'Santy came early' for new Leinster champions Grangenolvin

When Grangenolvin bridged a 20-year gap to deliver the Tom Cross Transport Kildare Junior Football Championship, few could have believed that it would just be the beginning of the club's success for the year, rather than the pinnacle. 

Beating Rathcoffey by five points at Cedral St Conleth's Park in October marked Grangenolvins's first County Title since 2005 and catapulted them into the AIB Leinster Club JFC in the process. 

Grange's class of 2005 had long been the club's standard-bearers since going all the way to that year's Leinster final - but the now fall into the shadow of their 2025 counterparts who went one better and finally delivered provincial glory to Murphy Memorial Park.

Just two weeks after the County final came the first round of Leinster and the arrival of St Brigids Croghan to St Conleth's Park, where a goal from Nathan Doyle helped Grange to a nine-point win.

Up next were Wexford champions Cloughbawn in the quarter-finals. Fionn Bergin was on hand to raise the green flag this time as Grange finished six-point winners in Manguard Park Hawkfield.

Then came the glamour tie of all glamour ties as Grangenolvin had the distinction of taking on European Champions, Barcelona Gaels. Manguard Park was once again the venue as Grange proved far too strong,running out 3-14 to 1-03 winners.

SETU Carlow was the venue for the provincial final in what was something of a home tie for the opposition, Fighting Cocks. But Grange were that bit too strong and finished four points better off to leave Carlow in possession of the trophy. 

Man of the Match Oran Bergin was “elated” after the final, and told the Kldare Nationalist just how special an occasion it was. “It’s the most successful year this club has ever had. We’re all just delighted to be part of it now. We’ve got a good group of lads who came together there at the right time and we’re just buzzing now.” 

The victory was made all the more special for Oran by lining out with his brothers, Cillian, Conall and Fionn. “It’s special now," he said. 

"We’ve played plenty of football with each other out in the back yard and growing up and whatever. It’s nice to see the fruits of that now today... It’s a bit of a common theme throughout the group - there’s a lot of sets of brothers and sets of cousins that we have. I suppose it makes it all the more special when you’re doing it with family. It’s a very special day for sure.”

Centre-half back, Dylan Costigan cut an emotional figure after the final. “It means a lot to the community. It's been a long time coming. It means so much to us, I'm actually caught for words now, to be honest,” he said.

Costigan said Grange took inspiration from Milltown’s provincial victory in 2023 an used the success of their fellow Kildare men to spur them on to this historic success.

Grangenolvin were made to run the gauntlet on their way to finally clinching Leinster glory, and the scale of that  achievement is not lost on Costigan: "You look at them Cocks lads, they're so big and strong. They were leaving in hard challenges. It's the same with the Wexford crowd and the Offaly crowd. They're all hard-hitting men," he said.

"That's great experience to have going into the semi-final of an All-Ireland, which is just unbelievable to even think about. Santy came early."

Costigan also paid homage to Grange manager David Conway, who he said "came in and he settled the ship for us." Barely a year into the job, winning the Leinster title was quite an early anniversary gift for Conway.

“Extremely proud of the lads,” he said. “After about six or seven minutes in the second half (Fighting Cocks) probably became the favourites with the way the elements were and with the scoreline. So, for our lads to have to tough it out and dog it out was exceptionally proud of them.

Grange have a short break now over Christmas with an All-Ireland semi-final to look forward to and prepare for. “It is a problem, in ways, but it’s a good problem,” Conway said. 

“Christmas will be a good craic alright but at the same time to have an All-Ireland Semi-Final on the weekend of the 4th of January, I think, it all finishes off pretty quick. So yeah, as I say it’s a good problem, we’ll try and strike the balance right.”