Dowling names team for All-Ireland clash with Dublin

Kildare manager Brian Dowling has, perhaps unsurprisingly, retained faith with the same 15 players who brought such glory to the county when beating Laois in last Sunday’s McDonagh Cup final for Saturday’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Preliminary quarter-final against Dublin at a sold out Cedral St Conleths Park.

Although some late fitness tests could yet necessitate some changes as the side prepare for their second high level Championship in just six days.

As per the Kilcare Nationalist’s resident historian Richard Commins, it’s the first Hurling Championship meeting between the counties since a very famous Kildare win in Aughrim in 1976.

Mick Moore (2) and Mick Deeley scored the goals in a 3-10 to 1-10 win. It was a game notable for performances from the likes of Tom and Tony Carew, Pat Dunney, Ned Walsh and Bobby Burke, while goalkeeper Jimmy Curran made a string of fine saves. Kildare went on to push a Wexford side who would eventually lose to Cork in the All-Ireland final to the limit in a Leinster semi-final in Athy, losing by only four points.

Saturday’s game on Saturday, and next year’s Leinster Senior Championship campaign, are a return to that kind of level for the first time since those heady days. The clash against the Dubs will be Kildare’s first knockout tie in the All-Ireland series since losing Galway in the 1980 All-Ireland final after entering the competition by winning an All-Ireland ‘B’ title.

The team only returned to the training field on Wednesday after the celebrations of Sunday’s historic win died down and it seems cruel of the GAA to ask the McDonagh Cup winners to face into such a tie with so little preparation time.

Nevertheless, the McDonagh Cup winners have a reasonable record in the preliminary quarter-finals final, although you have to go back to 2019 for Laois’ win over Dublin for the last victory. Dublin will have that game on their mind, and the 2023 tie when they found Carlow a very difficult opponent for well over an hour before pulling away in the final five minutes to win by ten.

It promises to be a fantastic occasion with the biggest crowd to watch a Kildare hurling match in Newbridge for many, many years and no matter how the game plays out, this team has already brought a huge amount of pride to the county.

All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Preliminary Quarter Final 

Kildare v Dublin 

Saturday, 14th June, 4pm 

Venue: Cedral St. Conleth’s Park