Calls for support as concerns raised about Kildare senior football team 

Football was very much on the minds of club delegates and County Board Officials as they gathered for the June County Board meeting in Cedral St Conleth’s Park on Tuesday evening last. Praise was heaped on the minor and U20 teams who had captured Leinster titles in May while Best Wishes were extended to Tommy Konstantine’s minors in their semi-final meeting with Cork. The hurlers were also praised for their performances at senior, minor and U20 level.

Support, or the lack of it, and progress, or lack of it, for the senior football team got a good airing though. After Bryan Murphy, Head of Football Development, had reported on area of responsibility where he outlined work with underage and development squads, clubs and coaches. He also reported on an evening with renowned Performance Coach, Gary Keegan and he outlined future mentoring plans in the area for minors and U20’s and he expressed his hopes for clubs working with schools in their catchment areas. 

“We really have to put our shoulder to the wheel”, Bryan Murphy said. “This doesn’t happen by chance, it happens with hard work, work a bit harder, work a bit smarter so that everyone is getting better.” 

He expressed disappointment at the turn out for a session organised for coaches in Clane GAA in May. “We got to get our coaches there and get them supporting it,” he declared.

Responding to Bryan Murphy Kilcock Chairman, Brendan Nurney, raised his concerns about the progress of the Kildare senior football team. “It’s not working,” he declared. “I travel to every game no matter what age,” he went on. 

“I have to ask the question, the senior football, you’re asking people to get behind it. We went backwards in two years as far as I’m concerned. I was in Salthill last week, horrific, it’s hard to watch. I’ve supported through thick and thin but you’re asking us to get behind it, it’s very hard. U20’s brilliant, minors great but it just stops when they get to 21. Football has gone backwards in Kildare at senior level. I don’t think that I’m the only one in the county that thinks it.

“This is a hundred years of history of not achieving whatever that potential is perceived to be. We have to change things. We can’t stand still,” Bryan Murphy responded.

“In 2018 we won an U20, in 2023 we won an U20. It stops. It’s hard to keep going back and they’re asking for money week in week out, Club Kildare, the whole lot. Money is being spent, where’s the result. We have to ask questions at the top,” the Kilcock Chairman said. 

“In the last two years how many games have we won at senior level? In Division 3 we won four, we won one in Division 2 and we’re back in Division 3. It’s a few years since we won a championship game. We beat Offaly this year. And you’re asking us to go back to our clubs and say come on lads, let’s get behind it. I’ll do it and I’ll be asked this question, are you mad going to that? Yeah, I am, but it’s hard. I’ll do it. We have to do something, Brendan Nurney concluded.

“It’s hard to disagree but at the same time we have to have faith that we can change things," Bryan Murphy said. “We have got to become evangelists within our own county that change can happen and that we can drive change and we can make changes. Success doesn’t happen overnight. I have full faith in Brian (Flanagan) having worked with him at previous levels. You’ve got to have faith and confidence and get behind him. I’m not saying it will happen today, tomorrow or next year. This is a journey, lads.

“We have changed, Co Chairman, Mick Mullen said. “For the first time ever, we have introduced a Football Development Coach and that’s why we got Bryan Murphy in to focus fully on football. We’re working hard. It takes time, give it a chance,” he added. 

Promising a review at the end of the season the Co Chairman also told the meeting that he had written to all clubs in Kildare in May to ask for Kildare flags be flown but there was no response.

“We need everybody to come out and support our senior team in two week’s time, Mick Mullen concluded.

Meanwhile delegates unanimously agreed a proposal that where a player plays one game or makes two substitute (other than blood or temporary sub) appearance for the highest ranked team in the club in either an adult hurling or football championships shall be ineligible to play in a championship competition at a lower grade in the same code in the same championship year.

Co Treasurer also reported on a continuing healthy state of the county finances with a surplus of just over €135K for the six-month period October ’25 to March ’26 and he announced that the tickets for the county’s successful €100 Draw were now available for collection by the clubs.