Hurling returns to Athy after almost two decades

Athy town has been at the epicentre of Kildare sport in recent years, with historic triumphs across football, camogie, rugby and soccer; but one sport has been missing for almost 20 years.

“The last time Athy had a hurling team was about 17 years ago,” Paul Wheland told The Kildare Nationalist.

“I remember we were finished our U16s and a few of us wanted to play on, but the club said, ‘wait for another year until you’re 17, which would be minor, and then you’d be able to play.’ But by that time, a few lads had hung up the boots and there wasn’t enough to fill a team.”

Nearly two decades after that disappointment, Whelan took it upon himself to rejuvenate the sport in Athy.

“I’ve always loved hurling,” he told us. “My uncle Christie used to bring me to the games when I was small,so I was introduced to hurling more than football when I was younger.

I played all the sports for a time, but I’ve always had it in the back of my head to try and get it going again.

“Last year I mentioned to John McCauley, the chairman, that I’d love to meet and chat with how we’d maybe go about

getting the hurling team going again. So, we first met just at the end of last year and we had an open hurling meeting then in January.

“We got a few bodies up to the clubhouse, and I had a few texts and phone calls as well from people who were saying that they’d be very interested in playing.

From that then I brought a list of names to John and to the committee and just said look, I’d be willing to try and make sure that we do recruit them and fill the bodies to at least field a team anyway for championship this year at least.”

There are now almost 30 names registered, a figure that thrilled Whelan. 

“I was delighted with the response, because football is so strong in the town; it’s been the dominant sport.

“There’s been great success, between senior football with the Kildare Championship and Leinster run last year; the camogie team have won back-to-back championships; the rugby club are after winning back-to-back Town Cups; and then the soccer club have won back-to-back Leinster Senior League as well.

“I always had in my head - with everything being so close in the sport complex where you’ve the GAA beside the rugby beside the soccer - that the only game or sport that you couldn’t go up and watch on the weekends was a men’s hurling match.”

All that comes to an end this coming Sunday, August 16th, when Athy take to the field at Manguard Plus Park when they face Round Towers – who themselves only got hurling going in the club in the last few years – in the opening round of the UPMC Junior Hurling Championship. Whelan, who will be Player/Manager for the season, admits the excitement is building ahead of the game.

“It’s getting more exciting; there’s more people that bump into me in the street saying, ‘it’s great that it’s actually getting going’ and ‘it’s great to be able to see it in the town again.’ 

"I’m looking forward to it. All the boys are up training - we’re all looking forward to it.”

ATHY HURLING PANEL FOR 2026: Copilot said:

Adam Fanning, Alex Dalton, Caolan Fennel, Cathal Wall, Conor Cuddy, Conor Germaine, Conor Ronan, David Considine, Eoin Wall, Finn Kane, Gerry Considine, James Keegan, Liam Callan, Liam McGovern, Lorcan Cooper, Niall Coffey, Paul Whelan, Peter Berry, Robbie Burns, Ronan Kelly, Rory Walsh, Ross Bannon, Sean Foley, Sean Ronan, Senan Coffey, Shane Coffey, Will Fenin.