Late bloomer Kennedy has grown into a top defender

By John Harrington

By his own admission, Cuala football team captain, Eoin Kennedy, is a ‘late bloomer’.

Apart from a stint with the Dublin U16s back in the day he didn’t represent his county until he made his senior team breakthrough this year at the relatively ripe age of 27.

It was a deserved call-up based on his club form for Cuala over the course of the previous two years that saw him win Dublin, Leinster, and All-Ireland SFC titles in the 2024 season and named Cuala’s Club Player of the Year in 2025.

You ask him did he fear the boat had passed in terms of wearing a Dublin jersey, and he shakes his head.

He never really imagined it was on the radar at all so there was no disappointment about not making the grade for most of his twenties.

“No, it wasn’t really a fear, to be honest,” says Kennedy. “I just love playing Gaelic football and playing with Cuala has always been a joy. You're playing with your best mates, your cousins and brother and whatever, so it was just an added bonus then.

“Getting in for a Dublin trial was cool, being brought in further was cool and staying on the panel was cool. It probably wasn't really on the radar, to give you the short answer.

“I didn't expect to be brought into the Dublin panel. I was a bit older when I got my first run out playing competitively for Dublin, so that was a massive privilege. Being in a set-up like that, you definitely improve physically and skill-wise, your football smarts improve ten-fold.

“Hopefully, I've improved a bit this year, although that's not really for me to decide. I hope the progress can continue in a positive trajectory.”

It’s a testament to Kennedy’s latent ability that he made such a big impact for Dublin in his maiden season.

Over the course of six championship starts he was hugely consistent and looked like a very complete defender thanks to his combination of athleticism, defensive nous, and spirit of adventure when attacking with the ball.

By his own admission though the initial learning curve was a steep one. He made his debut against Donegal in Croke Park, and found the going tough against a team that really hit the ground running in the League.

“My heart rate probably had me as dead at one stage!” he says. “But it was the coolest thing ever, really. You're representing Dublin in Croke Park, which is a childhood dream.

“It is a step up. I don't think I played the best that day. I lasted about 45 minutes and I was blowing afterwards.

“It's just a privilege. To get a couple of championship games in Croke Park as well, it's just so cool being able to represent Dublin.”

His assimilation into the Dublin set-up was made easier by having six Cuala team-mates in the panel, and it surely helped too that he could go to his first cousin Michael Fitzsimons for advice whenever necessary.

The nine-time All-Ireland winner remains a key figure for Cuala and a huge source of inspiration for Kennedy.

“Massively, although I'd never tell him that,” says Kennedy with a smile. “I think he has been an inspiration to plenty of people.

“When you look at his career, he's still performing at such a high level and it genuinely doesn't make sense how he keeps doing it. Long may it continue.

“He's been a massive inspiration to me and a huge help in terms of football knowledge. His understanding of the game is second to none, and you can always go to him with questions. All he wants to talk about is football.

“I think we're all interested in improving, but having someone like him around sets a brilliant standard.”

Kennedy shares many of Fitzsimons’ qualities. Like his cousin, he’s a football nerd who likes to study the game and strive for self-improvement, and he’s blessed with a similar natural athleticism.

They differ too though in terms of the type of defenders they are. Fitzsimons is the ultimate man-marker and one of the best tacklers in the game, whereas Kennedy is an attacking half back just as comfortable in the opposition’s half as he is his own.

His kick-passing and ability to score from range has been an important asset for Cuala on their way to Sunday’s PTSB Dublin SFC Final against Castleknock.

“Kicking is probably the most enjoyable part of the game, especially with the new rules,” says Kennedy.

“If you're not kick-passing the ball and trying to improve your scoring, particularly from distance with the two-point rule, you're missing a trick. Kick-passing is key to promoting the faster-paced football the new rules are supposed to encourage.

“I've always enjoyed the attacking side of the game. Defensively, you probably have to work a bit harder, but kicking is what you want to be doing. You want to get out and kick a ball around with your mates. That's the fun part.”

Both Cuala and Castleknock have played hugely entertaining football on the way to Sunday’s Final and that combined with the novelty of the tie has made it a keenly anticipated clash.

“This is only our third ever final and for Castleknock on the other side it's only their second ever final, so it's nice to see two relatively new clubs in terms of winning or reaching finals in the Dublin championship in the last however many years,” says Kennedy.

“In our heads this is a massive opportunity. You don't know how often these chances will come around, so you just hope you can deliver on the day and the trophy is a nice added bonus.”