"This win can only inspire" - Round Towers hurlers react to first ever senior win

The final whistle of the UPMC Junior Hurling Championship clash between Round Towers and Ros Glas proved a historic one for the Kildare Town club. The end of proceedings awarded the Towers adult side their first win since they began fielding a team last year.

Towers ran out 3-13 to 1-6 winners and built brilliantly on their half-time lead of 0-9 to 0-4.

Towers were missing 68 year-old Christy Guiney for the game, who won a Senior Hurling Championship with St Brigid’s (Round Towers hurling’s then name) in 1978. Guiney, who usually togs out, was away coaching U14 and U16 teams on the evening and has brought starting players Cathal Thompson, Cillian McCormack, Alex Downey and Brian O’Dwyer all through the Round Towers underrage system since 2016.

A man who has put in huge work behind the scenes to get Round Towers hurling to this position is Paul Condon. After their first win, the Towers’ corner-forward said, “This was a victory for hurling in general. It shows that progress can be made despite the many challenges and set-backs.

“I would love to see other teams emerge and take a risk in setting up a new team. There are still some clubs in Kildare who have underage hurling, but don't have an adult team. Every effort should be made to get an adult hurling team in place. Without an adult team there, where do the up and coming players go once they leave the underage ranks?

Condon added, “It was extremely satisfying to get our first result last year (a draw v Leixlip) and now to get our first win this year. Hopefully we can make more progress again next year. Several of the players on the team have children in the Round Towers academy and the likes of this win can only inspire them.”

The men in charge of this historic win were Ballyhaunis man Colm Flynn and Wexford’s Ronan Kinsella. Kinsella is the son of the legendary Rory Kinsella, a selector for the 1996 All-Ireland winning Wexford hurling team.

Ex-Army man Brendan Domican was the person in charge of fitness. He was a part of the Kildare footballers backroom staff during Mick O' Dwyers reign.

The Round Towers team lined out for their first win as follows; Barry Moran; Sean Daffy, James Power, Cathal Thompson; Cillian McCormack, Domhnaill O’Riordain ©, Roger Carr; Tadhg Carroll, Alex Downey; Brian O’Dwyer, Gerard Kennedy, Warren Downey; James Carroll, Emmet Dalton, Paul Condon.

Round Towers scorers; James Carroll 1-7 (0-4 frees), Emmet Burke 2-1, Warren Downey 0-2, Brian O' Dwyer 0-1, Paul Condon 0-1, Alan Sheridan 0-1.