Kildare county hurling team

Kildare
Sport:Hurling
Irish:Cill Dara
Nickname(s):The Lilywhites
County board:Kildare GAA
Manager:Brian Dowling
Captain:Rian Boran[1]
Home venue(s):St Conleth's Park, Newbridge
Recent competitive record
Last championship title:2025 Joe McDonagh Cup
Current NHL Division:1B (4th in 2026)
First colours
Second colours

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 Joe McDonagh 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.

Kildare enjoyed one of the strongest periods in its hurling history during the 1960s and 1970s. The county won the All-Ireland Junior Championship in 1962 and 1966, followed by the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship in 1969. In 1976, Kildare came within minutes of reaching the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) final, holding a four-point lead over eventual All-Ireland finalists Wexford before being overtaken in the closing stages of the semi-final. That performance earned Johnny Walsh a replacement All Star award.

During the same era, Kildare established itself as a competitive side against some of the country's strongest counties. The team recorded successive National League victories over Waterford, were level with Tipperary at half-time in the 1971 National League quarter-final, and reached the 1976 championship quarter-final, where Tipperary prevailed by six points. Kildare also came close to reaching the top tier of the National Hurling League, losing a Division 1B promotion play-off to Clare in 1971 after surrendering a four-point lead in the closing ten minutes, before suffering another promotion play-off defeat to Waterford in 1974.

The county later won four All-Ireland Senior B Championships, the last coming in 2004, before becoming a regular contender in the Christy Ring Cup. Kildare reached the 2007 final, losing to Westmeath, before claiming the title for the first time in 2014 with a 4–18 to 2–22 victory over Kerry.[2][3]

Kildare added further Christy Ring Cup titles in 2018[4] and 2020.[5] The 2020 success came under manager David Herity, the former Kilkenny goalkeeper.[6]

In 2025, Kildare enjoyed its best Joe McDonagh Cup campaign to date. Victories over Carlow, Laois and Down secured a place in the 2025 Joe McDonagh Cup final against Laois.[7][8]. Kildare went on to defeat Laois 2–26 to 1–19 in the final to claim their first Joe McDonagh Cup title. The victory secured promotion to the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship and the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship for the 2026 season, marking the county's return to the top tier of championship hurling for the first time since 2004.[9]


Panel

Recent players include:

Management team

Appointed September 2023

Managerial history

Morgan Lalor 2001–2005

Ben Dorney Cork 2005–2007[10][11][12]

Andy Comerford Kilkenny 2007–2010[13][14][15][16]

Michael O'Riordan 2010–2011

Willie Sutherland Wexford 2011–2013[17][18][19][20]

Brian Lawlor Tipperary 2013–2015[21]

Joe Quaid Limerick 2015–2018[22][23]

David Herity Kilkenny 2018–2023

Brian Dowling Kilkenny 2023–

Players

Notable players

Captaincy

Team of the Millennium

Jimmy Curran (Castledermot), Tommy Burke (Naomh Bríd), Richard Cullen (Ardclough), Seamus Malone (Coill Dubh), Tommy Christian (Ardclough), Pat Dunny (Éire Og), Tony Carew (Coill Dubh), Bobby Burke (Ardclough), Jack O'Connell (Naomh Bríd), Johnny Walsh (Ardclough), Tommy Carew (Coill Dubh), Pat White (Naomh Bríd), Mick Dwane (Ardclough), Mick Moore (Broadford), Mick Mullins (Éire Og).

Honours

All-Ireland titles

League titles

Provincial titles

References

  1. ↑ Callaghan, Tommy (22 January 2025). "Kildare captain, Rian Boran, and his team rarin' to go for opening game". Leinster Leader.
  2. ↑ "Underdogs Kildare stun Kerry for first ever Christy Ring Cup success". Irish Independent. 7 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. ↑ "Kildare overpower London to win Christy Ring Cup". RTÉ. 23 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "Kildare edge Down to win Christy Ring Cup". RTÉ. 22 November 2020.
  6. ↑ "Herity guides Kildare to Christy Ring Cup triumph over Down in Croke Park decider". The42.ie. 22 November 2020.
  7. ↑ Lawlor, Damian (20 May 2025). "Hard graft puts Kildare hurlers on cusp of Joe McDonagh final". RTÉ.
  8. ↑ "Kildare set up Joe McDonagh Cup final clash with Laois after resounding win over Down". Independent.ie. 24 May 2025.
  9. ↑ "Kildare roar to Liam MacCarthy status with convincing victory over Laois". Irish Examiner. 8 June 2025.
  10. ↑ "Dorney vacates Kildare hurling post". The Irish Times. 18 August 2007.
  11. ↑ "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.
  12. ↑ "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.
  13. ↑ "Comerford takes up the reins in Kildare". Hogan Stand. 2 November 2007.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ "Comerford vacates Kildare post". Hogan Stand. 11 June 2010.
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ "Willie Sunderland returns as Kildare hurling boss". Newstalk. 6 January 2013.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ Keys, Colm (24 December 2012). "Kildare look to coax back hurling boss Sunderland after shock exit". Irish Independent.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. ↑ Cahill, Jackie (7 October 2015). "Kildare have appointed new senior football and hurling team managers". The42.ie.
  23. ↑ Keogh, John (29 August 2018). "Quaid steps down as Kildare hurling manager after three years". Limerick Post.
  24. ↑ "Fitzgerald named Kildare hurling captain". Hogan Stand. 12 January 2019.
  25. ↑ "Hurling league finals round-up: Kildare, Tyrone and Warwickshire win". RTÉ. 4 April 2015.
  26. ↑ "Kildare clinch promotion with final win". Irish Examiner. 2 May 2009.
  27. ↑ "Kehoe Cup success for Kildare hurlers". Kildare Nationalist. 10 February 2013.
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