Pádraig Boyle still going strong for Kerry

By Cian O’Connell

“I'm like Tyson Fury now, I keep coming back from retirement,” Kerry hurler Pádraig Boyle laughs about the madness of it all.

With a couple of children under two to be minded in the house, another campaign on the inter-county beat didn’t appear likely.

As a minor, Boyle won a Christy Ring Cup with Kerry in 2011. “I'm playing hurling for Kerry since, I think I missed one year,” Boyle reflects.

“I took a year out. I came back again last year. I came back again this year.” That was chiefly due to the passion and persuasive powers of John ‘Tweek’ Griffin. “I wasn't always going back,” Boyle says.

“I thought I was done and dusted with it. We had another child before Christmas, so we've two under two. It's a busy house. So, I thought my time was done with it. Tweek rang me at the end of January or start of February to see would I be interested in coming back.

“I asked for a week or two to think about it, and we said we'd make it work. There was only a certain few weeks left. I said I'd go back to give it one more go.”

The decision has been vindicated. Boyle’s relevance to the Kerry cause has been underlined in a four match Christy Ring Cup winning streak.

Boyle bagged hat-tricks against Donegal and Roscommon, cementing his status as an accomplished forward.

Another 0-10 haul followed against Wicklow at the weekend to book a place in the Ring decider. A return to Croke Park beckons. “It's exactly what the boys wanted to do,” Boyle says about returning to GAA headquarters.

“We sat down at the start, we'd have set goals, to make the Christy Ring final, and to hopefully win it, that was definitely a goal of ours.

“I'm definitely enjoying it, I'm trying to keep up with the younger, fitter, and faster fellas, but I'm definitely enjoying the challenge. It was a bonus getting the hat-tricks, I'd be happy enough with them.”

After rejoining the panel, Boyle was simply ready, willing, and able to contribute for Kerry in the closing stages of the Allianz Hurling League 2A and Christy Ring campaigns. “I was a lot fresher,” he says.

“For the last year or year and a half, I've been struggling with a calf injury. Over the winter I nursed that, did nothing really playing wise. Since coming back, I've been injury free. All is good that way. I was excited to come back in to see if I could play at this level.

“I came on against Meath in the last game to qualify for the league final. I came on with maybe 15 or 20 minutes to go. I came on in the league final for the last 10 minutes.”

So, Boyle senses something is stirring in Kerry hurling again. “There is, we knew we'd a good chance in the Christy Ring,” Boyle responds.

“We really want to be playing in the Joe McDonagh, that is a good level for Kerry hurling. There is a good buzz this year, to try to get back up there. Hopefully, now we can do it.”

From a proud hurling family in Ballyduff, Boyle relishes representing Kerry. “100 per cent, hurling has been part of my life since I started playing,” he replies.

“Obviously, I'm going to miss it when I'm gone. There is a part of me like that, I will definitely miss it.

“We'd be a big hurling family. Back in 2011, you'd four of us playing - myself, Mikey, Liam, and Aidan. The boys retired down through the years. I'm the youngest. I watched them all along, I just wanted to do what they were doing, that's how I got the love of it.”

John Meyler made a crucial call a decade and a half ago. “I played minor football with Kerry for two years,” Boyle recalls.

“I didn't play much hurling with the Kerry minors. We got beaten in the semi-final of Munster by Tipperary, and they went on to win the All-Ireland.

“John Meyler was the manager of the Kerry hurling team at that time. A week after we got knocked out, he asked me to go in, I've been playing hurling ever since.”

Meyler was a significant influence. “He was over the Kerry hurlers two or three times and he has had a big role to play in Kerry hurling,” Boyle acknowledges.

Was there any other particularly memorable stint during his Kerry career? “I'd nearly go back to the last time we won the Christy Ring, Eamonn Kelly from Tipperary was over us,” Boyle responds.

“I thought he was an extremely good manager. He brought a professionalism to Kerry hurling at that time. I thought he was very good. Fintan O'Connor, too, he was good also. He was there for four or five years; we were beaten in a couple of Joe McDonagh finals.

“He brought Brendan Cummins with him - proper hurling guys. Down through the years we've had good managers.

"Even Tweek now, he's a local, he brought in Shane Brick this year, and the training has been excellent. Top class.”

It has been a rewarding 2026. Goals and fun have been on the agenda, but Boyle’s respect for those passionate and purposeful about the Kerry hurling cause endures. “Tweek has given all his life to Kerry hurling,” Boyle says.

“He gave everything to it and he still is now. It'd obviously make it special if we could get a bit of silverware at the end of the year.”

The prolific Boyle is leading by example.