PREVIEW: Clane hunting for Kildare history in Leinster Junior Hurling Final

Clane will become the first Kildare club to line out in a Leinster Club Junior Hurling Championship Final when they meet Wexford's Davidstown Courtnacuddy in the 2025 decider. The game is set for a 1:30pm throw-in on Sunday, December 7 with the Kildare men enjoying home court advantage in Manguard Park, Hawkfield.

The men in white have come through the Leinster Championship impressively with their enthralling Senior ‘B’ county final clash with Leixlip setting them on their way. Clane’s theatrically late win over Leixlip, with a Caolan Smith winner to edge them 1-18 to 1-17 in the dying embers, remains the zenith of their season, but that could all change with a Leinster Championship win as they look to go where no other Kildare side has gone before and beyond. 

The only comparable measure of provincial success in Kildare is of course Naas’ Leinster and All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship wins in 2021-22. On December 7, Clane are looking to join Naas and become only the second Kildare hurling club to win a Leinster Championship.

It has also been a mighty year in Wexford for their opponents, Davidstown Courtnacuddy, with their Intermediate A Hurling Championship win arriving prior to a Junior A Football title. Both of which were achieved in fine style with the footballers defeating St. Joseph's 4-12 to 0-10 at Chadwicks Wexford Park to achieve Championship success after the hurlers also had an impressive 3-15 to 0-16 win over Duffry Rovers in their county final clash.

It’ll take around 90 minutes, and just under 110km, to get from the gates of Davidstown Courtnacuddy to Manguard Park, but they will travel full of belief in search of a Leinster Junior Championship. If successful, they would become just the fourth Wexford side, alongside Horeswood, Fethard St Mogues, and Kilrush Askamore to win a provincial title at this grade of hurling and only the eighth different Wexford club to win a Leinster Hurling Championship title.

Davidstown Courtnacuddy reached this point with a 2-16 to 0-15 win over Kilkenny champions Barrow Rangers, who themselves had ended their 35-year wait for a county Junior title earlier in the year. One thing the Wexford men would love to carry into the decider was the opening 15 minutes that they put on away in Kilkenny. Davidstown Courtnacuddy reduced Barrow to just one point from play and held a six-point lead at the midpoint of the first half. Despite their blistering opening showcase, it was the Kilkenny slide who led at the break, 0-12 to 1-7, after scoring 10 of the half’s remaining 12 points.

However, the eventual winners reassumed the control they enjoyed early on and grabbed a second goal not long after the restart. James Doyle’s goal three minutes into the new half seemed to inject new life into the Wexford men and they rattled off 1-5 without reply to make the task near impossible for the hosts.

Clane came through their semi-final with little to no fuss, comprehensively beating Clonad 2-22 to 1-6 and leading by 1-11 to a single point after 25 minutes of their final four clash. Clonad were admittedly without two key forwards but Clane’s domination and tenacity all over the field always looked destined to earn them a spot in a Leinster JHC Final.

Key men

This is a fixture of enormous significance for both clubs and on days like that you are looking for the player who is going to stand up and be counted. The chief example in Kildare football this year came in the form of Athy’s Barry Kelly and in the Senior ‘B’ Hurling Final it was men like  Paddy McKenna, Dan Colbert, and Caolan Smith who all played their part in a stunning late win over Leixlip. Clane’s experience, coming through a fixture of that nail-biting nature, could serve them headed into this final. 

Dan Colbert is young, fearless and superbly talented and has played a massive role in Clane’s success in general and in particular for one so young. Caolan Smith was the man that got the all important winning score in the county final and once again showed his aerial prowess and fine finishing to grab 1-3 against Clonad. 

Kildare goalkeeper and Joe McDonagh Cup champion Paddy McKenna dons the number 13 for his club and he has been inspirational throughout 2025 with 1-7 of their 1-18 tally in the county final and has provided consistent free-scoring throughout their campaign. The likes of Cormac Vizzard, who was immense against Clonad, and Seán Christianseen also have enormous experience in high-level hurling and will no doubt be further assets to Clane’s search for this Leinster title.

Davidstown Courtnacuddy also have a reliable man over set-pieces, Pauric Doyle, and his attacking output will be supported by wing-forward Oisín Hayes and fellow member of the full-forward line James Doyle, both of whom hit the net against Barrow Rangers. The Wexford IHC winners have come through stiff tests of their own, none more so than going away to the Kilkenny champions and leaving with a seven-point win.

Clane will make history when they line out as the first Kildare side in a Leinster Junior Hurling Championship Final but they will be looking for much more than just an appearance when they tackle Davidstown Courtnacuddy in Manguard Park on Sunday, December 7 in search of provincial glory.

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