The Kingdom set to come to Kildare
David Clifford has a shot on goal during Kerry's last visit to Cedral St Conleth's Park for a competitive game in Division 1 in 2022 Photo: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Former Kildare manager Jack O’Connor will be returning to Newbridge after his Kerry team were paired with the Lilywhites in Round 2B of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in the draw this morning. The game will be played on the the weekend of the 13/14 June.
O’Connor enjoyed two Covid-hit years in charge of Kildare in 2020 and 2021 with his last match in charge coming in a Leinster Final defeat to Dublin in his second season.
Another former Kildare manager, Moorefield man Cian O'Neill, is the Head Coach of the Kerry team.
Kildare will have the advantage of playing the tie in Cedral St Conleths Park but realistically, it’s the toughest opponent they could have been drawn against. Kerry are something of a wounded animal after a heavy home defeat to Donegal in the opening round and David Clifford and co. will arrive in Newbridge looking to ramp up the defence of their Sam Maguire title.
It’s been a tough season for Brian Flanagan’s team and they will go into the game having lost seven of their eight previous matches across the League and Championship. It goes without saying that the team will need to produce by far their best performance of the Flanagan era to be even remotely competitive against the reigning All-Ireland champions.
It will be the first time that Kildare have hosted Kerry in a Championship game in Newbridge. Kerry have won the last three Championship encounters between the counties, including a record-breaking 27-point win in the 2015 All-Ireland quarter-final, and you have to go back to the famous All-Ireland semi-final in 1998 when Mick O’Dwyer was was in charge of Kildare against his native county for the last win.
Kerry are a great historical opponent of Kildare and the two counties actually met in five All-Ireland finals between 1906 and 1931, with Kildare winning twice. The 1931 All-Ireland final was the last Championship meeting between the pair until that game in 1998.
Kerry’s last visit to Newbridge for a competitive game ended with a last gasp free from Jimmy Hyland to earn Kildare a draw in Division 1 in 2022.
The two counties will see plenty of each other in the coming weeks. Next Saturday in Limerick, they meet in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship quarter-final and then on the same weekend as the men face off, Kildare are also due to host Kerry in the LGFA TGA All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. It remains to be seen if there is the possibility of a double header between those two games.
Derry vs Meath
Kildare vs Kerry
Cavan vs Dublin
Monaghan vs Roscommon
Donegal vs Cork
Galway vs Westmeath
Tyrone vs Mayo
Louth vs Armagh
