Interview: New Kildare hurling manager Brian Dowling looking forward to the challenge

It is a new era in Kildare hurling following the departure of long-term manager David Herity. The Kilkenny man, who advanced Kildare hurling exponentially in that time, will be replaced by another man who proudly wore black and amber during his time on the field, Brian Dowling.

Accompanying the new boss will be Nigel O’Hora, who was also with David Herity for the past two seasons, and Tipperary man Richie Ruth as coaches and selectors. Alongside goalkeeping coach and selector Fiachra Ó Muineacháin, with Rory Fleming in charge of the team’s strength and conditioning.

Dowling arrives with the Lilywhite hurlers off the back off a sizable project, following a stint as the camogie manager of his home county.

Dowling guided the Kilkenny Camogie team to two All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championships in 2020, his debut season, and in 2022.

He is now occupying his first senior inter-county hurling manager role with Kildare and is excited to kick things off.

Dowling said, “When I left Kilkenny Camogie I didn’t know where I was going to go next, I wanted to stay in inter-county management if possible, that is the elite level. Having the players who truly want to be there and the access to them for that seven or eight month period is what you want.

“I’m good friends with David Herity and have watched Kildare for the last couple of years. I saw that he did a lot of good work and that he has built something very special here and it is my job now to continue that and to keep driving the standards up. As I said already, I have to make sure that Kildare is in a good place whenever I leave this job in a few years time.”

It is certainly a shift in task for Dowling as he goes from his sliotar-obsessed home county to Kildare where hurling has historically played second fiddle to football.

However, the change in Kildare has been huge in recent years and the new manager is looking to build on that momentum further.

“Number one (change) I suppose coaching females and males is different, and then in Kilkenny there is no question that the number one sport is hurling/ camogie and not football. Whereas Kildare it would be the other way around and hopefully that’ll change over time,” he said.

Adding, “Even from the outside looking in last year, there was a big push in the county when the Kildare hurlers got to the league final. A number of the players said that too, that they had never seen the backing that they had when they got to that final so that is something we need to build on. To get the youngsters in Kildare to see that Kildare hurling is going somewhere and something that they want to be part of.”

David Herity’s extensive reign naturally brought about squad dynamics and selections that have since been washed following his exit.

“It is a blank slate, it has to be that way, whatever has gone on in the past has gone on. The door is open to play in Kildare and we hope to get as many players in as possible.

“We want the best players playing for Kildare, we have a couple that are thinking it over, but there will be a cut-off point. But from the about 50 players I spoke to, the response was really positive. We need everybody fully committed,” Dowling explained.

The Kildare squad Dowling and his team will assemble in the coming months will be heading into the Christy Ring once again come Championship season.

This comes following a disappointing Joe McDonagh stint last time out, a relegation perhaps that hit harder following such a promising league campaign earlier in the year.

“I see it as a good challenge. When I came into Kilkenny camogie, we were after losing three All-Ireland finals in a row. So if you can’t guarantee success, the pressure is on big time. But the pressure is on Kildare as well, back in the Christy Ring, and the players and everyone in the county wants them to get back up to the Joe McDonagh. So the pressure is there to win that competition and compete in Division 2A which went very well last year. So it’s a different challenge but it’s one we are looking forward to,” Dowling said.