Kildare out to land Fr. Manning Cup success
Liam Broderick accepts the Fr Manning Cup for Kildare back in 2017, this year's squad look to emulate that feat on Saturday Photo: Kildare GAA
Kildare will be looking to win the Fr. Manning Cup for just the second time in the county’s history when they play Galway in Glennon Brother's Pearse Park in Longford at midday on Saturday.
The competition is the longest-running juvenile competition in Ireland after being initiated by the Longford County Board in 1965, and it is named in honour of Fr. Sean Manning.
The competition is played by county Under 16 teams and is seen as excellent preparation for the following year’s Minor Championship.
Kildare reached three finals in a row in 2015, 2016 and 2017. After losing the first of those two deciders to Westmeath and Roscommon, Kildare enjoyed their only success in the competition when a side managed by Padraig Cabury, and containing the likes of Alex Beirne and Paddy McDermott, beat Roscommon by 4-8 to 2-10. McDermott scored two of the goals in that win, with his Naas clubmate Tom Browne and Ballymore’s Liam Broderick, who also captained the team, were the other goalscorers.
The full Kildare line-up was: John Ball (Clane), Jack Hamill (Raheens), Conor McGroary (Naas), Sean Hill (Kilcock), Daniel Caulfield (Sallins), Kevin Kelliher (Ballymore), Nicky Jackman (Athy), Drew Costello (Ardclough), Paddy Wall (Celbridge), Tom Browne (Naas), Liam Broderick (Ballymore), Alex Beirne (Naas), Paddy McDermott (Naas), Aaron Kennedy (Kilcullen), Jack Smith (Carbury). Subs: Sean Englishby (Leixlip), Sam Morrissey (Naas), Davy Higgins (Sarsfields), Mikey McGovern (Raheens).
Many of that squad went on to play in the following year’s Leinster Minor Football Championship Final against Meath.
The current year’s squad reached the final after winning all three of their group games against Sligo, Longford and Leitrim and they then beat South Kerry in the semi-final.
Johnny Donnelly heads up a management team that also includes Mick Behan, Fergal Tully, John Butler and Craig Shannon, with David Murphy coordinating the group.
Aidan Killian (Sallins), Alan Thompson (Raheens), Art Ormsby (Clane), Cameron Cullen (Ballymore Eustace), Charlie McCaffrey (Sarsfields), Cillian Delaney (St. Kevins), Cillian Gilroy (Ballymore Eustace), Cillian McCarthy (Sallins), Conor Bagnall (Allenwood), Daniel Britton Milner (Raheens), Danny O'Neill (Clane), Dean Hanniffy Murnaghan (Moorefield), Jack O'Connell (Rathangan), Jimmy Anderson (Alymer Gaels), Kyle Byrne Ward (Athgarvan), Ollie Hanniffy (Moorefield), Oscar Chatten (Castledermot), Peter Dunne (Athy), Ronan Walsh (Rathangan), Sean O'Carroll (Round Towers), Tadgh Murnane (Castledermot), Tadgh O'Gorman (Castledermot).
At the same time as that game, there is also a second Kildare squad of the same age group taking on Wexford in the O’Donovan Cup final in Manguard Park.
Adam Zydbik (Athy), Aidan Kane (Raheens), Charlie Holohan (Rathangan), Cian O'Connor (Naas), Daniel Moran (Sallins), Eoin Nugent (Sallins), James Gill (Carbury), Matthew McCarthy (Naas), Michael Cavanagh (Leixlip), Nathan Moloney (Carbury), Neil Reddington (Naas), Noah Howlin (Maynooth), Oisin Henry (Balyna), Oisin Lynch (Naas), Oisin Stokes (Kilcock), Ryan Byrne (Sallins), Scott Murphy (Sallins), Sean Og Finn (Clane), Sean Reilly (Clane), Senan Linnane (Leixlip), Stephen Hamill (Raheens), Tadgh O'Neil (Naas), Tom McCusker (Celbridge), Tommy Wilson (Alymer Geals), Zac Kearney (Carbury)
