'It is a huge prize on offer' says Kirwan ahead of Kildare's Tailteann Cup final

Darragh Kirwan may be only 25 years of age but he is a marked man these days as a fleet-footed forward with pace who can torment any defence, his reputation is known far and wide.

Even at that age the Naas man is an experienced player having shown his undoubted skills at both club level with his successful Naas club side along with county success over the past number of years.

Kirwan has had a very in-and-out sort of season, due to the amount of injuries he has picked up, the majority of the dreaded hamstring variety.

We spoke the Darragh at the Meet and Greet gathering for young fans at Manguard Park, just two days following the win overe Fermanagh and there is little doubt that those injuries are on his mind as he looks forward to the Tailteann Cup final.

“Hopefully” he says “I can stay injury-free for the next few weeks” he says, adding “hopefully I stay that way as I try to put three consecutive games together, something I have not been able to do this year yet.”

You can actually detect, even feel, the frustration in the top forward's voice who, on his day, can tear most defences with his pace, his strength and his undoubted skill.

He recalls the first time he was brought into the senior set-up in 2020 but it was the following year “2021 was my first full season in with the seniors.”

It was when Jack O'Connor was in charge in 2020 that Darragh was first brought into the Kildare senior set-up, near the end of that season and as he says himself “hopefully I have a lot of years ahead of me, and eradicate those injuries.”

Asked about the frustration when sitting on the sideline through injury, the big man says “it is hard to articulate an answer on just how tough and hard it is; it just affects your confidence, your momentum, your sharpness I guess, but yes, it has been very, very tough but hopefully we can now finish the season on a very positive note and move on.”

While admitting that he would have loved to have played more games with the new rules, he admits that “when I am playing, ye, I have enjoyed them, I think there is now more football on the front foot, the way football should be played and yet, I think, it is still in the early stages so we will have to wait and see how it pans out, especially in the latter stages of the All-Ireland series but by and large I have to say I think they are positive.”

On the Tailteann Cup, Darragh, says “yes, we have embraced it, we had no choice, we are where we are, we are here on the back of our performances over the last couple of years, but look it is a national final, it is an opportunity to win silverware in Croke Park.

“I know myself I have never experienced the feeling of winning a final, at any age, with Kildare so I would just love climb the steps of the Hogan Stand and hold the trophy with my team mates, so I am extremely looking forward to that and hopefully we can come out the right side of the result.

“With the winner of the Tailteann Cup automatically qualifying for the Sam Maguire in 2026, it is a huge prize on offer for both ourselves and Limerick, it is on us now over the next few weeks to prepare the best we can to ensure we come out the right side and there is no doubt that Limerick have the exact same intentions as we do, and they have every right to believe, as do we, they can succeed.”

So with two weeks or so to go, what will be the plan between now and then?

“Quieten it down a bit this week, the two games (semi and final) are in close proximity, bodies are quiet tired, players are carrying different niggles, it is an exciting time to be playing football at this time of the year, hopefully the weather is getting better, you want to be in Conleth's Park every Tuesday and Thursday and that's for sure.”

And a night like this with so many young kids swarming around looking for autographs and pictures?

“Yes, a very important part of it all, and hopefully we can carry any momentum we have gained this year on into next year and next couple of years,”

And so say all of us!

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