WHITES IN SHINING ARMOUR

Leinster semi-final classic saw Kildare come tantalisingly close to stunning the big guns

- Michael SCULLY

THE Kildare hurlers were so close they could feel it.

It was 49 years ago yesterday when the Lilywhites got ahead of Wexford in the Leinster SHC semi-final, only to fall by four points.

Wexford went on to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Pat Dunney was at the heart of it for Kildare in Athy that day.

"They were used to playing at a different level," said the Raheens great. "The effort that we put in to be that close, we just couldn't sustain it."

Last Saturday at Croke Park was a day to celebrate for Dunney, and he is so looking forward to today's SHC prelimi-nary quarter-final against Dublin. We'll get to that.

Dunney, a successful dual player for the Lilywhites, won an All-Ireland junior hurling title with the Lilywhites in 1962 and again four years later. All-Ireland intermediate and Division 2 success followed in 1969.

"We were quite competitive then in the leagues," recalled the Prosperous man. "We were playing the Waterfords, Clares and Galways."

Kildare played in the senior championship for most of the 1970s — taking a break to win the inaugural All-Ireland B competition in 1974.

They made it to that 1976 provincial semi-final, beating Dublin along the way in Aughrim, and made it back to the semis against Wexford the following summer.