Kildare's Curtin passes on the praise after star performance

Kildare’s upwardly mobile hurlers pushed their game to a whole new level as they outplayed Davy Fitzgerald’s Antrim to take their first points in Division 1B of the National League for almost half a century on Sunday.

It was November 1978 when a Kildare team last won a game in hurling’s second tier (against Carlow in Athy in case you were wondering) but Sunday’s dominant display in Cedral St Conleth’s Park suggests they can hold their own at that level, particularly after the disappointing opening round defeat to Dublin a week earlier.

For the manager with the Midas touch, Kilkenny man Brian Dowling and his selector Richie Ruth, it capped a marvellous weekend with the duo having led St Kieran’s College to another Leinster Senior Colleges crown the day before.

Kildare’s ten-point win was the ultimate team performance but there was no denying Muiris Curtin his man-of-the-match award, the Moorefield man finishing with 2-2 to his name with his first goal an early candidate for goal of the season.

The modest Curtin was at pains to credit his team mates out the field.

“The lads in the middle there worked absolutely unbelievably, there wasn’t one Antrim fella there that had a second to pick out a pass. The lads, (Daire) Guerin there and Macca (Cathal McCabe) were unbelievable.

“Our tackle count was way up, higher than normal there at half-time so that was definitely a positive. It set a platform, it makes our job inside easier with lads working so hard out the field, getting on ball and delivering inside.” 

Dowling alluded to Curtin’s fitness levels afterwards and the full-forward was full of praise for strength and conditioning coach Mick Gillick for his role in that.

“He has us in unbelievable shape,” Curtin told the Kildare Nationalist. 

“We were kind of cursing him in November and December there but it definitely pays off when you feel stronger and you feel better chasing lads around the field.

“It allows us to play hurling then, when we can match a team physically we can then bring our hurling to the table and I think we showed today that we definitely have the hurling ability to compete in Division 1B.” 

As regards his first goal, Curtin felt he hadn’t connected as he might have with the shot that ripped into the top right corner. Heaven help the nation’s goalkeepers whenever he does get it spot-on.

“The high ball in was probably the only one I caught all day, there was a lot there that got broken away so when I got it in my hand I just dropped the shoulder and I didn’t actually connect with it very well but it just went in. On another day it could go wide. Just happy to get the goal to give us a gap.” 

47 Nóim@KildareGAA 2-18 (24)@AontroimGAA 0-13 (13)

Curtin le cúl do chreidte 😱

What a finish !!

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— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 8, 2026

With a second goal to his name shortly afterwards, Curtin might even have had a hat-trick when put through by McCabe’s clever pass, but he admitted to being disappointed with his finish on that occasion with goalkeeper Domhnall Nugent denying him.

Kildare’s win, in particular the quality of their stickwork, was such a positive response to the disappointment against Dublin the week before, but Curtin felt they had gained confidence from that one in Parnell Park despite the result.

“Only to score two from play was very disappointing. We knew we were better than that. We did create the shots, they just didn’t go over last week. But although we lost relatively heavily we did get confidence from that game. We didn’t look out of place physically I thought compared to last year when we played them here in the preliminary quarter final so there was a few positives there. It was good to get such a hard game in our first game to prepare us for the standard we’re going to be facing coming down the line.” 

The challenges keep coming, with 2024 All Ireland champions Clare coming to Newbridge for a game under the lights on Saturday week.

This Kildare team deserves a huge crowd to turn out in support.