Former All-Star suffers heavy defeat on Kildare Championship debut
Conor Mortimier in action during the game Photo: James Lawlor
At the ripe old age of 44, former All-Star Conor Mortimer made his debut in the Kildare Football Championship this evening, but he was powerless to prevent his Ardclough side from falling to a heavy defeat against a rampant Athgarvan.
Mortimer was one of the most recognisable faces in the GAA in his heyday and he represented his native Mayo in All-Ireland finals in 2004 and 2006. He finished as the Championship's top scorer during Mayo's run to the 2006 All-Ireland final and was rewarded with an All-Star for his outstanding performances.
All those highlights seemed a long way away on Friday evening as his team were beaten by 7-25 to 0-3.
Mortimer, who had previously managed Monasterevan in the Kildare Intermediate Championship, played the full game and showed flashes of his quality by scoring a couple of points, but in truth he was starved of possession in a one-sided game.
Ardclough are one of Kildare’s most storied hurling clubs, but fielding a competitive football team has been difficult for them. They have given a number of walkovers in the Tom Cross Junior Football Championship in recent years and they withdrew from Division 4 of the League in early April of this year.
Despite the knocks and heavy defeats, Ardclough keep coming back and Mortimer’s profile may attract some players back into the club. He was not the only famous face in the panel this evening as former Leinster and Connacht rugby star Fionn Carr, now 40, was also listed on their teamsheet.
The victory gives Athgarvan significant momentum heading into the remainder of the championship, while Mortimer and Ardclough will look to build on their participation and continue developing their football programme.
