League final is the aim for ambitious new camogie manager

Kildare Camogie has suffered its woes on and off the pitch for the last few years but they head in to 2026 with a new manager, a new squad and renewed hope as they travel to St Aidan’s GAA Club in Ballyforan on Sunday next to face Roscommon for Round 1 of Division 3A of the newly titled Centra Camogie Leagues.

Kilkenny native, Rob O’Neill, was appointed Kildare Camogie manager late last year but he takes up the role following heavy involvement with Naas and success with Kildare at county level having managed the Lilywhite Camogs to a Minor “B” All Ireland title two years ago. The Ballyhale Shamrocks clubman also managed the Wicklow senior camogie team in 2025.

O’Neill brings an enthusiasm with him to the role that has brought an immediate response from the clubs and the players. Some 60 players, including those from the main clubs in the county, made themselves available this year from which a Panel representing eleven clubs has been selected for the 2026 Division 3A League campaign.

As well as Roscommon on Sunday, Kildare will also face Wicklow away before concluding with both Armagh and Tyrone at home next month.

Kildare has faced these four opponents in recent years and results have been very close including a draw last year away to Roscommon and only a late surge denied the Lilywhites a famous victory over Wicklow in Manguard Park last March.

Speaking to The Kildare Nationalist this week manager O’Neill expressed himself very happy with preparations for the League and for Sunday’s game in particular, despite the challenge of the recent weather conditions. 

“Preparations have been going really well,” he told us. “We have been together since early November and over 60 players registered their interest. We have named the National League Panel. We’ve had loads of opportunities to see loads of talent within the county. We had to make some very difficult and very marginal decisions which shows the quality and quantity of talent out there. We are running through our preseason now and we’re very much looking forward to our day out in Roscommon for the first round of the League,” he added.

Continuing the Kildare manager said, “the want and the desire is there from within all the clubs in the county. We have eleven clubs represented on the Panel and I think for the first time in a while players are disappointed that they have not being named on the Panel which shows the interest to do something special this year.

Agreeing that his Panel is a mixture of experience and youth O’Neill explained, “When I was approached to take on this role one of my goals and objectives was to find and develop young talent and retain them and to put them on that conveyor belt to the senior set up. You couple that with some of the maturity and knowledge of some of the more mature players and they are binding together really well. They have already proven to be a really tight knit group. It’s very nice to see some of the on-field coaching that some of the experienced players are giving to the younger talent.” 

O’Neill praised the support of the clubs throughout the county in providing grass and astro facilities for the players to train on in preparation for the League. A number of O’Neill’s panel have been in action in Colleges Camogie recently, something, which he says, has to be built in to the planning process and also affords him the opportunity to watch players from opposition panels as well.

Rob O’Neill says he and his players are not looking beyond Sunday’s trip to Ballyforan. 

“Our focus now is on our away game to Roscommon and we have been prepping accordingly for it. Roscommon will be drilled very well but we believe we have the strength in depth to make inroads so we are looking for a very positive experience and looking to set the tone with a win in Roscommon,” he declared.

Kildare are operating in Division 3A currently something which doesn’t too sit well with either Management or players. 

“When we sat down as a group of players the players were adamant that this would be a short-lived stint in the Division. They want to be back up in Intermediate where we believe we truly should be,” the Kildare manager tells us. 

“The National League Final is on the 11 April and that’s where we plan to be,” he concluded.

2026 Kildare Camogie squad: Aine Conway (Naas), Allie McGrath (Naas), Aoife McCarthy (Naas), Aoife McDermott (Naas), Aoife Stynes (Naas), Caoimhe Ní Bhuircéal (Johnstownbridge), Caoimhe O'Sullivan (St. Laurences), Ciara Ryan (Naas), Ellie Heffernan (Maynooth), Fahsai Ní Chonchradha (Naas), Grainne Dowling (Naas), Kate Murphy (Naas), Kelly Bracken (Leixlip), Laoise Mimnagh (Celbridge), Laura Edwards (Clane), Lea Sutton (Broadford), Louise Murphy (Athy), Michelle Brogan (Ardclough), Molly Berns (Rathcoffey), Niamh Farrell (Maynooth), Niamh Hegarty (Naas),Niamh Mortell (Celbridge), Rebecca McDermott (Naas), Roisin Naughton (Celbridge), Roisin Roche (Naas), Sadhbh Buckley (Maynooth), Sadhbh Horgan (Maynooth,), Sara Carroll (Naas), Shauna Dunne (Athy), Sophie Hazzard (Naas).

Management Team: Rob O'Neill (Naas), Keith Heffernan (Maynooth), Laura Smullen (Straffan), Eoin Begley (Naas). Iluta Ratkevica - S&C. Aoife Timmons - Physio