'Kilkenny's underage set-up extremely healthy' - Mark Dowling hits back at criticism

CATS SHOW THEIR CLAWS: Talk of poor health of Kilkenny hurling's underage system was “built on sand”, according to the Cats' U20 manager Mark Dowling. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.

Commentary surrounding the supposed poor health of Kilkenny hurling's underage system was “built on sand”, according to the county’s U20 manager Mark Dowling.

Kilkenny will this Saturday attempt to win a second All-Ireland U20 title in four years, the 2022 success representing their sole national crown at either U20 or minor level over the past 11 years. It’s 2014 since an All-Ireland minor title last pitched up on Noreside.

Earlier this year, former defender Kieran Joyce weighed in on the narrative that Kilkenny’s underage presence isn't as strong as once had been.

“We’re probably not as prevalent at underage in terms of minor and U20 titles,” said the four-time All-Ireland winner.

“The consistency in terms of churning out players that we used to have is not there. We’re probably relying on the old guard an awful lot more than we should be compared to other counties.”

Pádraic Moylan, Timmy Clifford, Gearóid Dunne, Killian Doyle, Peter McDonald, and Billy Drennan are among the U20 winning crop from 2022 who have since featured at senior level, though none have succeeded in nailing down a starting berth.

Adam English and Shane O’Brien, from the Limerick team they bettered in the 2022 decider, have been far more prominent for the Treaty seniors.

Dowling, though, does not agree with the narrative that Kilkenny has fallen off at underage.

“I think it is perfectly healthy to be quite honest,” began the U20 manager.

“I think people read too much into these things. St Kieran’s won back-to-back All-Ireland schools titles in ‘23 and ‘24. We were in a minor All-Ireland last year and very unlucky not to come out on the winning side. At development squad level we are competing too.

“You are not going to win every day you go out, you are not going to win every competition you go into. But Kilkenny are competing at the higher end of these things.

“Obviously Tipp are doing extremely well with their minors and 20s over the last number of years and now it is feeding into their senior team, which from their point of view is exactly what you want to see.

"I've no doubt Kilkenny are in that bracket, as well. Kilkenny are in an extremely healthy position from an underage point of view and from the point of view of developing and building players to go into the senior ranks.”

Why then the commentary of a stalled conveyor belt and diagnosis of supposed poor health?

“I think that's just opinion, and that is just the world we live in where people like to jump on the negative and sometimes create a negative. I wouldn't have been of that opinion at all. People like to pick holes in things.

“Kilkenny, over the last number of years, have been competing where they need to be competing. And this year, we are hoping maybe to win a minor and U20 championship, but you are not going to do that every year, you just need to be in the mix every year, and I think they have been.

“Negative comments tend to snowball and take legs. I think, personally, a lot of the time it is built on sand, there are no real facts behind it. I would be happy with what I see in Kilkenny from an underage point of view.”

After his opening two years at the helm ended at the Leinster semi-final stage, there is relief and reward for Dowling in having traveled at least two steps further on this occasion.

“There is pressure all the time, and you put yourself under pressure as much as anything else. We were very unlucky in the two years previous. Last year we had a really close battle with Offaly and unfortunately came out the wrong side of a one-point loss. That was tough to take.

“This year we got a good start in the round-robin and got two good wins under our belt. Just built from there. Momentum and confidence was good after that. Outside of that, I couldn't point to anything significantly different to other years.

“Tipp are favourites having won it three years ago. We know the challenge in front of us, but delighted that we are the ones in position that are going to have a shot at Tipperary.”