COMMENT: Breffni, the new Carlow for Kildare footballers
Tommy Callaghan looks back at the Kildare minors’ recent defeat as well as the senior footballers’ season coming to an unceremonious end
So close and yet so far, as Kildare minor footballers came up just short, missing out on a place in the All-Ireland MFC decider as Tyrone prevailed at a venue that has certaily not been kind to The Lilies in 2026.
In fact this venue can be put on ‘The List.’
The list of venues to be avoided.
Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan.
Three visits this year, three defeats.
Is Breffni Park the new Cullen Park as far as Kildare is concerned?
No disrespect to head man Peter McConnon and his crew at Carlow’s GAA Headquarters but after the season we ‘enjoyed’ there back in 2024, few in Lilywhiteland wish to return anytime soon.
Now Kingspan Breffni falls into something like the same category.
Lovely people, very welcoming, fine ground, good pitch but it is just that The Lilies seem incapable of blooming at the picturesque venue.
Just like Carlow. Nothing personal.
Apart from the defeat on Friday evening, and nothing to do with Cavan, but fixing that All-Ireland MFC semi-final for 7.35 on a Friday evening seems to be absolutely nonsensical, and that is putting it very mildly.
That is a journey of close to three hours if you are from the deep south of Kildare.
It would seem that those responsible for making those fixtures, either know nothing about geography, nothing about the M50 or have never undertaken a car spin at that particular time on a Friday evening.
Apart from being tough on fans and supporters, for young footballers it just seems so unfair and so demanding.
And why? Television. In this case TG4.
Nothing against TG4, they do a great job, at times much better than you know who.
And it is free-to-air, unlike a lot of games over last weekend and throughout this season, and last.
But Friday evening at that time just is not right and the attendance at the game suffered, and suffered big time.
The second semi-final was played on Saturday, at 4 pm, in Parnell Park.
So is it a case of Kildare getting the short straw?
Is it a case of Kildare having little or absolutely no clout when it comes to fixtures from those in authority?
Maybe, maybe not, but from the outside looking in, it certainly seems to be the case.
And while the TV and Radio adverts for the minor football and hurling championships, albeit somewhat over the top, nevertheless come up with the catch line: ‘This is Major’ someone should try and tell that to those in Croke Park.
As for the game. Kildare can have no complaints.
They gave it their all. Gave it everything. Left everything out on that pitch.
A little bit of luck and it could have been so different.
But such is sport. That’s the joys of it. We live in hope. As ever.
Time for debate?
So the Kildare inter-county season (men) has come to an end; so disappointing.
The more one thinks about it, the more one looks back on it all, and the harder it gets to see why, once again, the season has come to such a disappointing end.
And when you see the counties that have progressed to the last twelve, never mind the last eight, it really is heartbreaking.
There is no doubt that taking on Galway and Kerry was a step too far, we didn’t have to wait for those games to come along to realise that. However, surely one would have thought making it to the last twelve was not beyond us?
Or am I being too naive? Maybe in denial? Refusing to accept the obvious?
Sadly that is where we are at and if a lot of things don’t change that could be our lot for a while to come. And that does not necessarily mean a change of management, but it does not rule out changes at a multitude of levels.
Looking back at what happened a week or so prior to the clash with Kerry and the criticism of the senior management team, that should never have been allowed to occur. Possibly the chairman was caught unawares, or whatever, but realistically delegates should not have been given the time to air their grievances at that point in the season.
Genuine grievances? Absolutely, but there is a time and place for everything.
The other side of that of course is that delegates rarely, if ever, get an opportunity to air their views on such vital matters in a proper, constructive and pre-arranged manner.
But that is the way the county board is set-up, the way the county board is structured, the same way as it has been for as long as this writer is attending such gatherings, and that did not begin today or yesterday.
You see, delegates (some) like the rest of us get frustrated, but remember if nothing had been said at that June gathering, the next opportunity delegates can air his or her views most likely would not be until at the next gathering of clubs, in September.
By the time that comes around, the chances are decisions will have been made and decided, delegates will be called upon to simply rubber-stamp what has been decided, just like heretofore.
But just look at what's ahead for Kildare.
Division 3 football and all that entails; unless a Leinster final is reached it is back to the Tailteann.
Looking at Leinster and where Kildare now find themselves, ranked behind Westmeath, Louth, Meath, not forgetting Dublin (or Offaly or Laois).
Time for a proper debate? Absolutely!