Kilmainham fancied to turn famine into feast

Kilmainham and Kilmainhamwood may share strikeingly similar names, but that is not all the two sides have in common ahead of next Sunday's Junior B FC final at Grangegodden (11.30am), writes Davy Rispin.

Championship success has been a scarce commodity for both clubs over the past couple of decades, meaning Sunday’s decider offers one of them the chance to bring a lengthy wait for silverware to an end.

Kilmainham last tasted championship success in 2001, beating Longwood to claim the Junior B title, and there remains a direct link between that triumph and the side preparing for this weekend’s final.

Harry Newman is the sole survivor from that successful 2001 team and, remarkably, 25 years later he is still going strong at the heart of the Kilmainham defence.

The Newman influence on the current side extends well beyond Harry, with his twin brothers Mark and Stephen also involved, along with Mickey, the club’s most famous son, who has taken on a player-manager role for the last two seasons.

Kilmainhamwood’s wait stretches back even further, although their last championship triumph came on the grandest stage of all. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the club’s most famous day, when they captured the Keegan Cup for the first and only time in 1996.

A Junior B triumph three decades on would therefore be particularly fitting for ‘The Wood’ as they look to secure their first championship title at adult level since that historic success.

There is a link to 1996 in the Kilmainhamwood camp too. Kieran Shankey, a member of that Keegan Cup-winning side, forms one half of the current management team alongside Stephen Smith.

And the experience within the Kilmainhamwood ranks does not end there. The last time the club’s first team contested a championship final, Padraic Barber lined out at full-back in the 2009 Intermediate decider against Oldcastle. Seventeen years on, the evergreen defender remains a fixture in the heart of ‘The Wood’ defence as they prepare for another shot at championship silverware.

Smith also brings an intriguing connection to Sunday’s opponents, having previously spent a year at the Kilmainham helm. His knowledge of the opposition should leave him in little doubt about the threats they possess.

Both clubs have endured prolonged spells away from the limelight since their respective successes, but Sunday offers each a tremendous opportunity to breathe new life into their latest revival.

There is also a recent meeting between the sides to draw upon. Exactly a month ago, they crossed paths in the final group game of the competition, when there was considerably more at stake for Kilmainham than Kilmainhamwood. Kilmainham made that greater need count as they ran out comfortable winners.

That result is unlikely to carry too much weight heading into Sunday’s decider however, and Kilmainham can expect to encounter a very different Kilmainhamwood side this time around.

The return of Rian Stafford following a summer Stateside has provided a significant boost to ‘The Wood’, but it is perhaps the injection of youth and a couple of astute transfers that have proved even more influential in their resurgence.

Joe Shankey and Dylan Ogle have been welcome additions from Donegal and Louth respectively, while Noah Madden and Matthew Vaughan have brought flair and youthful exuberance at either end of the field.

Kilmainham, meanwhile, may not have the deepest pool of players from which to choose, but their ability to maximise the resources at their disposal and unearth a gem or two along the way has long been one of their strengths.

Dylan Morgan’s return from Australia, having missed the past couple of seasons, has been particularly important, while the continued emergence of Michael Hoey has given them another major attacking weapon.

A member of the Meath u-20 panel this year despite seeing limited game time, Hoey has taken his performances to another level during Kilmainham’s championship campaign. His remarkable tally of 3-22 across four games has underlined his potential and put him firmly on the radar of Meath senior manager Robbie Brennan.

With both clubs attempting to end lengthy waits for championship success, familiar faces linking the present to their glory days and two sides rejuvenated by a mixture of youth and returning talent, there is no shortage of intrigue surrounding Sunday’s decider.

The names may be remarkably similar, but by Sunday afternoon only one of Kilmainham and Kilmainhamwood will have a new championship chapter to celebrate. Verdict: Kilmainham.