All’s fair in love and war for the best enemies in town
There is nothing like wanting to get the better of your neighbour to encourage improvement. Like most counties, Kildare has a number of border rivalries. Around Rathangan, it is Offaly who get the heckles rising. In Kilcock, they’d happily lose to anyone but Meath. For Leixlip people, the Dubs are the ones to beat while Ballymore’s Gaels were keeping a very low profile after last year’s Leinster championship loss to Wicklow.
Tonight though, it’s all about Laois. The bickering has been going on for the past fortnight since their semi-final clash was confirmed.
On one side you have Monasterevin, Castlemitchell, Kilberry and Athy. On the other it’s Portarlington, Stradbally, Timahoe and Ballylinan.
All week on forums in both counties, insults are traded between the Blue Noses (Kildare fans term for their Laois counterparts) and the Flourbags (vice versa).
Yet there is a history of men crossing the divide to oversee the fortunes of teams on the other side.
John Doran has trained both Kildare and Laois. Former Superstars legend Gerry Loftus is from Newbridge but he didn’t think twice when asked by Mick O’Dwyer to look after the O’Moores’ preparations.
Further back, Kildare’s Leinster title-winning team in 1956 was trained by Laois great, Danny Douglas. Another revered Laois man, Bobby Miller, won county titles with both his native Timahoe and Athy, and was manager on the latter occasion. Indeed he was named Footballer of the Year in both counties.
Tom Keogh actually lost All-Irelands in successive years for both Kildare (1935) and Laois (1936) but had the consolation of winning a two-in-a-row with the Lilies in 1927-28.
More recently, the denizens of south Kildare nearly suffered apoplexy when the mighty Glenn Ryan’s name was mentioned in connection with the managerial vacancy in Laois, subsequently filled by Seán Dempsey.
Every now and then they combine forces for good. One annual event is a par three golf challenge between the counties, with the cup on offer known as Little Sam. All funds raised are in aid of Care of the Elderly in Athy. There is a charity football match too each St Stephen’s Day and a few county men are known to make the odd appearance.
The goodwill of such an occasion doesn’t stretch to everyone though. Just ask Tom Kelly, who decided to do his bit for the cause one year but was booed every time he touched the ball.
The response was due to Kildare fans’ belief that an over-dramatic collapse to the turf contributed to Alan Barry’s dismissal inside six minutes of the 2003 Leinster final has never wavered and to this day he hasn’t been forgiven.
Kelly and Joe Higgins are members of the St Joseph’s club in Kellyville. The nearest club to them is Castlemitchell, the home of former Kildare stars Christy Byrne and Tadhg Fennin. Fennin has many vivid recollections of what occurs on the border.
He recalled: “What will stay with me forever was the buzz in Athy before games (between the counties) and the elation and deflation afterwards. “Tegral in Athy is one of the factories where people from both counties work and where money was won and lost over games. A Kildare win would mean a lie-on in the morning (for those who) would have bet Monday morning’s shift with a Laois man so he would cover the following day.
“In the lead-up to the ‘05 clash, a Laois man who lived down my road in Churchtown decided to hoist a blue and white flag. Unfortunately for him, he never thought that the Kildare supporters who lived beside him might not appreciate Laois colours blowing in the wind next door. He was told to take down the flag or it would be done for him. Recognising the danger to his flower beds, the neighbour relented.”
All’s fair in love and war. Especially when it’s on your doorstep.
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