The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast

It's one of the biggest weeks of the year in Kildare sport. There's Leinster semi-finals this coming week for the U20 and Senior Footballers, and another big Leinster Championship game for the ladies after a superb win last weekend. The hurlers continue to battle and scrap and show that they can be competitive in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship. Then of course, there's the small matter of the Punchestown Festival. There's lots for the panel Pat Costello, Ger McNally and Tommy O'Connell to get through.

The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast returns after a short break ahead of a huge weekend for Kildare teams.  The panel of Pat Costello, Ger McNally and Seamus Dillon look ahead to what is coming with the Kildare Senior Footballers, Hurlers and camogie team all due to start their Championships this weekend. There's also a look at how the Kildare underage teams are progressing, the local Kildare Senior Football Leagues and all the other hot topics in Kildare sport.

Neasa Dooley was a star forward for Kildare before being enticed down under to sign for AFLW side Brisbane Lions ahead of the 2025 season. After a huge impact for the club, she has already signed a contract extension that will keep her at the club into a third year in 2027. At the moment, she is preparing for pre-season ahead of her second year with the club and she took time out to speak to Pat Costello and Ger McNally about her time so far in Brisbane and her hopes for the future.

This week's podcast reflects back on the disappointment of relegation for the Kildare Senior Footballers. There's also talk on the Kildare hurlers and the ladies football team, as well as a look at the U20 and minor Leinster Championships, and the club GAA scene in Kildare.

It's the biggest weekend of the year so far with four senior county teams in action, as well and the minor and U20 hurlers beginning their Championships. The mens and ladies face crucial ties near the foot of their respective divisions, Brian Flanagan's footballers in particular face a pivotal tie against Louth. The county hurlers and camogie team are both still in with an outside chance of reaching a league final, although the odds are stacked against them.  So there is much for the panel of Ger McNally, Richard Commins, Seamus Dillon and Tommy O'Connell to discuss. 

As well as a Cheltenham flavour to it, this week's podcast lauds the performances of the Kildare hurlers after they ensured that they will be in playing Division 1B of the National League, at least, next season. There's also a look ahead to a crucial game for the footballers when they travel to promotion chasing Cork.

This special edition of the Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast sees Pat Costello and Ger McNally interview local trainer Padraig Roche after he landed his second Cheltenham Festival winner with Saratoga.

The panel are in a sombre and reflective mood this week after a dismal display by the Kildare footballers against Meath left them very much in the midst of a relegation battle near the foot of the Division 2 table. There was better news, however, for the hurlers and ladies footballers as they both recorded impressive wins to significantly boost their chances of avoiding the drop.

Kildare's camogie team made a winning start to their National League season but there was disappointment elsewhere for three senior county teams, although the the hurlers did at least draw plaudits for a superb display in their loss to Clare.   The panel also look across an increasingly busy sporting landscape around the county.

A bumper edition of the Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast focusses on Kildare's four senior county team as well as all the hot sporting topics of the week.

This week's panel of Pat Costello, Ger McNally, Tommy O'Connell and Seamus Dillon reflect back on the superb win by the Kildare hurlers last week and ahead to a huge game for the footballers this coming weekend. There's also discussion on the burning issues in Kildare sport including the changes to the local GAA Football Championship, the return of the club action, the Kildare influence on the Irish rugby and successful run of late of jockey Mark Walsh, and much, much more.

Episode 24 of the Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast looks back on a fine win for the Kildare footballers but also defeats for the ladies and hurlers as the National League continue.   In other sporting action, the panel of Pat Costello, Ger McNally and Tommy O'Connell look forward to seeing five Kildare men in action for Ireland in the opening round of the Six Nations in Paris, and they reflect back on an incredible winning weekend for jockey Mark Walsh.

The Kildare mens and ladies football teams made excellent starts to their National Leagues last week weekend and are out in action at home this weekend. The hurlers also begin their National League this weekend. All that, and more, is covered in this week's edition by the panel of Ger McNally, Tommy O'Connell and Seamus Dillon.

It's a bumper edition of the Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sport Podcast as both the Kildare men and ladies football teams prepare to begin their National League campaigns. The panel of Ger McNally, Seamus Dillon and Tommy O'Connell look back over the O'Byrne Cup final defeat to Westmeath and also step into the shoes of Brian Flanagan to pick their starting 15 for the opening round game against Tyrone. They also look forward to the difficult away trip to Cork for the Kildare ladies for their opening tie and reflect back upon a very competitive display by the county hurlers against Kilkenny.

This week's episode The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast looks ahead to the weekend as both Kildare senior footballers and hurlers play for early season silverware after impressive wins last week over Dublin and Antrim. The show also includes live reaction to the announcement of the Kildare team for the O'Byrne Cup final against Westmeath.

The first Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast of 2026 is a busy one. The panel of Ger McNally, Tommy O'Connell, Richard Commins and Seamus Dillon look back two tough All-Ireland semi-final defeats for Sallins and Grange, and also announce the Loading and Lifting Teams of 2025 for the Senior, Intermediate and Junior Football Championships. The inter-county season is now up and running again and there is plenty of chat on the prospects for the Kildare footballers and hurlers.

It's the last episode of The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast of 2025 and there is still lots to talk about after two Kildare teams were crowned Leinster champions last weekend. The panel of Pat Costello, Ger McNally and Tommy O'Connell look back on the highs of those wins and also look ahead to Kildare's first inter-county game of the 2026 season next weekend. There are also some of the panel's highlights of 2025.

The reflect on two Leinster Final losses for Kildare clubs last weekend but are more hopeful for this weekend coming with two more finals on the horizon.

The wins just keeping for Kildare clubs in Leinster and the panel of Pat Costello, Ger McNally, Tommy O'Connell and Seamus Dillon have plenty to talk about after a perfect weekend for the county's football teams with all three champions qualifying for Leinster finals.  This coming weekend sees the first of those finals as Athy travel to Croke Park for the Leinster Senior Football Final while 24 hours later, Clane are in action in the Leinster Junior Hurling Final and there is plenty of chat on those games too.  And with the fixtures for the Allianz National Football and Hurling Leagues confirmed the new inter-county season is looming large as well.

Naas hurlers may have bowed out of the Leinster Championship but with the Clane hurlers through to a Leinster final and three huge Leinster Football Championship semi-finals to come this weekend there is still plenty to talk about. The panel of Pat Costello, Ger McNally, Richard Commins and Tommy O'Connell also give their thoughts on the 2026 Leinster Senior Football Championship draw as the the inter-county scene slowly begins to come into focus again. 

There seems to be no stopping Kildare club teams in Leinster at the moment and this week's show looks back on three wins for the football champions, and ahead to two semi-finals for the hurling champions. All that, plus everything else that is going on in Kildare sport this week.

Episode 14 of the The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast looks back on another busy week of Kildare sport, and also looks ahead to three Leinster GAA Championship quarter-finals for Kildare clubs this weekend.

It turned out to be the perfect weekend for Kildare GAA teams in Leinster Championship action with four wins from four games. This week's panel of host Pat Costello, Ger McNally, Tommy O'Connell and Seamus Dillon discuss all those games as well as a busy weekend of action ahead, and all the other burning issues in Kildare sport 

Usual host of The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast Pat Costello is enjoying the sun in Spain so Ger McNally assumes hosting duties as Seamus Dillon makes his debut on the podcast alongside Tommy O'Connell.  It's a busy time and Kildare sport has been in the headlines for issues on and off the pitch and the panel discuss all the latest hot topics from around the Kildare.

Episode 11 of The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast sees Pat Costello, Ger McNally and Tommy O'Connell look back on Athy's brilliant senior final win over Naas, and discuss all the other goings on in Kildare sport

This week's Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast covers a wide range of topics and sees host Pat Costello and the panel of Ger McNally, Richard Commins and Tommy O'Connell focus on a huge weekend of county final action in store in Kildare, as well as reflecting back on Naas' seventh consecutive hurling title.

As the weeks go by, the games on the Kildare GAA calendar get bigger and bigger. Episode 9 of the The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports podcast looks ahead to the Senior Hurling final. Can Naas make it 7 in a row? Or will Maynooth cause a major upset? The panel of host Pat Costello, Ger McNally, Tommy O'Connell and Richard Commins also look back on last week's huge weekend of football. Tributes are also paid to the retiring trio of Daniel Flynn, Ellen Dowling and Claire Sullivan after their wonderful careers in a Kildare jersey, and there is also the usual round up of other sports around Kildare.

Episode 8 of The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast sees host Pat Costello host a panel with Ger McNally, Richard Commins and Tommy O'Connell looking back on last weekend's hurling action in Kildare, and an exciting weekend of football ahead.

Part 1 of Episode 7 of the Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast sees Ger McNally and Tommy O'Connell join host Pat Costello to look back over the last round of games across the Kildare Football Championships          

Part 2 of Episode 7 of the Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast sees Ger McNally and Tommy O'Connell join host Pat Costello discuss a big weekend of hurling in Kildare with two Senior Championship semi-finals and four finals to be decided

This week's episode of The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcasts sees Pat Costello, Ger McNally, Richard Commins and Tommy O'Connell discuss all the latest goings on in Kildare sport

The Kildare GAA Football Championships have reached the end of the groups and the knockout stages are confirmed.  The usual panel of Kildare Nationalist Sports Editor Ger McNally, host Pat Costello and regular contributors Richard Commins and Tommy O'Connell look back on an exciting weekend as well as taking a look at the best of the rest of the Kildare sporting action 

It's a big weekend in the Kildare GAA calendar as the Football Championships reach the final round of group games.  Kildare Nationalist Sports Editor Ger McNally is joined by host Pat Costello and regular contributors Tommy O'Connell and Richard Commins to look ahead to all the games, as well as going through all the possible permutations ahead of the knockout stages being confirmed.  In a packed show, there is also a look back on the latest round of the Hurling Championships, including the announcement of the Loading and Lifting Senior Hurling Championship Team of the Week. The team also discuss the recent high profile appointments of Davy Burke and Bryan Murphy to respective positions within Kildare GAA.

The third episode of The Kildare Nationalist Short Grass Sports Podcast. Kildare Nationalist sports editor Ger McNally along with regular contributors to the paper - Pat Costello, Richard Commins and Tommy O'Connell -  dissect the news in Kildare sport, focusing this week on the second round of the Kildare Senior and Intermediate Football Championships

The focus of the second episode of The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast is again the Kildare GAA Football Championships.   Host Pat Costello, Ger McNally, Richard Commins and Tommy O'Connell look back over last weekend's games and ahead at what is to come with this weekend's games.

The first in a brand new series of podcasts brought to you by the Kildare Nationalist, focusing on the Kildare GAA season.  Sports editor Ger McNally along with regular Kildare Nationalist contributors Pat Costello, Richard Commins and Tommy O'Connell review and preview the best of the action.