Despite being less than a dozen miles from our country's capital city, Kilbride had yet to experience the population surge that has boosted the fortunes of neighbouring clubs in recent years. Kilbride have made great strides in improving their facilities in recent times but on the field disappointment was again their lot despite going close to reaching the business end of the junior football championship and narrowly missing out on a place in the Division 3 FL final. Club secretary Jason Sheehy doesn't expect a large influx of residents for at least another ten years, so in the meantime the club will make the best of the small numbers of players at their disposal. "At underage level in particular we are grappling with the difficulties of having a small catchment area. About half the number attending the local national school live outside the parish," concedes Sheehy. On the plus side the club have installed floodlights on their pitch that could easily accommodate a challenge game, but are not up to championship standard. "You have to cut your cloth according to your means," admits a pragmatic secretary. In recent times they also fenced their playing area and installed dugouts, so hopefully the club will get to host championship games during the long summer evenings in years to come. Kilbride are one of an increasing number of GAA clubs in the county that have gone online and their website can be accessed at www.kilbridegfc.com. During the last decade, Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Ratoath and even St Paul's, Clonee have all collected major silverware, but Kilbride, who won five SFC titles between 1964 and 1971, wait like bridesmaids for the wedding bouquet. Kilbride's rise through the ranks was dramatic winning the junior title in 1960, the intermediate two years later before landing their maiden Keegan Cup victory forty years ago. "Over the last few years we have come close but on most occasions it have come down to a particular incident in a crucial game that has gone against us," Sheehy points out. The loss of Richie Rennicks, who never fully recovered from a knee injury some time back, has undermined the club's hopes of making a stronger impact. His brothers Conor and Andy are still to the fore, with the latter pushing for a place in Sean Boylan's squad prior to the start of this year's National Football League. The Bruton brothers, Richie, Robert and John have also been prominent, with the latter expected to figure in the Meath under 21 squad again in 2005. The draw for the Junior Football Championship pared them once again with neighbours Ratoath, while Navan O'Mahony's, Dunsany, Moynalty, Ballinabrackey and Moynalvey also made up what proved to be a very competitive Group C. Martin McCarthy was again in charge of the side, aided by selectors Tommy Mahon and Patsy Farrell. They opened their campaign against Moynalvey at Dunshaughlin on Saturday, April 17 and despite a contribution of 1-1 from Robert Rooney, they managed just one other score, a point from David Harford, before going down by double scores, 1-2 to 0-10. Their second outing just over a month later on Tuesday, May 18 resulted in another defeat, this time a 1-4 to 1-9 reversal against eventual runners-up, Dunsany. An understrength Kilbride paid a heavy price for not taking their chances, fell four points behind in the early stages and not even a goal from David Barron could revive them. Kilbride were much more prolific when getting their campaign back on track with a 0-14 to 1-8 win over Moynalty at Bective at the end of May, when a number of players returned from injury and exam commitments. On Sunday, June 13, Kilbride further improved their chances of making the quarter-finals with two points to spare against Ballinabrackey at Dunsany. David Harford took scoring honours with 2-4 in a 2-10 to 1-11 success. Andy Rennicks and Richard Bruton gave them the edge at midfield while John Smith, Brian White and John Bruton also impressed for the side who led 1-9 to 0-5 at the interval. Two wins from four starts kept Martin McCarthy's charges in contention. The championship revival continued with a 0-12 to 0-10 win over Drumbaragh at Bective on Thursday, July 8. Kilbride exploded from the blocks and should have been further than 0-8 to 0-5 ahead at the break. Andy Rennicks, Richard and Robert Bruton were the main men as they held on for a 0-12 to 0-10 success leaving them well placed to advance to the business end while the prolific David Harford sent over seven points. The meeting with Navan O'Mahony's second string at Skyrne on Sunday, July 25 ended on a controversial note that ultimately decided their fate. Kilbride were slow to start on this occasion and were 0-5 to 0-9 in arrears at the halfway stage. Matters got worse for them when they conceded a goal shortly after the restart, but boosted by a similar score from Dermot White they hit the front in the latter stages only to be undone by a second O'Mahony's goal near the end, that had the look of a 'square ball'. Pride was all that was at stake for Kilbride when they took on neighbours Ratoath in their final group. Their local rivals had much more to play and duly made sure the eventual championship winners kept on course with a 2-7 to 0-5 success, after leading 0-4 to 0-2 at half time. The club's second string didn't make much of an impression in the JFC D, losing all four group games, but in the Division 4 FL things went much better. Their first outing in the secondary competition resulted in another setback against Ratoath, losing by 0-6 to 1-7 at Sean Eiffe Park, which ultimately was to deny them a place in the final. To their credit, Kilbride responded positively with an eight-match winning run that saw them challenge for a place in the final. The sequence started with a 2-11 to 2-4 home win over St Vincent's, Ardcath. In the next outing a late Dermot White point saw them snatch a 0-7 to 0-6 win at Moylagh. Having gone four points in arrears in the early stages on the evening of Saturday, April 4 they finally ended their scoring blank with a pointed from David Harford on the stroke of half-time before outscoring their opponents by 0-7 to 0-1 in the second-half, eventually winning by 0-8 to 0-5. Before their next league outing, Kilbride lost their opening championship encounter to Moynalvey. However, they recorded their fourth straight win in the Division 4 FL win an 0-11 to 0-9 success over visitors Bective. In ideal conditions on the evening of Saturday, May 15, Kilbride opened strongly but lost David Cully and Conor Rennicks to injury before the interval. Joe Barron had a 'goal' ruled out but Kilbride held on to win by 0-11 to 0-9. The winning sequence was extended to five matches with a minimum margin success over Drumbaragh on Tuesday, June 1. It also proved to be the fourth consecutive league fixture in which Kilbride failed to find the net. Again they made the early running only to concede a goal in the run up to the break. Under pressure for much of the second-half they used their 'get out of jail' card when their opponents missed a close range free in the last action of the game and claimed the points on a 0-12 to 1-8 scoreline. Kilbride recorded their first success in the championship campaign before extending their good form in the league to six wins on the spin with a 0-12 to 0-10 home win over Rathkenny on Tuesday, June 15 that saw them take poll position in Division 4 with four rounds remaining. Making most of the running they would have been more than 0-8 to 0-5 ahead at the break had their taken the scoring chances on offer. In the end points from Ollie Nolan and Joe Barron proved decisive. A seventh consecutive win in the league was achieved at the expense of Kilmainham on Tuesday, June 29. A late goal and a point from substitute Ollie Nolan secured a 1-10 to 1-4 success. The odds against them winning the Malachy Thompson Cup were shortened with a 1-12 to 0-9 win over neighbours, St Paul's, Clonee. Joe Barron claimed the second half goal that copper fastened an eighth straight win. The winning run came to a shuddering half when beaten by eventual runners-up, St Ultan's who clinched promotion with a 3-10 to 2-5 success. That setback effectively ended their interest in the competition. After three years in charge Martin McCarthy stepped down in October. During his term in charge the Dubliner made the club more competitive and Kilbride GFC appreciate greatly his efforts. As team captain Brian White pointed out on the club's website, "when Martin took over, Kilbride seemed to be stuck in a cycle of going up from Division 5 and then going back down again. Tweet

Most Read Stories