Are you looking forward to watching Kildare in 2024 and what specifically are you looking forward to seeing?

I’ve lost any real interest or enthusiasm over the years in the fortunes of the county team.

I don’t know the number of people in Kildare still invested. Somewhere between 2000-5000 people I’d imagine.

If you’re one of those people could you specifically tell me what games or players you think will be worth watching in 2024? Or what else has got you excited about the county team in 2024?

I’m most excited about bringing 2024 to and end and everyone moving on

Ah no, hopefully Glenn can turn the ship around. There was some good signs at the end of last year. God knows they couldn’t be any worse in the league for the coming season.

I’m looking forward to a gameplan that’s recognisable, an improved strength and conditioning, and an injection of new blood.

Badger85 wrote:

I’m most excited about bringing 2024 to and end and everyone moving on

Ah no, hopefully Glenn can turn the ship around. There was some good signs at the end of last year. God knows they couldn’t be any worse in the league for the coming season.

I’m looking forward to a gameplan that’s recognisable, an improved strength and conditioning, and an injection of new blood.

That last paragraph says it all. Entering our third year and we're still looking for all that! Unfortunately I just want to retain Div 2 status and avoid any heavy defeats next year. I have a feeling a lot of the U20's players might want to wait for the new manager to commit. Probably better in the long-term for them and the team.
On the positive front Carlow is not far from me and we have 4 home games. Still have wonderful memories of Conleths in the Micko years.

I can’t wait. We have good young players everywhere you look in the county, more than at any other stage in my life.
I don’t expect us to win any silverware in 2024 - we have no home games in the league and we’re obviously not All Ireland contenders - but I think there will still be green shoots such as the Roscommon win and the first two performances against Dublin in 2023.
There’ll be disappointments too, you will get uneven performances as you develop young players. But overall I think we’re entering a very exciting period and that possibly the manager after Glenn will reap the benefits.

Caprea wrote:

I’ve lost any real interest or enthusiasm over the years in the fortunes of the county team.

I don’t know the number of people in Kildare still invested. Somewhere between 2000-5000 people I’d imagine.

If you’re one of those people could you specifically tell me what games or players you think will be worth watching in 2024? Or what else has got you excited about the county team in 2024?

Ah come on out of that. There's more than that figure invested. Kildare are one of the biggest supported counties in the country, especially when things are going well. Granted attendances have dropped with supporting them the last few years, but theres more than 2,000-5,000. St Conleths park does be at virtually full capacity in league games. Always a full house come championship. When St Conleths capacity is at 15,000 then I bet you it will prove that.

Does anyone actually give us a chance of promotion? League performance last year was poor but still managed to stay up finishing 5th. Championship was average but the positives were pushing Dublin all the way in Leinster, a game we probably should have won. Beating a fancied Roscommon side and narrowly losing to a very good Monaghan team by a single point. Monaghan imo a top 6 team and they've proved that the last few seasons. Another game we probably should have seen out.

Ohtoohtobe wrote:

I can’t wait. We have good young players everywhere you look in the county, more than at any other stage in my life.
I don’t expect us to win any silverware in 2024 - we have no home games in the league and we’re obviously not All Ireland contenders - but I think there will still be green shoots such as the Roscommon win and the first two performances against Dublin in 2023.
There’ll be disappointments too, you will get uneven performances as you develop young players. But overall I think we’re entering a very exciting period and that possibly the manager after Glenn will reap the benefits.

Maybe Glenn is the man to see us through an exciting period? I'm not saying he is and let's judge him more after next year, but afterall he's kildare to the core and in it for the right reasons. I'd love it if it went well for him.

Lilywhite forever wrote:

Caprea wrote:

I’ve lost any real interest or enthusiasm over the years in the fortunes of the county team.

I don’t know the number of people in Kildare still invested. Somewhere between 2000-5000 people I’d imagine.

If you’re one of those people could you specifically tell me what games or players you think will be worth watching in 2024? Or what else has got you excited about the county team in 2024?

Ah come on out of that. There's more than that figure invested. Kildare are one of the biggest supported counties in the country, especially when things are going well. Granted attendances have dropped with supporting them the last few years, but theres more than 2,000-5,000. St Conleths park does be at virtually full capacity in league games. Always a full house come championship. When St Conleths capacity is at 15,000 then I bet you it will prove that.

By 2000-5000 I meant heavily invested, as in the hardcore that goes to home and away games 80% of the time. I should have said that

Heavily invested?
Clubs up and down the length of the county are active 7 nights a week for most of the year. Despite the negativity of comments here the clubs representing the county this year show we are in a healthy state.
Every club is reliant on a core group of volunteers who keep their clubs going and are probably spending all their spare time helping out.
I'm sure they're all diehard kildare supporters and would love to go to every county game. But they don't because they are just exhausted from their heavy investment of time and energy in their clubs.

Fizzer wrote:

Heavily invested?
Clubs up and down the length of the county are active 7 nights a week for most of the year. Despite the negativity of comments here the clubs representing the county this year show we are in a healthy state.
Every club is reliant on a  core group of volunteers who keep their clubs going and are probably spending all their spare time helping out.
I'm sure they're all diehard kildare supporters and would love to go to every county game. But they don't because they are just exhausted from their heavy investment of time and energy in their clubs.

It was implied by the question in my original post that I meant 2000-5000 were invested in the fortunes of the county team, not people being invested in Kildare clubs or the GAA generally.

(A) NO (B) FECK ALL !

Yes. As always. No matter how grim things are, it's always exciting to see what Kildare will bring in any given year. Last year had mainly downs but a few good days out (Clare away, Limerick Away, Meath at home, Roscommon game) Even the three games we lost to the Dubs were exiting in their own way. Kilkenny on a bank holiday weekend was great craic up until the result. I love travelling around the country following the lads. There are two nights away this year in Cork and Eniskillien (I won't be staying in feckin Navan) so that is always something to look forward to. The craic the night before discussing the team and what's going on around the squad. Meeting new people. Meeting followers of my page. That's all just me but I absolutely do look forward to every new season. Up the Lilies.

Yes. As always. No matter how grim things are, it's always exciting to see what Kildare will bring in any given year. Last year had mainly downs but a few good days out (Clare away, Limerick Away, Meath at home, Roscommon game) Even the three games we lost to the Dubs were exiting in their own way. Kilkenny on a bank holiday weekend was great craic up until the result. I love travelling around the country following the lads. There are two nights away this year in Cork and Eniskillien (I won't be staying in feckin Navan) so that is always something to look forward to. The craic the night before discussing the team and what's going on around the squad. Meeting new people. Meeting followers of my page. That's all just me but I absolutely do look forward to every new season. Up the Lilies.

Looking forward to the league, like every year. Looking forward to seeing how new lads fare. Looking forward to watching the minors and 20s. Looking forward to a panel with a bit more depth to it, I think that cost us a bit against Monaghan.
Looking forward to the All Ireland Series as long as we are in it. And looking forward to attending the county final in the revamped Conleths.

Having read the responses I still feel estranged from any substantial enthusiasm or engagement in the Kildare team this season. Of course this, for me, is not a sudden thing. It’s a logical reaction to Kildare not achieving any notable success since 2010’s all Ireland semi defeat to a fairly beatable Down team.

I just don’t see it…
I don’t see the big days out that are going to be real occasions on our fixture calendar. If every game was around the anticipation standard of the game vs donegal in the league then yes I could get excited but there is so much meh in the rest of the calendar. Games vs Clare and Louth and Meath and Cavan etc and so on. Then onto the championship and games versus Westmeath or Wicklow and then some other third rate team before playing Dublin in the final with a much bigger chance of getting a hiding than a win.

And then the rest of the championship is about jockeying for position and making up the numbers , maybe taking a scalp before the bigger fish dispatch you.

Hopefully things will be better than I portray but there is no real reason for optimism in 2024.

I can see kildare just about staying up (But wouldn't hold my breath) I can see them reaching a leinster final only to be battered by Dublin yet again. Onto the group stages and its either they scrape out of the group just like last year only to be beaten again in the last 12 or they don't get out at all. Who knows. But i reckon it'll be another average season like 2023. I hate to be negative as there is talent in the squad, but they never fulfil their potential and are still way off beating the big guns. A leinster final isn't a guarantee though. Far from it, as if we play Westmeath in our first outing then thats a 50/50 game for sure.

Really exciting young team picked for today, looking forward to seeing that

I’m a bit annoyed at the pessimists to be honest. We have been consistently improving against the Dubs, both at underage and at senior level, and if there were better tactics or players you’d wished we employed, I wish you would state as much here, as opposed to just berating the folks giving their all to the jersey. I for one can’t wait for the season.
I’m in Australia, but can’t wait to tune into every game.

I always love when January rolls around, even more so since the Football League has started at the end of it.

Every year, year after year I hear and see people say. It's only the O'Bryne Cup or it's only the league. We building to the league, we're building to the championship.

As a county player, manager or supporter you have at most 3/4 O'Byrne Cup matches, 7/8 League games and potentially depending on how well championship goes anything from 2-10 Championship games.

At the very most you've given we're from Kildare you've probably 13/14 meaningful games a season.
Why would anyone not want yo win every single one of them. Why would anyone not want to put the best foot forward in each game, approach it professionally, be well organised with a clear plan and system to play. And burst your absolute balls to win. Regardless of the opponent.

I do not get that absolute burning desire from anyone involved in our Senior set up to be the absolute best that we possibly can be at all times . If our best is maintaining Div.2 and a few games in champ so be it.
But I don't feel at any level we're achieving that.  On and off the field.
Mediocrity is accepted at all levels.
Little to no ambition . Little to no desire.

Happy to walk around town wearing the tight O'Neills Kildare tracksuit bottoms, bursting out of a player fit training top like you own the place.

That's the measure of our dreams.  

We haven't had a decent mentality in this county in 12/13 years.

FionnMcCool wrote:

I always love when January rolls around, even more so since the Football League has started at the end of it.

Every year, year after year I hear and see people say. It's only the O'Bryne Cup or it's only the league. We building to the league, we're building to the championship.

As a county player, manager or supporter you have at most 3/4 O'Byrne Cup matches, 7/8 League games and potentially depending on how well championship goes anything from 2-10 Championship games.

At the very most you've given we're from Kildare you've probably 13/14 meaningful games a season.
Why would anyone not want yo win every single one of them. Why would anyone not want to put the best foot forward in each game, approach it professionally, be well organised with a clear plan and system to play. And burst your absolute balls to win. Regardless of the opponent.

I do not get that absolute burning desire from anyone involved in our Senior set up to be the absolute best that we possibly can be at all times . If our best is maintaining Div.2 and a few games in champ so be it.
But I don't feel at any level we're achieving that.  On and off the field.
Mediocrity is accepted at all levels.
Little to no ambition . Little to no desire.

Happy to walk around town wearing the tight O'Neills Kildare tracksuit bottoms, bursting out of a player fit training top like you own the place.

That's the measure of our dreams.  

We haven't had a decent mentality in this county in 12/13 years.

another of year of seeing your moany posts. great.

Finish 5th or 6th in the league. Maybe get to a Leinster final and get destroyed by Dublin. Finish 3rd in the group stage then get knocked out in the preliminary quarter final.

With the split season nowadays, I find the gap between getting knocked out and the start of the next season difficult, thankfully there is plenty of club action inbetween!

I always look forward to watching Kildare and pondering about what a new season will bring. Last year was difficult, I remember driving home from the league game V Louth and genuinely thinking that we would be relegated and playing Tailteann Cup football in the summer. Contrast that with the feeling of walking out of Tullamore after Feely hit the winner with the last kick V Roscommon and it was night and day. That feeling after the Roscommon game and the U20 Leinster Final & All Ireland Final last year is why I do it, if we can get that feeling just once or twice a year it makes it wortwhile for me.

I believe this year we could see the beginning of some long inter county careers in the crop of players who have U20 All-Ireland medals in their pockets. There is some highly talented young men coming through the ranks who most counties would snap their hands off for. Patience is key of course but I am looking forward to seeing how they develop.

I know when January 27th rolls around I will have that excitement yet again and hopefully we can get off to a good start against Cavan. Fermanagh away on the bank holiday weekend also looks like a very appealing away day, despite our poor record up north.

Who know's what this year will bring, but have no doubt there will be high's and lows. But savouring the high's and enjoying the good days is what it is all about. After all, this is just a hobby and a sport. It's a privlege to travel the country and watch your county go into battle. CillDaraAbu.

FlourBag_1 wrote:

With the split season nowadays, I find the gap between getting knocked out and the start of the next season difficult, thankfully there is plenty of club action inbetween!

I always look forward to watching Kildare and pondering about what a new season will bring. Last year was difficult, I remember driving home from the league game V Louth and genuinely thinking that we would be relegated and playing Tailteann Cup football in the summer. Contrast that with the feeling of walking out of Tullamore after Feely hit the winner with the last kick V Roscommon and it was night and day. That feeling after the Roscommon game and the U20 Leinster Final & All Ireland Final last year is why I do it, if we can get that feeling just once or twice a year it makes it wortwhile for me.

I believe this year we could see the beginning of some long inter county careers in the crop of players who have U20 All-Ireland medals in their pockets. There is some highly talented young men coming through the ranks who most counties would snap their hands off for. Patience is key of course but I am looking forward to seeing how they develop.

I know when January 27th rolls around I will have that excitement yet again and hopefully we can get off to a good start against Cavan. Fermanagh away on the bank holiday weekend also looks like a very appealing away day, despite our poor record up north.

Who know's what this year will bring, but have no doubt there will be high's and lows. But savouring the high's and enjoying the good days is what it is all about. After all, this is just a hobby and a sport. It's a privlege to travel the country and watch your county go into battle. CillDaraAbu.

Well said!

Winning a game.

Ohtoohtobe wrote:

I can’t wait. We have good young players everywhere you look in the county, more than at any other stage in my life.
I don’t expect us to win any silverware in 2024 - we have no home games in the league and we’re obviously not All Ireland contenders - but I think there will still be green shoots such as the Roscommon win and the first two performances against Dublin in 2023.
There’ll be disappointments too, you will get uneven performances as you develop young players. But overall I think we’re entering a very exciting period and that possibly the manager after Glenn will reap the benefits.

This aged well.