A hurling season for Kildare to love, cherish, and celebrate

Days like this just don't come around too often but when they do they should be celebrated, enjoyed, cherished and remembered.

And no doubt this victory will be, for many a long day and night to come.
And while the players will enjoy a couple of days celebration, asking them to return to action within six days is not just unfair it is downright disgraceful. Yes, other counties over the past number of years have faced similar circumstances but it really does show total disrespect to what players, especially from a county such as Kildare who are doing everything possible to grow the game, and have been growing the game and will continue to grow the game but a six day turn-around before lining out in the Liam McCarthy Cup pre-quarter-final is simply not right.

Enough of that now I hear you say but to get a handle on what this Kildare side has achieved just cast your mind back to the start of the league and a defeat by Down.

Cast your mind back to the Division 2 final and another defeat once again against Down.

However the main thing at that stage of the season was that promotion — the no. 1 objective — had been achieved, so we simply moved on.

And so began the Joe McDonagh Cup 2025 series.

Kildare have been here before, on a few occasions at that, but had yet to win a single game.

The opportunity arrived when Kerry were the visitors to Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge, for the opening encounter.

These sides had met already in the league with The Lilies coming out on top by no less than 17 points. However when they met again in the Joe Mac it was the boys in green and gold who prevailed, albeit by a single point, but it was a result that shocked Brian Dowling, his players, his management and the hurling fans in the county.

Dowling later confirmed that he has been in many a disappointing dressing rooms in his career but the feeling in the dressing room after losing to Kerry, the likes, he said, he never felt before.

Not a lot was said that evening, he confessed, but when they got back together two days later, a frank discussion was had, an open and frank discussion was had, the air was cleared and, in the words of the manager, what followed was one of the best training sessions they have had in this his second year in charge.

Still the odds of Kildare retaining their Joe McDonagh Cup status drifted like the proverbial barge but that certainly did not deter Dowling, his management, and most importantly of all, his players.

They defeated Westmeath by six; followed that up with a six point win over a fancied Carlow side and then traveled to Portlaoise and handed out the home side an eleven point beating before turning the tables on Down in Newbridge with a dozen points to spare.

A place in the final secured and a second meeting with neighbours Laois.

Laois made it through to the decider, somewhat fortuitously it has to be said, when a late, late controversial goal saw them over the line against Carlow.

They now faced The Lilies again.

Despite that defeat only a matter of weeks earlier the layers installed the boys in blue and white as favs, only just mind you, but Kildare were given, what many felt were generous odds of 13/8.

Many took advantage and speculated, some more hopeful than others it has to be said.
The opening half was nothing spectacular; Kildare in particular looked somewhat nervous; Laois on the other hand, who were playing in their second Joe McDonagh Cup final in a row, had their chances but failed to convert, eleven wides, and five or six dropped short while Kildare were never headed until the 34 minute, went behind by one before going in at the break on level terms.

One felt Kildare had not played to anything like their full potential.

And then conceding a bit of a howler of goal thirty seconds in and the fat was in the fire.

Not for the first time, though, they did not panic, knuckled down, reduced the gap to zero, went behind by one again, back level, went three ahead before Jack Travers found the net within thirty seconds of coming on.

Jack Sheridan had seen a point-blank goal attempt brilliantly saved by the Laois custodian, before the ball broke to Travers who did the rest.

Kildare were on the road.

Another goal, followed, a brilliant one at that from Jack Sheridan, along with a clatter of points that pushed the gap out to no less than ten points — just one shy of the margin a few weeks previously.

The joy of it all.

Kildare had finally arrived on the big hurling stage.

Will now rub shoulders with the elite teams in Leinster come 2016.

Before that will rub shoulders with some of the top counties in the league.

Kildare have definitely arrived.

Now of course the real big work will only be commencing.

The big challenges that will, no doubt, come with mixing it with elite counties.
There is so much to look forward to come 2026.

But first it is The Dubs, this weekend, a real challenge no doubt after a bruising encounter a mere six days ago, but really this should be looked on as a celebration of a year and a season that will live long in the hearts and minds of Kildare hurling.

Bring it on.
Enjoy!

PICTURES: Hurling heaven as Kildare win Joe McDonagh Cup amid sensational scenes