Flynn the comeback king 

Injuries and travel have meant that neither Maynooth or Kildare have seen the best of Neil Flynn over the last few years. After surgery in June the sharp shooter announced his comeback in style with two points and a part in Cathal McCabe’s goal when introduced in extra time in the Joe Mallon Motors SFC semi-final victory over Naas two weeks ago.

“I feel like I haven't got a really good run at it,” Neil told The Kildare Nationalist after greeting lots of kids at the Maynooth Open Training session at their Moyglare Grounds last week. T he last few years haven’t been easy on Neil Flynn.

“It was tough, yeah,” he tells us.

“I've always stayed within the group so I would have just come to training and there were a few other lads injured with similar, long-term injuries. Darren Maguire, Johnny Flattery, David Qualter, from the hurlers. We just have that togetherness in the gym and built that bond there. Ross (Glavin) has been brilliant. Since I picked up the injury, we knew it was going to be a long term one but he's been great in keeping me involved and keeping it positive,” the experienced county player said.

Recovery wasn’t always a smooth run either for Flynn.

“I've had an up and down recovery. I've had a few complications and I've been down mentally as well,” he explains.

“Ross has always been there to bring me back up and then the Group are there too. It's hard not to be inspired by the lads and you want to get back with them,” he continued.

Flynn was full of praise to for S&C Coach Mikey Gillick.

“Mick is excellent,” he says.

“The last two games we've won in extra time and we've really kicked on in extra time and it’s plain to see our fitness levels and the kind of robustness of the lads. I think there's only two lads out with a whole squad now of 40 and they’re long-term injuries. We're in year seven, I think, with Mick now and it's really bearing the fruit of his work because he's so into it and he gives absolutely everything. He's a club man, through and through like his family and he wears that crest on his sleeve,” Flynn adds with pride.

Making his return in extra time against Naas probably helped him according to Flynn.

“It felt like a new game and the pace of it probably wasn't as high as it was in the closing minutes of normal time. I found it was probably wasn't as tough to get up to the pace of the game straight away. I got my hands on the ball early and got into it. Maybe I was a little bit rusty in the first couple of plays,” he laughs.

The goal in which he was involved, scored by Cathal McCabe was straight off the training ground.

“It was a move that me and Cathal have done loads of times on the training pitch and down through the years we have that know how amongst each other when we're on the ball. I'd say he saw that a pass or two away,” Neil said.

“I knew he was going to come off shoulder and he finished it great. He still had 40 yards to go with maybe a hint of “steps”. A point from play and one from a free was a nice return.

“It was grand. A corner forward is there to score and help the team in that way. I was just delighted that I could get on the pitch first and foremost. I have been itching to go on the last couple of weeks. Delighted we got over the line because that's what it was about,” he told us.

Neil Flynn has been involved with Maynooth but has never got to a County Final. What has changed in 2026, we wondered?

“I think this is my 14th or 15th season at senior. Ross has been brilliant in terms of coming in. He took us last year in the middle of the season and Declan McCabe had us in a really, really good position but we probably struggled a bit when it came to championship. Maybe we ran out of steam,” he explained.

“Ross planned out the year meticulously and had us peaking for this time. I suppose he's changed the culture a little bit. He has that winning mentality from Moorefield. He knows how to win those championship games and he knows how to prepare a team. It's bearing fruit and we've gotten to where we want to be, but we do have one more step to go,” Flynn warns.

The corner forward is well aware of the threat that Sarsfields will pose in Sunday’s Final.

“They're in top four for every year I've been playing senior. They show great hunger and desire. They're motoring really, really well but we're not just here to make up the numbers either. We'll be confident. We've put away last year's champions and Naas, who won four of the last five, so we'll have that belief. Sarsfields will probably go in as favourites, but hopefully we do the job again,” he concluded.