Kildare ladies kick off All-Ireland Championship campaign with Leitrim clash
Kildare get their TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship underway this weekend when they take on Leitrim this Sunday at 2pm in Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada.
Leitrim were the table-toppers of Division 4 in 2023 and will no doubt take solace in their increased fortunes this year, despite their final loss to Antrim. Leitrim would also get wins under the belt in their Connacht Intermediate Championship campaign with wins over Roscommon and Sligo but came up short against Kildare’s Division 3 final opponents Clare.
However, this is undoubtedly an uphill battle for the home side as they meet a bang in form Kildare, who are coming off a Leinster Intermediate Championship final win against Wexford. There is no point beating around the bush in regard to the favourites here, the Lilyhites will be expected to take a win home from Carrick-on-Shannon but the home side will naturally have other ideas.
The Lilies come into this tie after a well-deserved break from match action following the gruelling consecutive weeks outings in the Leinster Championship. Having been afforded a couple of weeks without a fixture following their Leinster final win, Diane O’Hora’s side will no doubt be raring to go as they attack the third and final competition of 2023.
Kildare have won every one they have entered this year with Division 3 promotion secured with a league final win over Clare and the aforementioned Leinster Championship. But this is where things get even bigger for Kildare as they tackle the national stage once more.
Kildare will be looking to make their mark on the All-Ireland Championship this year, having been disappointed not to go further 12 months ago. Having displayed their undoubted quality in the league and provincials this year, there is a feeling when watching this Kildare side that they will have a big say in the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup’s destination this year.
Kildare also share Group 1 with Louth, the only side to beat Kildare this year as they are so often tagged after league win over the Lilies. However, they have met again already this year with the team’s battling it out in the Leinster Championship semi-finals. The first encounter saw Kildare be wasteful with the possession that they were afforded but there were no such concerns the second time around as they put The Wee County to the sword with a 3-15 to 0-10 win. Brilliant as usual, Róisín Byrne kicked 0-9 on the day and was supported by two attackers in fine form in Lara Curran with 1-2 and Neasa Dooley with 1-1.
If those attackers are flying, there are few that can live with Kildare and with the superb backline in support that they have, it is a recipe for success.
On paper, Kildare is the favourite for this group but football is never quite that simple. Goals can change games and pressure can tell. Kildare go into Group 1 with a target on their back and there are two huge games that must be dealt with before any thoughts of knockout football can take place. Any complacency would be a huge mistake but it's not a trait that this group of players have exhibited this year, and I would struggle to see that starting here.