BRIAN FLANAGAN TO TAKE CHARGE OF KILDARE

As exclusively revealed in this week's Leinster Leader, Brian Flanagan is set to become the next manager of Kildare senior footballers.

The Management Committee of Kildare Co Board met this evening (Wendesday 7 August) and agreed to a proposal from the five-person committee, set up to search for a new manager, to appoint Flanagan and his backroom team. That proposal will now go to the next meeting of the full Co. Board, due to be held on the first Tuesday in September, but that in reality is simply to rubber stamp the proposal.

Flanagan will have with him Aidan O'Rourke, the former Armagh All-Ireland winner who served a year with Kieran McGeeney during his (McGeeney's) seven year term with Kildare. During his illustrious playing career, O'Rourke won five Ulster titles, one All-Ireland, one NFL and one All Star, with Armagh.

Joining Flanagan and O'Rourke will be former Kildare players Damian Hendy (Castledermot) and Daryl Flynn (Moorefield) as selectors.

In September 2020, Brian Flanagan took the U20 managerial role with Kildare, initially for two seasons and oversaw the 2023 All-Ireland final win over Sligo, having lost out to Tyrone in the ’22 showdown. In both seasons, The Lilies defeated Dublin in the Leinster final.

A bad knee injury forced the Johnstownbridge clubman to retire in 2014 from inter-county football at the age of 29. He was the county’s junior manager prior to becoming a senior Kildare selector to Cian O’Neill for the 2016 season.

Flanagan coached Summerhill last season to their first Meath senior football title in 10 years having helped them to the final a year earlier.

Despite operating in Division 3 of the Allianz Football League come 2025, and a place in the All-Ireland series not guaranteed, it is an exciting time in Kildare with the planned opening of the re-vamped Cedral St Conleth's Park in late October; the first two games, separate days, being the final of the Kildare SFC and SHC in late October.