Hurlers must kick on after settling in period

This time last year I described Brian Dowling’s first campaign in charge of the Kildare senior hurlers as a “free hit.” The former Kilkenny defender and All Ireland winning camogie manager with his home county had the relative luxury of an Allianz League campaign where there was no possibility of relegation due to the restructuring of the competition into five divisions for 2025.

With the side competing in Tier 3 at championship level and duly annexing the Christy Ring Cup for a record fifth time, it was a relatively benign first year for Dowling and offered him the perfect opportunity to get to know the players, the county and the challenges ahead of him.

It was a case of “job done” essentially with a mid-table league position secured and despite losing the opening two games to Meath, frustratingly for Dowling, and Laois.

Indeed, after getting their first point with a battling draw in Ballycran against Down, Kildare won all of their remaining games in 2024 as Dowling began to stamp his mark on the team after a progressive five years under former playing colleague David Herity.

Beating Kerry and Carlow in their final league games is bound to have boosted confidence in the run up to a more challenging looking 2025, while an unbeaten Christy Ring campaign culminating in a comfortable dismissal of Derry wrapped up the year with plenty to look forward to.

While doing so, Dowling brought through the likes of Harry Carroll, Daire Guerin, James Dolan and Daniel O’Meara into the senior team while and they’ll be looking forward to cementing their places in the set-up in 2025.

Operating out of the new Division 2, the third tier in the league, the quality of opposition varies significantly but Down, Kerry and Meath will all consider themselves to be the equals of the Lilywhites, while Derry will be smarting over that Christy Ring Final defeat. Tyrone and Donegal are teams on the up but ones Kildare would expect to be able to handle.

With the top two teams promoted to Division 1B, that has to be the goal for Dowling and his panel.

They probably couldn’t have asked for a more difficult opener as they travel to Ballycran on Saturday next to meet Down for the second year in a row. Kildare won convincingly there in 2022, but Ronan Sheehan is a wily and experienced manager of the Mournemen at this stage and it shouldn’t be forgotten they pipped Kildare to a semi-final spot in the league last year and they’ve been operating in the McDonagh Cup for a couple of years, earning a creditable draw with Westmeath in last year’s competition while beating Meath.

Kildare follow that up with a home tie against Kerry the following Saturday, the hurlers’ first run out at the redeveloped Cedral St Conleth’s Park (although Naas played there in Leinster).

Kerry appear to have hit a ceiling of sorts in the last year or two and for the first time in twenty years have appointed a home grown manager in Joe Griffin, their long-serving former captain. Again, they can’t be taken lightly, though, having won three of their five McDonagh Cup games last summer after a disappointing league campaign.

Next come a trio of Ulster opposition, with the first of those the most difficult looking on paper, a trip to Owenbeg to take on the Johnny McGreevy managed Derry.

Kildare, though, have won their last five meetings with the Oak Leafers, including a league tie at the venue two years ago as well as that Ring final last summer and will surely need another win here to have any chance of a top two spot.

The home games against Donegal and Tyrone within six days of each other in early March will hopefully lay the platform for a crucial final outing against Meath away from home on 22 March.

Donegal and Tyrone joined Derry in securing promotion slots from Division 2B last year and while Tyrone secured their Christy Ring status, Donegal secured their fourth Nicky Rackard Cup success to join them in the third tier.

It’s difficult to know what to make of Meath these days. They finished bottom of Kildare’s division in the League before losing all five of their McDonagh Cup games on the way to relegation. That said, their only win last year was against Dowling’s Lilywhites in that opening league game. Underestimate them at your peril. Meath will have Westmeath man Johnny Greville at the helm in 2025.

Dowling’s 35-man panel sees nine changes from last year with Celbridge sharpshooter Gerry Keegan and Leixlip defender Jack Travers are the most eye-catching returnees to inter-county action. Keegan’s club colleagues Ciaran Kirwan and Oisín Lynam join him on the panel along with Tim Ryan from Ardclough, Matt Eustace from Maynooth and three newcomers from Naas, Killian Harrington, Liam O’Reilly and Evan Ó Briain.

Six-in-a-row winning Naas have increased their county contingent from twelve to fourteen with Seán Burke stepping away, while Coill Dubh quartet of Johnny Byrne, Mark Delaney, Mark Grace and Declan Flaherty have all left the panel. Clane’s Cian Shanahan, Ardclough’s Drew Costello and Seán O’Connor of Leixlip are the others no longer involved.

Former skipper Brian Byrne remains with the footballers for 2025 but Dowling will feel he has enough at his disposal to target promotion in the league and consolidation in the McDonagh Cup Kildare hurling panel for 2025: Cathal Dowling (Naas), Cathal McCabe (Maynooth), Cian Boran (Naas), Conan Boran (Naas), Ciaran Kirwan (Celbridge), Conn Kehoe (Moorefield), Cormac Byrne (Éire Óg Corra Choill), Daire Guerin (Naas), Dan O’Meara (Maynooth), Darragh Melville (Leixlip), David Qualter(Maynooth), Evan O’Briain (Naas), Frank Bass (Confey), Gerry Keegan (Celbridge), Harry Carroll (Naas), Jack Higgins (Éire Óg Corra Choill), Jack Sheridan (Naas) Jack Travers (Leixlip), James Burke (Naas), James Dolan (Celbridge), James Dolan (Éire Óg Corra Choill), John McKeon (Naas), Killian Harrington (Naas), Liam O’Reilly (Naas), Mark Doyle (Clane), Matt Eustace (Maynooth), Muiris Curtin (Moorefield), Oisin Lynam (Celbridge), Paddy McKenna (Clane), Paul Dolan (Éire Óg Corra Choill), Rian Boran (Naas), Richy Hogan (Naas), Sean Christanseen (Clane), Simon Leacy (Naas), Tim Ryan (Ardclough) Manager: Brian Dowling Coach: Richie Ruth Coach: Conor O’Shea Selector: Richie Hoban S&C: Mick Gillick GK Coach: Willie Banks 

Kildare’s Allianz Hurling league fixtures:

Sat 25 Jan - Down v Kildare, Ballycran, 2pm 

Sat 1 Feb - Kildare v Kerry, Cedral St Conleths Park, 1pm 

Sat 22 Feb - Derry v Kildare in Owenbeg, 3pm 

Sun 2 Mar – Kildare v Donegal, Cedral St Conleths Park, 2pm 

Sat 8 Mar – Kildare v Tyrone, Cedral St Conleths Park, 3pm 

Sat 22 Mar – Meathv Kildare, Trim, 2.30pm .