2024 Allianz League

Home games confirmed and all in Carlow. Really taking advantage of the lights in Carlow with all bar one of the games Saturday evening 5pm or 7pm.

Sat 27th January v Cavan @ 7pm
Sun 18th February v Armagh @ 3.45pm
Sat 16th March v Donegal @ 5pm
Sat 23d March v Louth @ 7pm

Cork, Fermanagh and Meath away.

Full fixtures probably released in the next couple of days as it was around this time last year.

Meath away on Sun the 25th Feb. Not confirmed but just reading a few reports from those across the border.

Cork in Cork Sunday March 3rd at 3.30pm

That just leaves Fermanagh away on the weekend of 3/4 Feb I think.

Thanks for posting. Great to have both Donegal V Armagh at “home”. Ultimately our first two games are up against the two teams who were promoted last year. Win those 2 games and maybe we can get a bit of momentum which we could never get last year. It’s only December and I’m already full of false hope!!!

All in all, a competitive division where each game will be tough. Donegal & Armagh will rightfully be favourites to gain promotion. We will get a good insight in where we stand after the 7 games.

FlourBag_1 wrote:

Thanks for posting. Great to have both Donegal V Armagh at “home”. Ultimately our first two games are up against the two teams who were promoted last year. Win those 2 games and maybe we can get a bit of momentum which we could never get last year. It’s only December and I’m already full of false hope!!!

All in all, a competitive division where each game will be tough. Donegal & Armagh will rightfully be favourites to gain promotion. We will get a good insight in where we stand after the 7 games.

If we don't get 3 or 4 points from the first 2 games I think we are in trouble. Could be a tough league campaign

I'm on record as saying I think Glen should have been shown the door after 2022 Leinster final, but that's the last bit of negativity you'll hear out of me ahead of this campaign. Like everyone else, I just want Kildare to be successful. As ever promotion to Div 1 would be huge and would actually get Glen another year in job.

Defensively we tightened up a fair bit last year, and in fairness, should have beaten Dubs twice in Croke Park which is evidence of this team's ability. They don't have the ruthlessness to be a consistent team and they need to work on the psychology side of that. Also retaining the calmness and composure in tight games which has been letting us down for a long time now tbh.

Also, Glen needs to improve his tactical approach - can we get more imagination in our attacking play? Can we improve on opening up massed defences? All stuff we need to be working on.

Glen doesn't do much media at all but he was on some pod a while back (Michael Lyster's?) and he was raving about quality of last couple of U20 teams, much to Tommy Keegan's chagrin no doubt. Seems like we might see a few of them introduced this season. For opening game, I might go with something like...

O'Neill (time he was given the spot and allowed develop; Donnellan doesn't have the range of kickouts)

Mark Maguire
O'Grady
Houlihan

P McDermott
S Ryan
K Flynn

Feely
O'Callaghan

Beirne
McCormack
Shane Farrell

Kirwan
D Flynn
Hyland

Subs: aside from the usual suspects, the younger cohort with real potential include Bagnall, Aaron Browne, Harry O'Neill, Harris, Fanning, Cully, O'Sullivan, McKevitt.

Schedule has fallen nicely with four home games, and particularly Donegal & Armagh. They have to be hot favourites for promotion. With McGuinness back in charge, I'd be shocked if Donegal didn't go back up, which probably leaves bar-room brawl for second spot between us, Armagh, Cork & Meath. Weirdly I feel Cork could go up but we'll see.

NFL
Saturday, 27 January
Kildare v Cavan - Dr Cullen Park, 17.00

Saturday, 3 February
Fermanagh v Kildare - Brewster Park, 18.00

Saturday, 17 February
Kildare v Armagh - Dr Cullen Park, 15.45

Sunday, 25 February
Meath v Kildare - Pairc Tailteann, 14.00

Saturday, 2 March
Cork v Kildare - Pairc Ui Chaoimh, 15.30

Saturday, 16 March
Kildare v Donegal - Dr Cullen Park, 17.00

Saturday, 23 March
Kildare v Louth - Dr Cullen Park, 19.00



NHL
Sunday, 4 February
Meath v Kildare - Pairc Tailteann, 14.00

Saturday, 10 February
Kildare v Laois - Hawkfield, 14.00

Sunday, 25 February
Down v Kildare - Ballycran, 14.00

Saturday, 9 March
Kildare v Kerry - Hawkfield, 14.00

Saturday, 16 March
Kildare v Carlow - Hawkfield, 14.00

Fermanagh game live in BBC.

Funny, really post-Geezer, Fermanagh is exactly the kind of game we come a cropper in. We've put in some strong performances against the big hitters, even had some major wins against the likes of Dubs, Mayo, Monaghan, but too often this team let themselves down against teams they should be beating.

They have rightly taken severe flak on here and elsewhere for it, but as someone said a while back, this team might enjoy winning, but sometimes you wonder if they truly hate losing enough. Again, all stuff Glenn needs to be prodding them with, I've no doubt he is.

We've given the managers plenty of flak on here, but the team lost against Fermanagh in 2019 under Cian O'Neill and honestly it was kind of disgraceful by the players. Really an insult to us as supporters & Cian. It just was.

Anyway, I'm trying to keep it positive lads!

Kildare98 wrote:

We've given the managers plenty of flak on here, but the team lost against Fermanagh in 2019 under Cian O'Neill and honestly it was kind of disgraceful by the players. Really an insult to us as supporters & Cian. It just was.

Anyway, I'm trying to keep it positive lads!

We actually hammered Fermanagh 6 months before hand in the championship in Navan, then we put in that performance away in 2019 which was awful! Inconsistency has been a huge problem of ours for far too long.

Cork had a big win over Meath today albeit a challenge game in December.
The first 2 games against Cavan and Fermanagh are going to be vital. Two wins there and we can be looking towards promotion but failure to get 4 points and we could be in trouble

Our 4 home games in Carlow.
Can't understand how we don't opt for Portlaoise for our nominated venue in the absence of Newbridge. Much more accessible and bigger stand.

Maybe we couldn't opt for it.
Maybe it clashed with Laois fixtures.
Maybe they just told us to feck off.
I don't know either way, but you seem to think we had options. Maybe we had none.

rgb wrote:

Maybe we couldn't opt for it.
Maybe it clashed with Laois fixtures.
Maybe they just told us to feck off.
I don't know either way, but you seem to think we had options. Maybe we had none.

Yea, fair points. I honestly don't know if we asked.
I just think Carlow isn't as nice a venue.

I know this is going to sound a bit crazy but with the JP money could somne travel be subsidised for fans seeing as we are being asked down to Carlow.
I said it at the time when everyone was delighted with Louth game 2 years ago in Tullamore that it was a kip to get too in terms of public transport.
The majority of the place was uncovered and we got pissed on. But all before we were going to paint the town white! F all showed up and I honestly think Carlow is not a great spot at all, but we seem stuck with it...

Any team news?

Anyone found tickets for Louth match on GAA site/Ticketmaster package platform? Seems to be one missing.

So this day next week we are back in action. Any word on new additions to the panel? Have heard that Niall Kelly is back, along with his brother Barry.

I would think that to drum up some interest in the O’Byrne cup, they might name a provisional squad. I think that happened last year.

Heard last night that along with the extended panel of 45, that's been kept on till the end of the league there is now a development squad as well. This is not just an under u23 team as there are some players from the 2018 u20s on it.
It'll be interesting to see what team lines out against Carlow next Wednesday night.

Brian Flanagan is taking charge of the development team, good choice.