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Hurling

hurling

Niall Ó Muineacháin: 'There is a bright future for Kildare hurling'

Niall Ó Muineacháin pictured with the Joe McDonagh Cup at Croke Park. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Niall Ó Muineacháin pictured with the Joe McDonagh Cup at Croke Park. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

By Cian O’Connell

On the inter-county beat since 2008, Niall Ó Muineacháin remains adamant about Kildare’s potential.

An opening weekend Joe McDonagh Cup loss to Carlow was a setback, but Sunday’s encounter against Offaly carries real importance at Hawkfield.

Kildare’s Allianz Hurling League Division 2A campaign brought encouragement before a harrowing loss to the Faithful County in the decider.

During the past decade and a half, though, significant improvements have been made according to Ó Muineacháin.

“I think hurling as a whole has changed a lot since 2008,” he says. “For the hurling side of Kildare the professionalism year on year is just getting better and better. The young kids growing up, it used to just be a football county.

“When I made the decision to go playing hurling I was playing both at the time, it would have been seen as a very strange decision to go playing hurling instead of football. I don't think that is the case now because the set-up is there.

“The County Board have done a great job in supporting both codes, giving people and children an opportunity to play at the highest level. That is what we are hoping to do. It is important that we are competing in the Joe McDonagh.

“We were a puck of the ball away from getting Division One hurling which would have been massive for us, but the group is very young. There is a bright future for Kildare hurling.”

Niall Ó Muineacháin remains a key performer for Kildare. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Niall Ó Muineacháin remains a key performer for Kildare. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Ó Muineacháin’s passion for the Kildare cause endures. “Looking at the youth of the group and where the group is going, that probably motivates me to see where it can go,” he adds.

“I mightn't have many years left, it could be my last year, I'm just enjoying the moment right now, taking every game as it comes. I absolutely love it, I always have. It has been part of my identity since I was 18 years old. I made my debut in 2008, I'm still loving it.”

The Irish language has always occupied a central role in Ó Muineacháin’s life too. “My grandparents were avid speakers, they all kicked it off setting up the Gaelscoils in Clondalkin, Áras Chrónáin through that my parents were brought up with Gaeilge,” he explains.

“It has been there through my whole life. I absolutely love it, the fact that I have it. I'm the ambassador for Gaeilge in Cill Dara so that is brilliant.”

Losing to Carlow at Netwatch Cullen Park hurt Kildare, but Ó Muineacháin is adamant that the Joe McDonagh Cup will again provide plenty of thrills and spills. “The nature of the Joe McDonagh is there is an opportunity to beat any team on the day,” he says.

“We are very cognisant of the fact that it might come down to score difference so we knew that we couldn't just throw in the towel.

“I think we won the second half, but it is very important going down to the wire if each team beats each other, it could come down to scoring difference.

"That second half performance will stand to us hopefully going forward.”