Robinson aiming for Kildare return in 2026 after New York adventure

Although New York were well beaten by Offaly as they made their exit from the Championship at the quarter-final stage of the Tailteann Cup in Tullamore last Saturday afternoon there were still a couple of opportunities for Jack Robinson to show his quality.

The Clogherinkoe man wore number 23 but started the game at corner forward and finished the game with two points in the 2-25 to 1-12 defeat. Following on from scoring five points against Galway in the Connacht Championship earlier this year, it was more proof, as if any was needed, that the talented forward could make an impact at intercounty level.

And there’s every chance that the 27-year-old could be back in a Kildare jersey next year. His visa is due to expire in December and at the moment, his plans are to return home and fight for a place in the Kildare squad.

“I spoke with Brian (Flanagan) this year and had thoughts of coming back but it was just a bit rushed and it kind of didn’t make sense from my perspective. I would love to be playing for Kildare and pulling on that white jersey but there’s other things in life that are more important and it all has to fit in. I spoke with Brian a good bit and who knows, all going well I could be back in with the Kildare panel next year,” said Robinson, who has been working in HR during his time in the Big Apple.

Playing at intercounty level for New York was something he did with a return to the Kildare set up in mind.

“I was conscious that if I was stepping away for a while that I was still playing at a high level. I was conscious that if I was stepping away and wasn’t playing, it takes some time to get back into playing intercounty football. This is an intercounty set up. We train Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and then do gym work on your own so it’s very similar to Kildare and I think that will stand to me if I do go back in,” said Robinson.

As a life experience, his time in New York has been unforgettable and he’s enjoyed his time on their GAA team as well, although there are obvious obstacles in their way as they remain on the hunt for their first win in the Tailteann Cup.

“The big thing is the jet lag. We flew out Wednesday night at 9pm American time and got into Dublin at 9am Irish time. We didn’t really sleep that day, we were into preparations then, we went to the pool and had a team meeting. That was the biggest thing but apart from that it’s the same thing. You have your meetings, your rehab, getting together and the practical side of it but it just the jet lag that I found toughest to deal with.

“A lot of the players on the team are former intercounty players with their own counties, over very good club players. New York is an attractive to go as a young person so you get a lot of ex-pats there and once they all come together you get a good group of lads. There’s eight senior clubs in New York, I played there last year and it’s very competitive. There’s some good home based players too who want to play for New York so it is very competitive but I suppose the one big downside is that there is a big turnover of players, there’s people always coming and going. I don’t know if I will be there next year but it’s been a great experience,” said Robinson.

He was speaking shortly after the final whistle of Saturday’s game so before Offaly were paired with Kildare in next weekend’s quarter-finals but from the moment that New York were drawn against them he knew his team were in for a tough game.

“Them or Westmeath would have probably been the toughest but you are going to have to beat good teams along the way. We were just focused on ourselves. I just think that in the first half we didn’t bring our A game, and even in the second half I just don’t think we performed. No excuses, full credit to Offaly, they were full value for the win,” said Robinson.

Despite that, he has been paying attention to Kildare all year and he’s backing them to go all the way in the competition.

“I watch most of the games and if I can’t get to see them then I’m tuning in to KFM to listen to them. I definitely keep an eye on things from afar. I would fancy Kildare to go on and win the Tailteann, that would be great. Obviously, it would be disappointing not to be involved this year but who knows next year,” said Robinson.