Kildare Senior Football Championship Group A 2026

The Joe Mallon Motors Kildare Senior Football Championship is one of the county’s most hotly contested club competitions, and Group A of the 2026 edition has all the makings of a gripping group stage. Clane, Johnstownbridge, Allenwood, and Celbridge - four clubs with genuine championship pedigree - go head to head across three rounds of round-robin fixtures from late August through mid-September. If you follow club football in Kildare, or simply enjoy watching top-level Gaelic games in a passionate local atmosphere, these evenings and weekends are worth marking on your calendar.

What to expect

Six matches decide who advances from Group A, with each club playing the other three once. The confirmed schedule runs as follows:

• Round 1, 21 August - Clane v Johnstownbridge, Manguard Park, 8pm; Allenwood v Celbridge, Conneff Park, 5pm
• Round 2, 6 September - Allenwood v Clane, Cedral St Conleth’s Park, 3:45pm; Celbridge v Johnstownbridge, Manguard Park, 5pm
• Round 3, 18 September - Allenwood v Johnstownbridge, Manguard Park, 8pm; Celbridge v Clane, Cedral St Conleth’s Park, 8pm

Manguard Park at Hawkfield is a well-equipped county facility with multiple pitches and has hosted Kildare senior inter-county fixtures as well as club games. Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge is the county’s main senior venue. Conneff Park is the home ground of Clane GAA. All three venues are compact and sociable - you are close to the action, and the atmosphere on a summer evening is hard to beat.

Getting there

Kildare town sits on the main Dublin to Cork / Limerick rail corridor, with frequent trains from Heuston Station taking around 30 minutes. Newbridge, which hosts Cedral St Conleth’s Park, is one stop further. Manguard Park at Hawkfield is a few kilometres outside Kildare town and is most easily reached by car. Parking is available at the Hawkfield complex. Conneff Park in Clane is accessible by car from the N7 motorway; Clane has no direct rail link so driving or a local taxi from Naas is the practical option. Check Kildare GAA’s website at kildaregaa.ie for specific directions as individual fixture announcements go up.

While you’re in Kildare

The area around these venues takes in the Curragh, the Irish National Stud, and the Japanese Gardens - a fine day out before or after a match. There is more to see in Kildare and across Co. Kildare.

Good to know

• Dates: Round 1 - 21 August 2026; Round 2 - 6 September 2026; Round 3 - 18 September 2026
• Times: Various (5pm, 3:45pm, and 8pm depending on fixture - check kildaregaa.ie for confirmation)
• Price: Admission charges apply; prices vary by venue and fixture
• Tickets/info: Check kildaregaa.ie for fixture updates and any changes closer to the date
• Organiser: Kildare GAA