Lee Strand U16 Football County Championship

The Lee Strand U16 Football County Championship is one of the last big underage competitions on Kerry’s summer calendar, bringing together district and club combinations for players aged up to sixteen. Group matches across the three groups were fixed for Monday 10 August at 7pm, with district sides drawn from clubs that combine to field a full team at this grade.

What to expect

Kerry organises much of its underage football through seven district combinations rather than individual clubs, since not every parish has the playing numbers to field a full team on its own at U16 level. The championship runs as group games in the evening, typically midweek, through August, building toward knockout rounds and a county final later in the season. It sits below minor in the underage structure and is where many future county minor and senior panellists first play serious championship football, so the standard is high even though crowds are limited to families, mentors and club members. Games are typically played over two even halves with a running clock, in line with underage playing rules, and mentors from every club rotate through as coaches and selectors at this level.

Good to know

• Groups 1 to 3 in action: Monday 10 August 2026 from 7pm
• Format: district combinations, group stage moving to knockout rounds
• Runs through August toward a county final later in the season
• Admission is free or by gate donation at underage fixtures
• Fixtures and venues confirmed weekly on Kerry GAA’s official site
• Sponsored by Lee Strand, the North Kerry dairy co-operative

Getting there

Matches are spread across club grounds countywide depending on the district pairing for that round, so check kerrygaa.ie for the exact venue before travelling, as it changes week to week.

For anyone following Kerry football beyond the county team, the district U16 championship is where the next generation of club and county players first get tested against sides from outside their own parish, and it is one of the more reliable ways to catch a competitive midweek game in August.