New manager sees the potential in Kildare camogie

Kildare Camogie County Board have announced the appointment of Kilkenny man, Rob O’Neill, as their senior manager for 2026.

The Ballyhale Shamrocks native has been involved with his adopted club, Naas, for a considerable number of years and managed Kildare to the Leinster and All Ireland Minor “B” Championships in 2023. He also managed the Wicklow team to the Leinster Junior title and the Premier Junior All Ireland semi-final this year.

O’Neill takes over from Laois man, David O’Mahoney, who held the post in 2025. It has been a difficult few years for the Kildare senior camogie team and they are still recovering after a dispute led to the Co Board withdrawing the senior team from the Leinster championship and All Ireland series in 2023.

Speaking to the Kildare Nationalist about what attracted him to the Kildare senior role now, Rob O’Neill said, “I’ll be brutally honest, it’s like coming back home. I would have been involved with Kildare from an early age, U14’s, U15’s, U16’s and finally in their last year we won the Leinster championship in a thrilling game down in Fenagh against Laois. We then won the All-Ireland that year. Several of the players from that minor team were represented on the Maynooth and Naas teams in the senior County Final. I’m delighted that they are coming through”, he explained.

The new Kildare manager is impressed with what he sees in Kildare. 

“I know from the experience that I have had from the club point of view and a county point of view the wealth of talent that is in Kildare. This is my way of coming back home to see if we can rebuild and see if we can set some achievable and measurable goals for 2026.” 

“I’m aware of the tradition of camogie in Kildare. When I see the cohort of all the individuals coming through from all the clubs, from underage to adult, coming all the way through I know we have a very good conveyor belt of talent there. It’s just bringing those on to the senior squad and bringing them on to a place where they are used to seeing and having that elite mentality. I have no doubt that we will move the needle in the right direction,” he added.

O’Neill is aware that morale has been at a low level at senior county level in the past while but he sees a change in that regard. 

“The amount of love that I am feeling at the moment coming through from all the Kildare clubs is absolutely tremendous. I think there is a huge willingness within the club and within the county to bring themselves back up to where they belong and with the cohort of individuals coming through now and the number of players that have expressed an interest in playing, I have no doubt that we will reach the level that we were a few years ago,” he told us.

Last year the Kildare senior camogie team had to field without a number of players from the top clubs but O’Neill expects to be able to select a panel from all available players. 

“I have already put feelers out and the feedback that I’m getting is extremely positive. I think that we will be having the best players in Kildare playing for Kildare in 2026 and beyond,” he confirmed.

The new Kildare camogie manager can fall back on his experience playing with Ballyhale Shamrocks and Kilkenny. 

“I cut my teeth playing hurling with all the Fennelly brothers back in the day which was a tremendous experience. I was fortunate enough to reach the heights with Ballyhale Shamrocks and coming through the underage structure, minor U21, U23 for Kilkenny was a great experience also,” he reminded us. 

“It’s all about surrounding yourself with the right people. I have been involved with great teams and good people with the right attitude and the right coaching. I see that here with the Kildare as well and I’m so looking forward to getting back into it,” O’Neill said.

His management team, with two more coaches to be announced, is all home-grown talent. 

“They have a proven experience in the club and in the county structure with that elite mentality and elite personality. From my tenure in Wicklow and what we achieved there I’m looking to bring some of that talent in with me as well,” he continued.

 O’Neill will use his experience from Shamrocks and Ballyhale to guide his philosophy for Kildare camogie. 

“I actually grew up on an attacking game. Without giving too much away, I want my corner backs to be ball carrying almost wing backs. I want my wing backs to be attacking midfielders. I want box to box runners in midfield. To me to be able to imbed and impart the knowledge that I have particularly in the forward line where you have that flowing, fluid structure to be able to transition from a defensive situation into a point or goal scoring opportunity and being able to have the ability to take those points when needed and keep the scoreboard ticking over is crucial. I’m very much attack minded but you have to be defensive as well,” O’Neill explained.

The new Kildare manager is planning to get down to his task immediately. 

“I’m looking to kickstart a training camp and invite players in and bring in the team that was there last year in the beginning of November. The training camp will run November into December. We are already looking to have really good competitive games with senior club sides that are in championship. The whole idea will be to have the League panel in for early December,” he concluded.

Kildare Senior Camogie Management Team Manager: Rob O’Neill (Naas), Keith Heffernan (Maynooth), Laura Smullen (Straffan). Two other coaches to be appointed Backroom Team - Iluta Ratkevica (S&C), Finbarr McCarthy (Stat's/Data Analysis), Aoife Timmons (Physio)