Kildare county hurling team

The Kildare county hurling team represents Kildare in hurling and is governed by Kildare GAA, the county board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The team competes in the Christy Ring Cup and the National Hurling League.

Kildare's home ground is St Conleth's Park, Newbridge. The team's manager is Brian Dowling.

The team has never won the Leinster Senior Championship, the All-Ireland Senior Championship or the National League.

History

Kildare hurlers came within minutes of reaching a Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) final in 1976, holding a four-point lead over eventual All-Ireland SHC finalists Wexford until the closing stages of the semi-final. That performance earned Johnny Walsh a replacement All Star award.

The county's major hurling successes were four All-Ireland Senior B titles (last in 2004), an intermediate All-Ireland (1969), and two junior All-Irelands (1962 and 1966). The closest it came to playing in the top division of the National Hurling League was when it lost a four-point lead in the last ten minutes of a Division 1B promotion play-off against Clare in 1971.

Kildare defeated Waterford in the league in two successive years, was tied at half-time against Tipperary in the 1971 National League quarter-final, and lost to the same team by six points in the quarter-final of 1976. Kildare also lost a promotion play-off against Waterford in 1974.

Kildare participated in the Christy Ring Cup, reaching the 2007 final where defeat to Westmeath followed.

In 2014, Kildare won the Christy Ring Cup for the first time in its history, defeating Kerry by a scoreline of 4–18 to 2–22 in the final.^[1][2]

Kildare later won the 2018 Christy Ring Cup.^[3]

Kildare later won the 2020 Christy Ring Cup.^[4] The winning manager, David Herity, was previously the Kilkenny goalkeeper.^[5]

Current panel

Recent players include:

• Jack Sheridan

Current management team

Appointed September 2023'

• Manager: Brian Dowling

Managerial history

Morgan Lalor 2001–2005

Ben Dorney Cork 2005–2007^[6][7][8]

Andy Comerford Kilkenny 2007–2010^{[9][10][11][12]}

Michael O'Riordan 2010–2011

Willie Sutherland Wexford 2011–2013^{[13][14][15][16]}

Brian Lawlor Tipperary 2013–2015^{[17][additional citation(s) needed]}

Joe Quaid Limerick 2015–2018^[18][19]

David Herity Kilkenny 2018–2023

Brian Dowling Kilkenny 2023–

Players

Notable players

For individual player details, see Category:Kildare inter-county hurlers.

Captaincy

• Martin Fitzgerald: 2019^[20]
• James Burke 2023

Honours

National

• All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
  • Quarter-finalists (1): 1989
• All-Ireland Senior B Hurling Championship
  •   Winners (4): 1974, 1980, 1989, 2004
  •   Runners-up (1): 1990
• All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling Championship
  •   Winners (1): 1969
• All-Ireland Junior Hurling Championship
  •   Winners (2): 1962, 1966
• Christy Ring Cup
  •   Winners (4): 2014, 2018, 2020, 2022
  •   Runners-up (1): 2007
• National Hurling League
  • Quarter-finalists (3): 1971, 1974, 1975
• National Hurling League Division 2A
  • Finalist (1): 2023
• National Hurling League Division 2B
  •   Winners (2): 2012, 2015^[21]
• National Hurling League Division 3A
  •   Winners (1): 2009^[22]
• All-Ireland Under-16 B Hurling Championship
  •   Winners (2): 1991, 2002

Provincial

• Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
  •   Semi-finalists (2): 1976, 1977
• Kehoe Cup
  •   Winners (3): 2013,^[23] 2016, 2023
  •   Runners-up (4): 1992, 2001, 2010, 2014
• Kehoe Shield
  •   Winners (1): 2009
• Leinster Intermediate Hurling Championship
  •   Winners (1): 1969
  •   Runners-up (1): 1967
• Leinster Junior Hurling Championship
  •   Winners (5): 1905, 1906, 1934, 1962, 1966
  •   Runners-up (9): 1914, 1932, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 2002
• Leinster Under-21 B Hurling Championship
  •   Winners (3): 2007, 2012, 2013

References

1. "Underdogs Kildare stun Kerry for first ever Christy Ring Cup success". Irish Independent. 7 June 2014.
2. "Lawlor hails Kildare's surprise victory over Kerry: Manager thrilled as Lilywhites save their best performance of season for Croke Park". The Irish Times. 9 June 2014.
3. "Kildare overpower London to win Christy Ring Cup". RTÉ. 23 June 2018.
4. "Kildare edge Down to win Christy Ring Cup". RTÉ. 22 November 2020.
5. "Herity guides Kildare to Christy Ring Cup triumph over Down in Croke Park decider". The42.ie. 22 November 2020.
6. "Dorney vacates Kildare hurling post". The Irish Times. 18 August 2007.
7. "Dorney quits as Kildare hurling boss". Irish Examiner. 18 August 2007. Dorney, who hails from Ballyhea in Cork, confirmed his decision to quit at a meeting with the Kildare Hurling Board last night.
8. "Dorney steps down from post". RTÉ. 18 August 2007. The Cork native from Ballyhea served as Kildare manager for two years reaching the Christy Ring Cup semi-final in his first year and bowing out in the final this year.
9. "Comerford takes up the reins in Kildare". Hogan Stand. 2 November 2007.
10. Foley, Cliona (3 November 2007). "Lilywhites hold fire on appointing Comerford". Irish Independent. Corkman Ben Dorney managed Kildare's hurlers for the past two years and last season the county picked up notable inter-county transfers in the shape of three Tipperary players: David Kennedy, Paddy O'Brien and Ronan Tynan.
11. Conchir, Daragh (10 November 2007). "Comerford a 'great coup' for Lilywhites". Sunday Independent. Kildare Hurling Board PRO Paul Shortt is delighted that the 35-year-old O'Loughlin Gaels clubman has thrown his lot in with the Lilywhites.
12. "Comerford vacates Kildare post". Hogan Stand. 11 June 2010.
13. "Kildare appoint new hurling boss". Hogan Stand. 15 April 2011. [Michael] O'Riordan had been appointed on a three-year deal but lasted just a few months in the job before resigning in recent days. But the Kildare hurling board has moved quickly to secure a successor in the shape of Sunderland, a former Wexford selector who steered Oulart-the-Ballagh to the Wexford championship in 2006.
14. "Willie Sunderland returns as Kildare hurling boss". Newstalk. 6 January 2013.
15. Furlong, Brendan (7 January 2013). "Sunderland steps down as Kildare hurling manager". Enniscorthy Guardian. Sunderland, who took charge in 2011 and guided the team to a Division 2B title in 2012, announced his decision to the players in the dressing-room following a training session before Christmas.
16. Keys, Colm (24 December 2012). "Kildare look to coax back hurling boss Sunderland after shock exit". Irish Independent.
17. Lawlor, Damian (10 January 2015). "Kildare's hurlers are fighting to escape the backwater". Sunday Independent. When Brian Lawlor left his first meeting with the Kildare hurlers 14 months ago, he felt anything but assured. On taking the job, Lawlor, a progressive young coach from Tipperary, sensed there would be little sweetness and light to greet him.
18. Cahill, Jackie (7 October 2015). "Kildare have appointed new senior football and hurling team managers". The42.ie.
19. Keogh, John (29 August 2018). "Quaid steps down as Kildare hurling manager after three years". Limerick Post.
20. "Fitzgerald named Kildare hurling captain". Hogan Stand. 12 January 2019.
21. "Hurling league finals round-up: Kildare, Tyrone and Warwickshire win". RTÉ. 4 April 2015.
22. "Kildare clinch promotion with final win". Irish Examiner. 2 May 2009.
23. "Kehoe Cup success for Kildare hurlers". Kildare Nationalist. 10 February 2013.

External links

• Lawlor, Damian (24 November 2020). "David Herity's hurlers establishing Kildare identity". RTÉ.