Kildare see off brave Limerick challenge to lift Tailteann Cup
Kildare celebrate with The Tailteann Cup Photo: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Kildare came through a searching examination from Limerick to eventually clinch the Tailteann Cup with two points to spare in searing conditions at Croke Park this afternoon.
It was a helter-skelter match that almost produced a sting in the tail as Naas defender Brian Byrne deflected substitute Rory O’Brien’s shot over the bar seconds after the hooter had sounded. A goal then would have sent the game to extra-time and it would be harsh to suggest Limerick would not have deserved that opportunity.
Ultimately, though, Kildare’s ability to take two-pointers, not a trait they had seemed blessed with up to this, proved crucial as Darragh Kirwan landed two from play in the first half to follow one from Callum Bolton and substitute Brian McLoughlin added a crucial one into the breeze in the second half just as Limerick seemed to have wrestled momentum, thanks to their second goal from Killian Ryan.
For Kildare’s first-year senior manager Brian Flanagan, the win added another garland to a blossoming CV, having guided the Lilywhites to two All-Ireland finals at under-20 level, winning the 2023 decider.
It guarantees the county a coveted place in the Sam Maguire Cup for next year and follows hot on the heels of promotion back to Division 2 of the Allianz League.
Flanagan started with nine members of those two under-20 panels, and perhaps that youthful exuberance has been a factor in them laying their Croke Park bogey, this being the first time since 2010 that they have won two successive championship games at the venue.
Limerick too have a promotion behind them already this season with the Division 4 title in the bag and they lost nothing in defeat here. Indeed, they might count themselves unlucky not to have made more of the chances their direct running created.
After Bolton nailed the first two-pointer early on, Limerick hit back with a goal from Cillian Fahy after goalkeeper Cian Burke had saved Emmet Rigter’s initial effort.
That put them three points clear (1-3 to 0-3) but Kildare hit a purple patch, scoring 1-7 without reply between the 11th and 18th minutes, including two two-pointers from play from top scorer Darragh Kirwan and a goal drilled home by Alex Beirne on 14 minutes.
Limerick, though, with Danny Neville and Emmet Rigter dangerous in attack on the back of plenty of possession from the kick out exchanges, hit back with five points in a row of their own before Kildare regained their impetus coming into the half-time break to lead by 1-13 to 1-9, with all their first half scores coming from play.
The first half scoring could have been even higher but Colm Dalton and Kirwan squandered goal chances for Kildare while Neville blazed wide from a good position and Burke pushed Fahy’s goalbound effort out for a ’45.
The end-to-end nature continued after the break, despite the searing heat, with Ryan Sinkey and Kirwan keeping the scoreboard ticking for while Josh Ryan’s two-point free, Limerick’s only orange flag of the game, helped them to narrow the gap to a point before Killian Ryan raced directly through the Lilywhite defence to put the Treaty men ahead with a goal on 48 minutes.
Kildare, who coughed up a further couple of goal chances in the second period, notably for Dalton and Eoin Cully, introduced semi-final hero Brian McLoughlin from the bench and his two-pointer on 54 minutes brought the game level. He later added another for good measure as well as making a crucial block when chasing Neville back at the other end.
Fahy put Limerick back ahead by a point after McLoughlin’s orange flag but Kildare finished the stronger with six of the next seven points putting them three clear heading into the final minutes.
Limerick’s late push brought a point from a free from James Naughton and that was the cue for the late drama as ‘keeper Burke saved Darragh Murray’s goalbound effort and with O’Brien winding up to finish to the net from the rebound, former hurler Byrne managed to get enough on it to divert it over the bar and secure a first national title at senior level since the Division 2 league title of 2012.
It was heart-stopping stuff for a Kildare side for whom Kirwan was awarded the official man-of-the-match thanks to his 0-8 haul from play, with Alex Beirne and Colm Dalton others to make their mark in claiming a rare trophy for the Kevin Feely captained side.
Cian Burke; Harry O’Neill, Ryan Burke, Brian Byrne; Tommy Gill 0-1, David Hyland, James McGrath; Kevin Feely 0-2 (1m), Brendan Gibbons; Colm Dalton 0-2, Alex Beirne 1-2, Callum Bolton 0-2 (tp); Ryan Sinkey 0-3, Darragh Kirwan 0-8 (2 tps), Daniel Flynn 0-1. Subs: Jack McKevitt for McGrath 42, Brian McLoughlin 0-3 (1 tp) for Gibbons 42, Eoin Cully for Flynn 47, Mick O’Grady for Burke 66.
Josh Ryan 0-3 (1 tpf,1’45); Jason Hassett, Darren O’Doherty, Mark McCarthy; Killian Ryan 1-1, Iain Corbett 0-1, Tony McCarthy 0-3; Tommie Childs 0-1, Darragh O’Hagan; Paul Maher, Cillian Fahy 1-1, Danny Neville 0-1; Emmet Rigter 0-2, James Naughton 0-2 (2fs), Peter Nash 0-3 (1f). Subs: Barry Coleman for T Childs (temp) 15-18, Darragh Murray for O’Hagan 42, Coleman for Maher 47, Tadhg Ó Siochrú for Corbett 61, Rory O’Brien 0-1 for T Childs 66.
Liam Devenney (Mayo).
