'We will have no fear' - Kildare captain James Burke ahead hurlers league campaign

After an exceptional 2022 in club and county hurling, James Burke will captain Kildare as they embark on their 2023 campaign.

The man who was named Christy Ring player of the year last year says there is plenty to be optimistic about heading the months ahead.

“This is the strongest panel we have had since I have got involved in the setup (2018). We are really starting to see things come to fruition from the work we have put in,” Burke said.

“We will have no fear (in 2A) and we are an ambitious and want to push on again this year. We would hope to potentially be there come this business end of the year with a league semi-final or final.”
Kildare’s first game of their Division 2A campaign is away to Carlow in Dr Cullen Park, a place where the Lilies have had little joy in recent years. But after a victory over their old rivals in this year’s Keogh Cup hopes of a result have been enhanced.

“For a lot of lads, myself included, the Keogh Cup was the first time we had beaten Carlow in a competitive fixture. We are looking forward to getting another crack at them, away at Dr Cullen Park and hopefully we can build on the Keogh cup and back up that result and show it wasn’t a once off.”

Kildare have stuck with Kilkenny hurling legend David Herity as their manager. Burke, the man he named captain, says that the group have greatly benefitted from that, “The consistency in terms of the management for the last couple of years makes it easier to build relationships, build a team and play the way we want to.

“When we were last in the Joe McDonagh, we were in the division 2B league and this year playing at that higher level will hopefully put us in a good place come the Joe McDonagh in April.”

Kildare cruised to Christy Ring success in 2022, dishing out some heavy beatings along the way. This came of course following a disappointing campaign a level above in the Championship, in the Joe McDonagh cup.

“At the time we were first in there (Joe McDonagh) we might have been a little bit naive to the step-up in standard but I think the short-time we were there, the three games, we learned a lot. We will be better prepared for that step-up in standard and keep that winning mindset that we kept all the way through last year.”

Whether it was naivety in some or a feeling of inferiority the last time for Kildare, that certainly will not be present in James Burke and his Naas teammates who pull on a white jersey. After Kildare club Championship success, Naas left a respectable mark on the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and in doing so showed how far the level of Kildare hurling has risen.

Burke hopes that will will give the entire group more belief, “I think the fact that the Kildare club champions beat the Offaly club champions for 2022, that is something that might give the rest of the group confidence compared to the last couple of years where there might have been a perception that Offaly is stronger than us. Hopefully now that perception or idea is thrown out. The Naas lads have been able to show that we are capable of competing at that level.”

The Kildare captain was also quick to put on dampener on any potential feeling of mere survival as Kildare face a set of tough customers in Division 2A.

Burke said, “That’s the bare minimum (not getting relegated) and we might have to see where the league goes and tinker with our ambitions after that but we would have loftier goals than that. Further down the line in this season we will no more know where we are at.

“We are certainly not planning on just winning one game so we can stay up.”

This interview was done in partnership with Brady Family who are delighted to announce the renewal of their sponsorship of Kildare GAA, Kildare Camogie and Kildare LGFA for four more years.  Extending the sponsorship and support of Kildare GAA to 14 years and Brady Family will proudly be one of the only Irish-owned companies which support all three associations within the Gaelic Games Family.