Kilkenny GAA Thread

bamayang · 30-09-2025 04:39PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123863898#Comment_123863898

Honestly, I don’t think anyone has any hatred for the Boro at all. I would say most people are quite indifferent to them.
The interest most people take, how can a club be so incredibly good underage and have it not translate at all at senior club or to senior county players.

JohnCougar · 30-09-2025 05:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123864505#Comment_123864505

I think lads are being hard on Dicksboro here. If you take it from 1969 (Dicksboro reformed and O'Loughlins formed) to 2024 all three city clubs have won 14 senior titles out of 55. Village have 7, O'Loughlins have 5 and Boro 2. The Village and O'Loughlins had 50% more population than the Boro for many of those years. Those three clubs would have a lot more than those only for the greatest club team in Ireland beat them in many county finals over those years also. As regards why more Dicksboro players dont make it to senior intercounty, it is a difficult one to work out.

tbiggertycome · 30-09-2025 05:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123864505#Comment_123864505

I would expect indifference but it's not the way a lot of what I hear comes across. Maybe I'm just sensitive and soft😉.

For me the biggest issue the Boro has is retaining players into their prime years 25-30. Often when asked at the start of the year how I think the Boro will go, I trot out the usual their good but young. Invariably this is true. We retain most of the lads until their 23-24 and then they tend to give it up or move away. It's a huge issue for the club one I know their not happy with. When lads finish college they either move away for work or go travelling. There are 9 lads out in Australia currently between the ages of 25-30 who have all started championship games for the Boro in the last few seasons and would be serious additions if they were around. Many other lads travel back for training for a year or two after college and then life gets in the way.

We went from having 5 adult teams a few years ago to being barely able to field 3 this year. Last year or the year before 7 lads transferred out of the club and I think there's a few more for next year.

Another issue for the Boro is, the club (up until now) has been outside the town we don't seem to have been able to generate the same spirit that the likes of OLG and the Village have. There are a core of very dedicated people involved as every club has but the general population is not as into the club as our town neighbours. Where a lad from OLG or the Village might put off travelling for a year or two or come back for championship matches, lots of the Boro lads seem to have had enough by the time they move away.

It's something I would love to solve but at the end of the day it's a lads hobby and you can't force them to stay around you can only hope they want too stay and hurl on. I would also think a few of the lads we had that got called into the county over the last decade didn't get any huge playing time and I wonder if there's that snobbery from those in charge of our teams that Boro hurlers are soft, not good enough, etc. Maybe they just weren't good enough either.

I do think all the town teams have struggled to produce top intercounty players for the last decade or so. For the last two decades they haven't produced any top class forward. Gorta and Larks are the last two and it's a while since they broke onto the scene. All three clubs need to learn how to start encouraging and fostering top intercounty talent, does it come down to coaching or position selection at underage. It is a huge issue for both those teams and the county.

Realt Dearg Sec · 30-09-2025 06:28PM

When you mentioned the players leaving in bigger numbers it reminded me that when we were running the club in Dublin years ago, as well being founded by someone from the boro, we had about four or five Dicksboro players over the years, don't think we ever had a village or loughlins player come through.

I remember someone saying year and years ago the boro also tend to have a lot of very well educated players. You think of Bryan Barry or oisin gough for example, but just generally the boro do tend to produce a lot of lads who are pursuing careers that take them away from kilkenny and put big demands on their time.

Simple solution: fewer doctors, and fewer battered sausages from Joe's, and we won't be long getting back on top.

Town legend · 30-09-2025 07:44PM

Good summary.Question-Any undiscovered lads that have "The Dog" in them? There's been a few over recent years that would make a ball talk but dont have the above in them.

I think its a matter of urgency that we identify players with that particular attribute and bring them into the fold.You can train anyone but if you dont have it in the stomach,then you're not going to be bringing home what we all want.

jamesbond2022 · 30-09-2025 07:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123864505#Comment_123864505

That would be my big issue with the boro they have so much raw material and underage success and it just doesn’t translate to senior hurling at county or at club level

Also all there players are of a similar level no really exception players that would propel our county team forward

jamesbond2022 · 30-09-2025 07:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123864710#Comment_123864710

It is baffling that Larkin and gorta are the last great forwards that have been produced to make a mark with kk

Charlie69 · 30-09-2025 08:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123864854#Comment_123864854

Nice one👍

Realt Dearg Sec · 30-09-2025 08:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123865111#Comment_123865111

I'd argue Cian Kenny should be counted here as well, he plays in the forwards as much as at midfield. And he definitely has the dog in him, he takes no shite and I doubt there's many lads enjoy dealing with him, there's a bit of an edge to him. Not a fan of his dive in the league against Tipp this year, but in general he has been a great example of the value of a lad who isn't an angel. Probably doesn't have the scoring in him that lads like Larkin and Gorta did though. I'd think of John Donnelly or Mossy as being more in the line of those guys (not as good, but solid, reliable players who will normally keep tipping away and need watching)

hogans heroes · 30-09-2025 10:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123865095#Comment_123865095

Lucan Sarsfields in Dublin are something similar to Dicksboro. They have no senior championship across all 4 grades yet are the biggest sporting organisation in South county dublin and have loads of underage success especially in Camogie.Ironically 2 kilkenny men Charlie Carter and Kevin Fennelly are running the senior hurling and camogie.

Realt Dearg Sec · 01-10-2025 12:56AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123865863#Comment_123865863

Had some great battles with their junior teams down the years, always a shower of hoors to get a result out of, never an easy day.

conor05 · 01-10-2025 08:30AM

Any idea of the date set for the senior hurling final?

jamesbond2022 · 01-10-2025 09:42AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123865390#Comment_123865390

Kenny is definitely in that category steps up when the need is greatest and as you saw a real nuisance to mark and well able for the physical stuff

Nedflanders02 · 01-10-2025 11:21AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123864710#Comment_123864710

I think a lot of the the indifference or frustration with the Boro would come from how strong they've been at underage but they haven't been able to transfer it to senior level but to be fair I think you have explained that well in your post. I remember watching Robbie Fitzpatrick and Conor Doheny at underage for the Boro and thought they'd definitely play senior for Kilkenny but with injuries an travel, and maybe not been given a chance, unfortunately it never happened for them. A genuine question for you, and maybe applies to other city teams, do you think ye'd be better off having 2 mixed teams at underage rather than having an 'A and 'B' team? Maybe this is being done, so if it is forgive my ignorance on it.

Village87 · 01-10-2025 12:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123866869#Comment_123866869

Boro and James Stephens now remind me of University teams, players give it 3/4 good years before they move on. Finding it very hard to retain players as there is always a Minor A crop coming behind them

terryrogers · 01-10-2025 02:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123864117#Comment_123864117

This interested me so I went off and collated some numbers from starting teams in our final championship game over the past 10 years.

Out of 150 starting players over the past 10 years, 33 in total were from the 3 city clubs, which is what you might expect given the playing numbers for city vs. country players.

What is remarkable though is that out of 60 starting forwards in games over the past 10 years, just 1 came from the 3 city clubs, that was Eoin Larkin in his final appearance in the 2016 AI final.

KK36 · 01-10-2025 02:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123867440#Comment_123867440

Thank God for the Shamrocks who have produced some great forwards.

Nedflanders02 · 01-10-2025 02:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123867440#Comment_123867440

I think part of the problem in this regard for city teams is that, as numbers are so high there is an even standard amongst the forwards and they all chip in with scores in a game but with some of the smaller rural teams they are more reliant on one standout player to do the bulk of their scoring and as a result they stand out more for selection for the county.

terryrogers · 01-10-2025 03:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123867529#Comment_123867529

I see your logic. However, once players are selected for county this should no longer be an issue... Plenty of forwards from city teams have been given their chance over the past 10 years in league & earlier championship games, but when it comes to the business end the country players always come out on top.

bamayang · 01-10-2025 03:49PM

Might be a stupid idea, but is it a resilience thing? A star forward growing up in a small rural club will be marked by the best opposing defender every week. They will be asked to go to the clouds to catch a puckout when need is the greatest. And they will be expected to take up the responsibility when a big free or penalty opportunity arises in a big game.
Contrast with a star forward in a star underage team with 5 other star forwards. They might not be the free taker, they can rely on others doing some of the heavy lifting if they are having an off day. They can be just as a good a player, but they don’t need to be 9/10 every day in the same way the guy on the poor team does.
when they then get to adult or intercounty, and maybe not everything goes there way or seems so easy, do they have the mental resolve to push through it or maybe they walk away.

Deskjockey · 01-10-2025 05:19PM

Y

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123867440#Comment_123867440

I thought Cian Kenny started as a forward in some games for Kilkenny. Although maybe it was never in the championship, maybe it was only in the league

Realt Dearg Sec · 01-10-2025 05:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123867995#Comment_123867995

I took that poster to be saying that in our LAST championship game in each year, this was the case. Presumably Cian Kenny hasn't lined out in the forwards in our last game in any year since coming into the panel?

terryrogers · 01-10-2025 05:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123868012#Comment_123868012

Correct, I was looking at starting lineups for the final championship game only in each of the last 10 years. Cian Kenny started in midfield for KK in their final championship game in '19, '20, '22, '24 & '25. He didn't start in other years.

Deskjockey · 01-10-2025 05:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123868012#Comment_123868012

YYou're Right. I missed that bit about it being the final match

jamesbond2022 · 01-10-2025 08:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123867995#Comment_123867995

He definetly started centre forward in a few league games over the years and his first year on the panel Cody started him corner forward in Parnell park in the round robin and he clipped 4-5 pints from play

Realt Dearg Sec · 02-10-2025 12:19AM

Yeah he's a decent forward but we spent years with a really shaky midfield that we kept chopping and changing so I'd like to see him and Molloy continue there to help settle the spine of the team. New blood is needed but I'd like to see that on the wings and corners. And in goal, to be honest.