PREVIEW: Kildare face a challenge like no other as Kerry come to town
The Kildare men and ladies footballers face Kerry in a double-header of All-Ireland SFC action in Newbridge this Saturday, June 13
It has to be a first. Current All-Ireland Football champions, Kerry, put their title on the line at Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, on Saturday against Kildare, a game, a double-header with Kildare Ladies who also against take on The Kingdom throws in at 3 pm with the men going into battle at 5.30.
Who would have expected the season to pan out in such a fashion.
Certainly as I sat in the lower tier of the Hogan Stand watching an intriguing All-Ireland final between Kerry and Donegal, did I imagine in my wildest dreams that Kildare would be rubbing shoulders with Jack O’Connor’s boys in a winner-takes-all scenario ten months later.
Such is sport. Such are the joys of it all. In many respects this is what dreams are made of.
Watching David Clifford back last August, who operated right in front of where I was situated, was an experience to behold as the best player in the land, showed all his skills, along with a magnificent team, as the boys in green and gold, tore Donegal apart, winning in the end by a handsome 10 points. To say Kerry were brilliant on the day is simply stating the obvious.
Granted, The Kingdom may have dropped a rung or two since, as we saw in the Allianz Football League final when the boys from the north west, got some compensation for that loss, defeating Kerry by 10 points and then travelling down to Killarney just a few short weeks ago where they again dismantled Jack O’Connor’s boys by a whopping 13 points, this time in the All-Ireland series.
Kerry, though, not unlike Kildare, have been missing some of their big names, the biggest loss undoubtedly the man that pulls the strings most days, but especially back in the All-Ireland final of 2025, Paudi Clifford, along with the likes of Sean O’Shea, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Gavin White, Paul Gainey, to name just a few.
The play-maker, Paudie Clifford, did start against Donegal in Killarney but was pulled off early, obviously not right on the day, whether he will start in Newbridge on Saturday we will have to wait and see.
It has been a very disappointing season to date for Brian Flanagan’s side. A good start to the Allianz Football League, gaining a great draw in Tyrone, coming home the following week and defeating Offaly, three points exactly the start that The Lilies had hoped for.
However, it was all down hill after that as they struggled for the remainder of the league, failing not just to win, but to lose every game, suffering the heartbreak of relegation to Division 3 of the 2027 Allianz Football League – a major blow, along with relegation to the Tailteann Cup come 2026.
Speaking of backroom teams there will be no shortage of experience on the line come Saturday, with five present or former senior inter-county managers on duty, all incidentally have had, or are at present with strong Kildare connections.
On the Kerry side we have Jack O’Connor, who did two seasons in Kildare, 2020 and 2021, gaining promotion to Division 1 in his second year along with leading Kildare to the Leinster final, losing to Dublin; his right hand man also needs no introduction, Cian O’Neill, a man who won a SFC with his home club, Moorefield back in 2000 and who was the boss in Lilywhite land from 2016 to 2019.
On the Kildare management we have of course manager Brian Flanagan, backed up with Aidan O’Rourke who has had connections over a number of years with Kildare, the former Armagh player managed Louth for two seasons. Then there is Davy Burke, who led Kildare to U20 All-Ireland success in 2018, managed Sarsfields to a senior title before moving to take charge of Wicklow for two years and Roscommon for three ending just 12 months ago.
So all-in-all no less than five managers or former managers with senior inter-county experience and, as stated, all with present or former connections with Kildare.
The Lilies will go into Saturday’s clash as rank outsiders – in fact of the eight games in this All-Ireland Series, A and B, no other team is ranked with a bigger hill to climb than the Kildare.
Kerry are expected to have some, if not all of their walking wounded back for the visit to Newbridge. However, as former star Dara Ó Cinnéide remarked following the draw for this round wrote last week, from a Kerry point of view it is, in his opinion, the exact draw that Jack O’Connor would have hoped for.
Cheeky maybe, but no doubt truthful as well.
Ó Cinnéide intimated that there is no need for Jack O’Connor to play any player who is not one hundred per cent fit for Saturday; cheeky again, but if there is one thing that Kerry folk are not shy or short on is confidence or cockiness, regardless.
Maybe that is something Kildare and Brian Flanagan can use in their favour.
Losing out to Westmeath in the Leinster semi-final was a major blow for Kildare though. So close, they looked to be on their way out before forcing the game to extra time.
It was felt at that the time that Kildare’s fitness might just get them through but as we all know the opposite was the case, the Lakesiders showing when it comes to fitness they are not short as they showed against Dublin in the Leinster final and again against Cavan in Round 1 of the All-Ireland Series.
As of now we don’t know the Kildare side, or indeed the Kerry side that will line out; both as we said earlier, have players doing their preparation on the treatment table.
Kildare will certainly be without at least two of what one would expect to be their strongest XV; and remember they don’t have the strength-in-depth that Jack O’Connor & Co have amongst their ranks.
A near full-house on Saturday is expected and with the Ladies in action on the day, it has the potential to have a real championship feel to it.
Can Kildare win?
It’s a long shot, no doubt.
But as we know in the heart of racing country, there is no such thing as a certainty.
A two-horse race always gives the outsider a chance.
Will Kildare win?
Now that’s another thing entirely!