Kildare hurlers take on Wicklow in season opener

It’s a fresh start for the Kildare hurlers as they tackle 2024 with a new manager for the first time in five years after David Herity’s reign came to an end.

They are also looking to pick themselves up after a disastrous end to last year with Championship relegation. That being said, it was somewhat of a mixed bag overall for the Lilywhite hurlers in 2023 after they had a league campaign that promised so much, followed by a Joe McDonagh Cup campaign that delivered so little.

That makes the focus of new manager Brian Dowling very simple as one Kilkenny man fills the boots of another. However, before he seeks to restore his side’s Joe McDonagh status, he must navigate a league campaign that Kildare reached the final of last year and first of all the Kehoe Cup.

Kildare will start their campaign against Wicklow on January 14, they are accompanied by Meath and Down in what is a straightforward league table format. Top of the group after the three games will take home the prize as the four sides face one another over consecutive weeks.

Kildare won the Kehoe Cup last year and based on their league form that followed you would assert that it served them well being sharp in the early parts of the year.

This tournament of course represents a crucial part of the year for the new manager as he begins to sort out who his crucial players will be when he first sees them in competitive action.

That fact will not be lost on any of the players either as they seek to impress the new boss. The Kildare hurling squad selection process has already been blown wide open after the appointment of a new manager after so long, which also means that those numbers from one to 15 are up for grabs.

Wicklow and Kildare faced off this time last year in the Kehoe Cup, with Kildare taking an 0-15 to 1-11 victory away from Bray Emmets GAA club. Kildare were described as having “scraped” to victory despite hitting 14 second half wides, with three dropped short. It would perhaps go without saying that a more accurate display in front of the posts would be a welcome addition this time around.

Their campaign would only improve from there and conclude with a 2-24 to 0-18 win over Meath to lift the trophy.

David Herity’s men grew into the competition 12 months ago and I’m sure we will see similarly here as the players look to shake off the county hurling cobwebs of the winter break. There are also likely to be teething problems as Brian Dowling looks to implement his ideas, but this is undoubtedly the time to do it.

There is no doubt that the 2024 Kehoe will largely be about learning about this Kildare side for all involved. Every interested party will know a little more come the end of this busy three weeks. Good or bad fans will have fresh expectations of a new look side, the manager will have tested his new squad competitively and players will have learned even more about what their new boss wants from them in a match situation.

It all starts with Wicklow on January 14 and there is no denying that all involved with Kildare hurling will want to get their fresh start off to a winning one.

Kehoe Cup

2024 fixtures

January 14

Wicklow vs Kildare

January 21

Down vs Kildare

January 28

Kildare vs Meath

There is currently a 38-man squad list named by Brian Dowling for the next few games, but that will see some change as the new Kildare boss has to reduce that number to 35 in the coming weeks.