10 years? 30 years? Curtin believes Leinster hurling title for Kildare is possible

Moorefield hurler Muiris Curtin believes Kildare's growing population means both hurling and football can thrive in the county

Kildare hurler Muiris Curtin: "The hard work that's been done in recent years, I think if that continues we can definitely develop further as a hurling county." Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Since the introduction of a group stage in 2005, the Leinster senior hurling championship has evolved into something of a halfway house for teams in transition.

Kilkenny, Dublin and Wexford have been ever-present since then, as have Galway since joining the eastern province in 2009, but Antrim, Kerry and London brought even more geographic variation to a championship where the field of competitors has chopped and changed frequently.

Offaly, Laois, Westmeath, Carlow and Meath have all dipped in and out of the Bob O’Keeffe Cup race at various stages in that time and this Saturday evening Kildare will become the 13th county to compete in the Leinster SHC since that 2005 transformation.

Due to the large population base and the decent foothold that hurling has established in the biggest urban centre (Naas), hurling people in the county are hopeful that they can become a more permanent fixture at this level than some of those other counties that tend to be heavily dependent on a handful of rural clubs.

Breakthroughs at the top level of hurling are rare, but if any team can emulate the likes of Dublin, who were some way off the pace for decades at a time in between their championship wins in 1961 and 2013, surely Kildare are the obvious candidates?

“I'd like to believe it is possible,” says Muiris Curtin, team captain and a man who caught the eye of the nation during Kildare’s impressive league campaign this spring, particularly when he scored 2-2 in their win over Davy Fitzgerald’s Antrim.

“Whether that's in 10 years or whether it's in 30 years it's hard to know, but the hard work that's been done in recent years, I think if that continues we can definitely develop further as a hurling county,” he adds.

“There's been a lot of work done in the schools as well as the clubs, you even see the growth of hurling in clubs that would traditionally be football as well.” 

On that aspect, Curtin is particularly well-poised to give an insight. A native of Rathangan but now hurling with Moorefield, a traditional football powerhouse, he knows what it’s like to fly the flag for hurling in football-dominated territory.

He’s about to complete his third year teaching in St. Mary’s in Edenderry, who won the Hogan Cup in 2012, and there too he’s spreading the gospel, with first and second year hurling teams taking part in competition this year.

The advantage he sees Kildare, and a school like St. Mary’s having in this regard, is that the numbers game gives hurling the chance to develop its own community of players, while still leaving more than enough space for football to thrive.

“There is a lot of hurling people in Moorfield and in Rathangan as well who want to see the game develop,” he says.

“I don't think it's a case of if one is to excel the other game has to take the back seat, I can see both games developing simultaneously. The population is growing in the county and you know if you have such a high number of people living in the county, well then why not have both games on the rise at the same time. I don't think one has to suffer if the other comes up, and vice versa.” 

Kildare secured their Division 1B status in the league with three wins, but the big scalp against one of the established powers escaped them. On paper, they have Wexford at home this Saturday and Offaly at home in the final round of games on May 24th, and these look like the obvious chances on paper for the Lily Whites to sneak a result and preserve their place in the provincial championship.

While a big crowd is expected in St. Conleth’s Park this Saturday, Curtin says it’s not a case of targeting this game, or the Offaly fixture, at the expense of the others.

“You can't afford to do that because if you target a certain game and it doesn't go to plan well then your whole plan is out the window. It's a dangerous game to play.

“You’re not really sure what to expect and you don't want to kind of set a goal because we haven't played these teams in championship and championship is a completely different animal.

“We have done a lot of tactical work in the last couple of weeks so if we can go out and implement that, and we are competitive with the best other teams in the province, we’re going to be happy. Whether we can pick up a couple of victories along the way, time will tell.”