Flanagan makes big calls ahead of Leinster Championship opener

Fri, 11 Apr, 2025 - 10:23

Ger McNally

Mark Dempsey is the surprise inclusion in the team named by Brian Flanagan for his first Leinster Championship game in charge of Kildare for Saturday evening’s game in Cedral St Conleths Park against Westmeath.

The 26-year-old Moorefield man made 22 appearances for Kildare between 2018 and 2021, including 11 in the Championship, and was a mainstay in the Kildare defence during the 2019 and 2021 seasons in particular.

However, college took him to Limerick and his studies meant he wasn’t involved during Glenn Ryan’s three years in charge of the team. He kept up a high standard of play during his time away from the squad though and captained UL to a Sigerson Cup semi-final in 2024 as well as featuring prominently for his club.

Dempsey returned to the Kildare squad for this season but had limited game time during the League. However, Flanagan has made the big call to pitch him for this massive tie against Westmeath in place of the hugely experienced Mick O’Grady. The Celbridge man has been a virtual ever present in the Kildare defence for many years now but after watching his team concede seven goals in the last four league games, including two in the final against Offaly, Flanagan has decided on change.

Behind the full back line, Clane’s Cian Burke is again preferred ahead of Didier Cordonnier after wrestling the number 1 jersey away from the Two Mile House man in the last couple of rounds of the league.

Burke’s clubmate Harry O’Neill and Brian Byrne join Dempsey in the full back line.

In the half back line, there is a welcome return for Kevin Flynn. The Celbridge man has been dogged by injury since suffering a bad hamstring strain during last year's Club Championship. He made his return as a substitute during the League final defeat to Offaly and is pitched in here to start with Ryan Houlihan dropping to the bench.

Two Athy men make up the rest of the half back line with David Hyland named in the centre and James McGrath, who got forward to kick two points during that Croke Park defeat to Offaly, is named on the wing for his Championship debut.

Callum Bolton is another Championship debutant at midfield after a hugely impressive league campaign and he is partnered in the middle of the field by captain Kevin Feely.

There’s good news in the forward line where Ben McCormack and Darragh Kirwan are both fit to start, although neither Jimmy Hyland nor Daniel Flynn are in the matchday squad.

McCormack and Kirwan have shown their value to Kildare when fit this season but have struggled for fitness and their inclusion a huge boost.

McCormack is named in a half forward line that features another player making his Championship debut in Colm Dalton, alongside Alex Beirne.

Kirwan is named at full forward with Niall Kelly named in one corner and Brian McLoughlin getting the nod on the opposite side, with Ryan Sinkey named on the bench after playing for 53 minutes for the U20s during the week.

The substitute bench is a good mix of youth and experience but aside from Sinkey and Darragh Swords seems light on scoring forwards should Kildare be in a position where they are chasing the game.

The game is a landmark occasion for Kildare as it marks the first home Leinster Championship tie in three decades. It’s two weeks short of 30 years to the day since Louth were 0-13 to 0-11 winners over a side managed by Dermot Earley in 1995 in what was his first Championship tie in charge of the team.

Brian Flanagan will be hoping for better fortunes on Saturday evening.

Kildare team to play Westmeath:

1 (GK) Cian Burke (Clane)

2 Harry O'Neill (Clane)

3 Mark Dempsey (Moorefield)

4 Brian Byrne (Naas)

5 Kevin Flynn (Celbridge)

6 David Hyland (Athy)

7 James McGrath (Athy)

8 Kevin Feely (Athy)

9 Callum Bolton (Sarsfields)

10 Colm Dalton (Sallins)