Preview: Tailteann Cup final

Saturday, July 12

Tailteann Cup final

Kildare v Limerick, Croke Park, 2.30pm, RTE

It is fitting that the only two counties with a perfect record - five wins from five - in the Tailteann Cup have found their way to the final.

All of the other counties slipped up at some stage, in their groups or in the knock-out games, but Kildare and Limerick have been in near metronomic form this summer, churning out the wins.

Kildare were many people's tournament favourites before a ball was even kicked in the Tailteann Cup competition. At that stage, they'd already gained promotion to Division 2 of the Allianz League and shown enough in their Leinster SFC games against Westmeath and Louth to suggest that they were going to be a serious proposition under new manager Brian Flanagan.

Still, it wasn't until before their third Tailteann Cup Group 1 game, against Sligo, that they held a team meeting and said out loud that silverware was their target. They described it at the time as a four-game plan.

Beating Limerick is the final step, to secure a golden ticket to the 2026 Sam Maguire Cup race, but the Shannonsiders are in terrific form and have already won one national final at Croke Park this year, the Division 4 league decider.

Limerick are unchanged for the final which means James Naughton and Danny Neville, who have been terrific scoring form, go again. As does the in-form Emmet Rigter who was included in last year's Tailteann Cup Team of the Year. Naughton and Rigter came off in the semi-final win over Wicklow with knocks but have recovered.

Captain Cillian Fahy is named in the half-forwards again while former captain Iain Corbett once again mans centre-back. Any free within 65 metres of Kildare's goal will be viewed as a potential two-pointer for goalkeeper Josh Ryan.

Brian McLoughlin had a huge impact as a sub for Kildare against Fermanagh in the semi-final and has been held back again.

There are significant changes to the lineup though; defender Ryan Burke and versatile half-forward Callum Bolton are both included from the start with Mark Dempsey and Kevin Flynn dropping to the bench.

Bolton had a strong Division 3 final at Croke Park earlier in the season and will hope to recover that form after injury. Alex Beirne, Darragh Kirwan and Daniel Flynn have all shown their ability to shoot the lights out at different stages of the campaign too.

James McGrath has emerged as a regular goalscorer from wing-back and captain Kevin Feely could give them a vital edge at midfield.

Kildare: Cian Burke; Harry O'Neill, Ryan Burke, Brian Byrne; Tommy Gill, David Hyland, James McGrath; Kevin Feely, Brendan Gibbons; Colm Dalton, Alex Beirne, Callum Bolton; Ryan Sinkey, Darragh Kirwan, Daniel Flynn.

Subs: Didier Cordonnier, Jack McKevitt, Mark Dempsey, Mick O'Grady, Kevin Flynn, Aaron Masterson, Rian Teahan, Darragh Swords, Brian McLoughlin, Niall Kelly, Eoin Cully.

Limerick: Josh Ryan; Jason Hassett, Darren O'Doherty, Mark McCarthy; Killian Ryan, Iain Corbett, Tony McCarthy; Tommie Childs, Darragh O'Hagan; Paul Maher, Cillian Fahy, Danny Neville; Emmet Rigter, James Naughton, Peter Nash.

Subs: Jeffrey Alfred, Cormac Woulfe, Tadgh O Siochru, Conall O Duinn, Barry Coleman, Sean Clancy, Diarmuid Buckley, Darragh Murray, Rory O'Brien, Andrew Meade, Rob Childs.