NAME: Jarlath Gilroy DATE OF BIRTH: 9/1/70 HEIGHT: 6' 1" WEIGHT: 14st CLUB: Ballymore Eustace COUNTY: Kildare HONOURS: County - 2 Leinster Under 14; 2 Leinster Under 16; 1 Leinster Minor; 1 O'Byrne Cup. Club - Kildare Junior Championship '85; Intermediate '86, Minor '85 and Under 21 '88 INTER-COUNTY DEBUT: versus Roscommon at Newbridge, the first round of the NFL '88 PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Student at Athlone RTC TOUGHEST OPPONENT: Aren't they all. No difference at the moment FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Newbridge and Croke Park FAVOURITE POSITION: Centre half forward SPORTING AMBITION: Immediate ambition is to beat Dublin on Sunday. General ambition is to be part of the first Kildare team to bring back the glory days and win an All-Ireland DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS? Up to 1990 I competed in a number of track and field events. Editor - Jarlath has 28 All-Ireland - Track and Field medals after his name. An Al-Ireland Community Games winner, the Ballymore man was a Schools International in the long jump, shot putt and sprint competitions. He was also selected on an All-Ireland Colleges Rugby team shortly after taking up the sport with Athlone RTC BOYHOOD HEROES: Jacko and Mikey Sheehy FAVOURITE PLAYERS: Maurice Fitzgerald BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: My parents WAYS OF IMPROVING THE GAME: The use of the advantage role has to be improved by referees BEST GAME SEEN: Although I only saw it on video it has to be the Dublin-Kerry semi-final of 1977 HOPES FOR 1992: A win on Sunday will do just fine for starters YOU HAVE STRONG LEITRIM CONNECTIONS: Yes, my father is from Manorhamilton in north Leitrim. He played county minor before emigrating as a 19 year old. My mother is from Tuam, Co. Galway and is a cousin of the famous Donnellan brothers. I was born in Boltan, England TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLUB, BALLYMORE: We are a typical rural club along the Wicklow border. We have been senior since 1986 but sadly emigration has robbed us of some of our finest players and we have not made the desired impact in the higher grade YOU PERSONALLY HAVE A GOOD RECORD AGAINST THE DUBS. IF MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT YOU, AS A 17 YEAR OLD, HAD A BRILLIANT GAME AGAINST DUBLIN IN THE LEINSTER MINOR DECIDER OF 1987: Yes, I was happy enough with that performance but that is all in the past and it is Sunday's game that counts YOU SUBSEQUENTLY COMMITTED FOOTBALL SUICIDE AGAINST FUTURE CHAMPIONS DOWN IN THE ALL-IRELAND SEMI FINAL. KILDARE TEAMS, AS IN THE LEINSTER FINALS OF 1975 AND 1978, OFTEN FOLDED ON THE BIG OCCASION: I don't think we folded in 1987. We conceded a couple of unfortunate goals and had a player sent off. As for those games in '75 and '78, most of the present Kildare squad were too young then to remember. They count for nothing, only a statistic HAVE THE CLASS OF 1992 THAT EXTRA TOUCH OF STEEL? We think we are heading along the right lines. For instance, Westmeath took a big lead against us in the same finals. We simply kept our heads and finished well in front. There were no panic signs YOU ARE A VERY YOUNG TEAM, PERHAPS TOO YOUNG A SIDE TO TAKE ON AN EXPERIENCED OUTFIT LIKE THE DUBS: We have to start somewhere. Sure experience helps and we will only gain experience by playing against top class teams like Dublin YOUR VIEWS ON MICK O'DWYER: A great motivator, motivating is everything and he is the best in this department A NUMBER OF PEOPLE CLAIM THAT KILDARE OVERPLAY THE BALL WITH TOO MUCH POSSESSION FOOTBALL: I would disagree that we overplay the ball. However, as they say possession is nine tents of the law and without the ball the opposition cannot to very much THE KILDARE COUNTY BOARD, WITH MEN LIKE JACK WALL, SEAMUS ALDRIDGE AND RICHARD WHELAN TO THE FORE HAVE TREATED THIS PARTICULAR LILYWHITE SIDE LIKE NO OTHER GAA TEAM BEFORE. YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY HAPPY WITH YOUR TREATMENT: The team are very happy and we are delighted to see so much interest coming from the top. It is a whole team effort YOU AND A NUMBER OF YOUR KILDARE TEAM MATES WERE ON THE VICTORIOUS ATHLONE RTC TEAM EARLIER IN THE SPRING: Yes, Athlone RTC won both the League and the Championship, beating Galway RTC. Included were Martin Lynch, Ronan Quinn and Dermot Doyle, a player with the Kildare Under 21s DID MICK O'DWYER SHOW HIS BIG HAND IN THE WICKLOW GAME. RECOGNISING THAT HE HAD NO TARGET MAN TO ACT AS FULL FORWARD AND THUS PLAYED THREE MIDFIELDERS AND A TWO MAN INNER ATTACK? Every game is different. Who knows what formation we will have on Sunday WERE KILDARE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE IN THAT WICKLOW MATCH? I don't think we are that good. Wicklow appeared to freeze on the day. I am working part time during the school holidays with Wicklow players Sean O'Brien and Raymond Danne and they are very annoyed with their performance. They did not do themselves justice KILDARE LOOKED VERY ORDINARY FOR SPELLS OF THE WESTMEATH GAME. WHY THAT SLOW START? I suppose motivation in a way had something to do with it. We were built up as likely winners by about 20 points and had everything to lose. However, in fairness to Westmeath they had some great players and were well capable of taking the lead DUBLIN HAVE THE BEST BACK LINE IN THE GAME AT THE MOMENT. YOUR VIEWS ON THE DUBS' DEFENSIVE UNIT: Yes, no doubts they have a great defence with a great attacking half back line. However, up to last Sunday Derry were supposed to have an unbeatable full back line. Perhaps we can do like Donegal and show some cracks this Sunday CROKE PARK WILL BE A CAULDRON ON SUNDAY. LILYWHITE SUPPORTERS WILL TRAVEL IN HUGE NUMBERS. THEY, THE SUPPORTERS, HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS. DO THEY PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON THE PLAYERS? You cannot blame the supporters. Like Clare last Sunday, they are the same everywhere, hungry for glory when a team has enjoyed no success for years. The present Kildare players are quite capable of absorbing the pressure WORD HAS IT THAT 4,000 PEOPLE TURNED UP IN NEWBRIDGE LAST SUNDAY WEEK FOR A CHALLENGE GAME WITH MEATH. ARE BIG CROWDS ATTENDING FOR THE TRAINING SESSIONS? Yes, a big crowd turned up for the Meath game but as of yet there is nothing exceptional about the size of the crowd turning up for training sessions. The same loyal faces are always there CAN YOU DELIVER THE GOODS ON SUNDAY? Without a doubt. We are well capable of beating Dublin. We are the underdogs, there is no real pressure on us and that suits Kildare fine Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 24th July 1992 Vol 2 No 65 Tweet

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