, none of the Kildare players fancied winning it ever again. McKenna was involved in all five of Kildare's Ring Cup triumphs, between 2014 and 2024, and was desperate to operate regularly at a higher level. Hitting new standards of fitness was a prerequisite, the players felt. A number of alterations were made to Dowling's backroom and perhaps the most significant was the addition of strength and conditioning expert Mickey Gillick. Truth be told, the players were pushing an open door with Dowling who sensed the need for a fresh approach himself. 'He was in agreement with us, he had it pretty much set up before we even went to him,' said McKenna. 'He knew himself that, right, we're going to need something big here going up to the Joe Mac.' It was a tough winter of physical investment but the dividend has been impressive. 'It's the fittest I've certainly ever been anyway,' said McKenna. 'That's probably an easy enough feat as a goalkeeper but for the lads out the field, they're all in great nick as well. And they're wanting more too. That's what we wanted really.' It hasn't been quite a straight line between last year's Ring Cup win and qualifying for tomorrow's Joe McDonagh Cup final against Laois though. In fact, when Kildare began this season's competition with a Round 1 defeat to Kerry, it looked as if their old habit of falling flat on their faces at the higher grade was repeating itself. Advertisement McKenna lifting the Christy Ring Cup last June. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO That was Kildare's ninth ever game in the McDonagh Cup, across three different campaigns — 2021, 2023 and 2025 — and their ninth consecutive defeat. Seven weeks and four unlikely wins later, McKenna is on the verge of the most significant achievement of his career. Truth be told, just staying up in the second tier of hurling this year would have been progress. 'This was probably only in the far off depths of my brain at that stage,' said McKenna of a Croke Park final fixture after the defeat to Kerry. 'Thankfully we didn't make it to 10 losses in a row. Look, it was just getting back to basics, realising that we had to show up for every single game.' So when exactly did Kildare start to think of actually winning the competition and of an audacious bid for Leinster SHC activity in 2026? 'Probably when we got the result in Carlow, to be honest, that was a big monkey off our backs,' said the five-time Ring Cup winner, referencing their Round 3 win. 'Carlow have had some massive results in the last few years, drawing with Kilkenny in the Leinster championship last year, beating Waterford in the league earlier this year, maintaining their status in Division 1B. 'That's the standard we want to be competing at regularly so we knew that if we were able to get a result against them…and beating Laois and Westmeath as well, the three teams that had been up in the Leinster championship, that's kind of where we got the drive and the realisation that, yeah, it could be on for us.' Kildare manager Brian Dowling. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO The thing is, Kildare didn't just sneak into tomorrow's Croke Park decider. They topped the group while it was Laois that had to conjure the late goal just to draw with Carlow and nudge the Barrowsiders out on scoring difference. Laois are still favourites to win and to make up for last year's final loss to Offaly. Three of their starting defenders – Lee Cleere, Padraig Delaney and Ryan Mullaney – along with half-forward Paddy Purcell, lined out in the 2019 final win. Several more 2019 performers are retained on the bench for this season's final. But what they hold over Kildare in experience and hurling tradition could be trumped by the sheer desperation of Brian Dowling's Lilywhites to make the most of this rare opportunity. 'It's going to be tough and I'd say Laois will have their homework done on us,' said McKenna. 'I'd say they found out an awful lot about us when we played them in O'Moore Park a couple of weeks ago.' The one certainty is that Kildare will play Dublin or Tipperary in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final in Newbridge next weekend. Win tomorrow and their dubious reward will be a date with Tipperary. Lose and it will be the Dubs coming to the redeveloped St Conleth's Park. For some, parachuting the Joe McDonagh Cup finalists back into the race for the MacCarthy Cup is unnecessary, even unfair. Reigning All-Ireland champions Clare are gone from the competition already after all, along with Waterford, Wexford, Offaly and Antrim. 'I can see both sides of the coin on that,' said McKenna. 'The fact that the Joe McDonagh is its own competition and, like, there's no other competition in the GAA where the winners of it go into a separately run competition that you could possibly win without playing the earlier games in it. A general view of the Joe McDonagh Cup (file photo). James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO 'But then it's a great carrot as well, knowing that we have another two weeks of this and you're summing hurling as well which is great. That's when hurling is at its best.' Kildare have already been promoted to Division 1B of next season's National League. Getting to the Leinster SHC would cap their greatest season in decades. The last time they competed in Leinster was 2004. McKenna is confident that the success is sustainable, pointing to the growth of hurling around the county. 'There's hurling again in Round Towers, for example,' he said. 'A lot of south Kildare would have had a tradition of hurling when it was strong in the '60s and '70s and they're coming alive again. 'Towers, Twomilehouse, there's even hurling going on in Kilcullen as well, and Moorefield are after going senior now which is huge. That would be a so-called football club, with Leinster club titles, but they're showing that they're well able to hurl as well. 'For hurling to be sustainable in Kildare, we need every club going like that and making players available and that's what's happening.'
Irish Examiner
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Kildare out to make the most of rare opportunity at Joe McDonagh Cup glory
Joe McDonagh Cup final Kildare v Laois Croke Park Throw-in: Sunday, 1.45pm Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary) Live on RTÉ2 When Kildare lost their opening Joe McDonagh Cup game to Kerry in mid-April, the odds on them making the final and Kerry being relegated were lengthy. That was Kildare's ninth ever game in the competition and their ninth consecutive defeat, suggesting more misery for the side just out of the Christy Ring Cup. Seven weeks and four unlikely wins later, experienced goalkeeper Paddy McKenna is on the verge of the most significant, and perhaps unexpected, achievement of his career. "This was probably only in the far off depths of my brain at that stage," said McKenna of a final fixture after the defeat to Kerry. "Thankfully we didn't make it to 10 losses in a row. Look, it was just getting back to basics, realising that we had to show up for every single game." So when exactly did Kildare start to think of actually winning the competition? "Probably when we got the result in Carlow, to be honest, that was a big monkey off our backs," said the five-time Ring Cup winner. "They've had some massive results in the last few years, drawing with Kilkenny in the Leinster championship last year, beating Waterford in the league earlier, maintaining their status in Division 1B. "That's the standard we want to be at so we knew that if we were able to get a result against beating Laois and Westmeath as well, the three teams that had been up in the Leinster championship, that's kind of where we got the drive and the realisation that, yeah, it could be on for us." The thing is, Kildare didn't just sneak into the final. They topped the group while Laois had to conjure a late, late goal to draw with Carlow and nudge the Barrowsiders out on scoring difference. Laois are still favourites to win and to make up for last year's final loss to Offaly. Three of their starting defenders - Lee Cleere, Padraig Delaney and Ryan Mullaney - along with half-forward Paddy Purcell, lined out in the 2019 final win. But what they hold over Kildare in experience and hurling tradition could be trumped by the sheer desperation of Brian Dowling's Lilywhites to make the most of this rare opportunity. "It's going to be tough and I'd say Laois will have their homework done on us," said McKenna. "I'd say they found out an awful lot about us when we played them in O'Moore Park a couple of weeks ago." The one certainty is that Kildare will play Dublin or Tipperary in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final in Newbridge next weekend.
RTÉ News
31-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
London end title drought over devastated Derry in Christy Ring Cup final
David Devine gave his best display yet in a London jersey, shooting a terrific 1-12, as the Exiles held firm to claim the Christy Ring Cup title. A strong final-quarter performance that included six points in a row at one stage, ultimately won it for London who have claimed a first title since 2012. Their reward is a place in next season's Joe McDonagh Cup competition. That will be a significant jump in standards, though Devine has shown that it's possible to move seamlessly from one grade of hurling to another. The Westmeath man was a Warwickshire player just last year, but moved to London for 2025 and was the difference in this final. In all, London scored eight of the game's last 12 points as they turned the screw late on - and Devine scored five of those. The Kilburn Gaels clubman also scored London's goal midway through the first half, while Enda Egan and Dylan Dawson contributed seven points between them in the breakthrough win. But it's agony again for Derry who have slipped to their third final defeat in a row and their fourth in five seasons. They got it back to a one-point game late on, and appeared to have momentum on their side at that stage, but 72nd and 74th-minute points from Devine secured the win for London. Derry topped the Ring Cup group previously, and significantly, beat London by 2-19 to 1-18 when they met in the round robin. London previously slipped up in the Division 3 National League final against Mayo, who played earlier today in the lower tier Rackard Cup final. Derry supporters travelled to Croke Park optimistic about finally ending their streak of Ring Cup final defeats. But they never managed to get ahead of a slick and fully focused London side that led for the majority of the contest. London signalled their appetite for destruction with four of the game's first five points. Devine struck two of those from frees and then popped up at the back post to volley to the net following Sean Glynn's run through the centre and lay-off. Slaughtneil's Cormac O'Doherty was Derry's main scorer, hitting nine points overall. London led by 1-15 to 1-12 at half-time though a resurgent Derry wiped out the deficit after the restart, drawing level at 1-19 apiece in the 52nd minute, when Cushendall clubman Christy McNaughton hit his third point of the day. That's when things got really interesting because London reeled off six points in a row in response, seizing control of the game and then wincing as Derry picked off four points themselves. Eamon Conway had a strong second half for Derry, and clipped over their last score in the 71st minute, leaving a point in it at that stage. London weren't to be denied, and pulled clear for the three-point win with those two stoppage-time Devine scores. Derry were awarded a free in at the death, but O'Doherty's rasping shot was blocked on the line for a 65 that also failed to yield the goal they needed to force extra-time. London: Mark Kilgannon; Niall Fitzgerald, Conor Byrne, Stephen Whelan; Tom Millerick (0-01), Enda Egan (0-04, 3f, 1 65), Padraig Muldoon; Adam Cunney, Paul Kennedy (0-01); Jack Morrissey (0-01), Sean Glynn (0-02), Dylan Dawson (0-03); Conor McCormack (0-01), Conor O'Carroll (0-02), David Devine (1-12, 9f). Subs: Niall Geoghegan for Fitzgerald (35+2), Rory Lodge for Kennedy (44), Owen Sheil for McCormack (55), Tom Hanifin for Cunney (69), Donnacha Leahy for Dawson (72). Derry: Sean Kelly; Sean Cassidy, Mark Craig, Patrick Turner; Ruairi O Mianain (0-02), Richie Mullan (0-02), James Friel; Meehaul McGrath, Eamon Conway (0-04); Thomas Brady (1-01), John Mullan, Cormac O'Doherty (0-09, 8f); Cahal Murray (0-01), Christy McNaughton (0-03), Shea Cassidy (0-01). Subs: Paddy Kelly for Friel & Ryan McGill (0-01) for Brady (56), Gerald Bradley for McGrath (61), Callum O'Kane for Mullan (68).
RTÉ News
31-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Mayo hurling on the rise as David Kenny eyes Croke Park glory
Kerry versus Mayo, 2014. It's likely your mind immediately drifts back to Limerick's Gaelic Grounds rocking to the beat of an All-Ireland football semi-final replay encounter for the ages. David Kenny certainly hasn't forgotten that extra-time epic. He was a promising young footballer at the time, between All-Ireland minor (2013) and U-21 (2016) wins with his county. He lined out in both of those finals. But he was also a hurler at heart and when he talks now about Kerry versus Mayo in 2014, he's moreso thinking of their Christy Ring Cup semi-final encounter that year. Still a teenager, Kenny was already a senior Mayo hurler. The Ring Cup amounted to hurling's second tier at the time, as the Joe McDonagh Cup hadn't yet been established, and Mayo were right there at the forefront of the teams pushing for silverware. "We were up at half-time in that Christy Ring semi-final," recalled Kenny. "The game was in MacHale Park, so we had home advantage, I can't remember why that was for a semi-final but it was the case. We just lost out on that one in the end." Kenny's recall isn't fully accurate. Kerry were well ahead at half-time but Mayo did outscore them in the second-half by 1-13 to 0-6. Kildare went on to beat Kerry narrowly in the final and subsequently played Westmeath in a promotion/relegation game to see who would compete in the 2015 Leinster SHC. Just over a decade on, Mayo hurling has slipped back considerably from those heights. There are all sorts of reasons for that, one of which is the pull of football for talented young dual players. Whilst Kenny was happy to stick with hurling, other talented stick men opted to go down the football route. It's a tale as old as time in football dominated counties. "Shane Boland, our corner-forward, his brother is Fergal, who is with the footballers," said defender Kenny. "Fergal's a brilliant hurler too. Jack Carney is another man who was a brilliant hurler growing up. Jack Coyne, corner-back with the footballers, he's a very good corner-back, still plays hurling. He'd be extremely sticky. "It's hard to see, as a hurling person, that quality and that talent not being available but it happens all the time, not just in Mayo." The great Keith Higgins managed to straddle both codes for a while. When his football career was over, he returned to hurl exclusively and captained Mayo to the 2021 Rackard title, their last at the grade. For all of the difficulties that the Mayo footballers are currently experiencing, an invite to join them is still seen as a golden ticket for any young dual performers in the county. There are only three senior hurling clubs in Mayo after all, four if you include the St Ciaran's amalgamation which comprises players from more than half a dozen junior clubs. Kenny is optimistic about the future of hurling in his county though. They had a pre-final meet and greet in Tooreen recently and there was a big turnout. He has noticed more younger players getting involved generally. And if the flagship senior county team could return to the Ring Cup, they would become an even more attractive proposition. Mayo fell at the final hurdle last year, losing by four points to Donegal. Neighbours Roscommon are the opposition this time. If their Round 1 encounter in the group stage is anything to go, when Mayo beat the Rossies by seven points, this could be their day. "We'd absolutely love to go back up to the Ring Cup but obviously Roscommon are thinking the same thing," shrugged Kenny, a schoolteacher at St Jarlath's College in Tuam. "Roscommon are a great side, physically very strong. They're also very good in the air. They have lads like Brendan Mulry and Sean Canning inside, speed merchants. They've got a lot of threats but we'll do our best to hold them down."
Irish Examiner
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Mayo hurler David Kenny happy to focus on first love
It doesn't take a particularly giant leap of the imagination to picture David Kenny heading for Omagh this evening, instead of Croke Park. Well over a decade since he first lined out for the Mayo senior hurlers, he will be a mainstay of Ray Larkin's team again for this afternoon's Nickey Rackard Cup final. Mayo lost to Donegal in last year's decider so are desperate to atone and to secure a win that would return them to Christy Ring Cup activity. That's the level Mayo operated at when Kenny first joined the group, a dozen or so years ago, and the Ring Cup was a tier two competition back then. He went straight into that Mayo senior squad as a minor though was perhaps best known for his football exploits at the time, lining out in All-Ireland minor (2013) and U-21 (2016) wins. Stephen Coen captained both of those successful underage teams but while he'll line out for the Mayo seniors against Tyrone this evening, Kenny will be on small ball duty at GAA HQ. Not that he regrets the road he went down at that stage of his GAA career. "Diarmuid O'Connor, Stephen Coen, Conor Loftus, all of those guys were on the minor and U-20 teams back then with me," said Kenny. "There'd be a lot of other good players that wouldn't necessarily have maybe made the breakthrough as seniors. "But look, coming from Tooreen, definitely hurling was always kind of first for me. It's funny, you might pick football on some occasions and go after it but, in the heart, hurling was always first." Kenny is humble enough to clarify that he didn't necessarily turn his back on Stephen Rochford or James Horan's football panels. "I was in and out of (football) squads but never made the breakthrough," he acknowledged. Again, it isn't any sort of regret because if football was a passion, hurling was a vocation. Other talented dual players went the football route, at hurling's expense. "Shane Boland, our corner-forward, his brother is Fergal, who is with the footballers," said Kenny. "Fergal's a brilliant hurler too. Jack Carney is another man who was a brilliant hurler growing up. Jack Coyne, corner-back with the footballers, he's a very good corner-back, still plays hurling. He'd be extremely sticky. It's hard to see, as a hurling person, that quality and that talent not being available but it happens all the time, not just in Mayo." For all of the difficulties that the Mayo footballers are currently experiencing, it's still an appealing prospect for young dual performers. There are only three senior hurling clubs in Mayo, four if you include the St Ciaran's amalgamation which comprises players from more than half a dozen junior clubs. Kenny is optimistic about the future though. They had a pre-final meet and greet in Tooreen recently and there was a big turnout. He has noticed more younger players getting involved too. If the Mayo seniors could climb the hurling ladder, they would become an even more attractive proposition. And it's not beyond them. When Kenny first joined the seniors, they were a top end tier two team. "We played Kerry in a Christy Ring semi-final (2014), we were leading at half-time, we had home advantage in MacHale Park for whatever reason," he said. "We just lost out on that one in the end." Kildare went on to win the Ring Cup that year and faced Westmeath in a promotion/relegation counter to see who would compete in the 2015 Leinster championship. There's a distance to go now for Mayo to get back to those heights. Getting over Roscommon, whom they've already beaten in Round 1 of the Rackard Cup group, and getting out of the fourth tier would be a solid start. "Roscommon are a great side, physically very strong," said Kenny. "They're also very good in the air. They have lads like Brendan Mulry and Sean Canning inside, speed merchants. They've got a lot of threats but we'll do our best to hold them down."
