Fresh look to first Kildare team of 2026

Fri, 02 Jan, 2026 - 20:00

Ger McNally

Brian Flanagan has named his first team of 2026 as Kildare prepare to begin their season in Enniscorthy against Wexford in the opening round of the Dioralyte O’Byrne Cup on Saturday, throw in at 1.30pm.

It’s a much changed starting 15 that features just two players who started the Tailteann Cup final win over Limerick last July – Brian Byrne and Brendan Gibbons.

Flanagan is contending with a number of injuries at the moment, club commitments and the start of the Sigerson Cup next week are other considerations at the moment so he hands a first taste of competitive inter-county football to a number of new faces.

The Spillane brothers, Michael and Padraic, so impressive in Athy’s run to a Leinster Senior final, are named in the full back line along with Milltown’s Liam Kelly, ahead of Johnstownbridge goalkeeper Eoin Seehan.

Castlemitchell’s James Harris is named as part of a half back line alongside Naas duo Eoin Lawlor and Brian Byrne, with Byrne the only one of the back seven with any previous senior inter-county experience.

Gibbons is partnered in midfield by Raheens' Dara Crowley.

Crowley’s clubmate Niall Dolan is in the half forward line alongside Sam Doran of Johnstownbridge and Brian McLoughlin of Clane.

In the full forward line there is a welcome return for Maynooth’s Neil Flynn as he makes his first appearance since the last game of the 2023 season and he is flanked by Darragh Swords and another newcomer in Sarsfields’ Ben Loakman.

The substitute’s bench holds some experience in Didier Cordonnier, Ryan Burke, Harry O’Neill, Eoin Cully and Callum Bolton but the likes of Rob Fitzgerald of Naas, Athy duo Colm Moran and Conor Doyle, Allenwood’s Eoin Bagnall and the Browne brothers from Celbridge, Aaron and Killian, will be hoping to get their first taste of senior action.

In total, the 26 man squad features 11 players who played in either the 2022 or 2023 Under 20 All-Ireland finals under Flanagan.

Kildare v Wexford,

Dioralyte O’Byrne Cup - Round 1

1 (GK) Eoin Sheehan - Johnstownbridge

2 Mick Spillane - Athy

3 Padraic Spillane - Athy

4 Liam Kelly - Milltown

5 James Harris - Castlemitchell

6 Eoin Lawlor - Naas

7 Brian Byrne - Naas

8 Dara Crowley - Raheens

9 Brendan Gibbons - Kilcock