Kildare Senior Football Championship Group C 2026

The Joe Mallon Motors Kildare Senior Football Championship is one of the more competitive county championships in Leinster, and Group C puts four clubs with real ambitions into the same bracket. Raheens, Sallins, Athy, and Kilcock play across three rounds from late August through to September. If you follow Kildare club football, this is the group worth watching - the clubs bring genuine history and local rivalry that county final days are built on.

What to expect

Group C runs on a round-robin format. Round 1 gets going on 22-23 August, Round 2 follows in early September, and Round 3 concludes around 20 September. Results across those three rounds determine who progresses.

Raheens, based in Caragh, are the standout name in the group - they hold ten Kildare Senior Football Championship titles and remain the only Kildare club ever to lift the Leinster Club Championship, which they won in the 1981-82 season. Athy, founded in 1887, are one of the oldest clubs in the county, with seven county titles and a loyal south Kildare following. Sallins and Kilcock represent the commuter-belt stretch of the county, with growing memberships and the ability to cause upsets on a given day.

Matches are hosted at Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge and Manguard Park at Hawkfield. St Conleth’s Park was fully redeveloped, reopening in late 2024 with a 15,000 capacity, a new 3,000-seat stand, and modern facilities throughout. Hawkfield is Kildare GAA’s centre of excellence. Check kildaregaa.ie closer to each round for the specific venue and throw-in time per fixture.

Getting there

Kildare and Newbridge both sit on the Dublin to Cork rail line, around 40 minutes from Heuston Station. By road, the M7 motorway runs through the county and makes both venues easy to reach. Parking is available at and around St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge on match days; Hawkfield has open grounds with ample space.

While you’re in Kildare

The Curragh and its open racing plains are just minutes away, and Kildare town has the National Stud and the Japanese Gardens if you are making a day of it. There is more to see in Kildare and across Co. Kildare.

Good to know

• Dates: Round 1: 22-23 August 2026; Round 2: early September; Round 3: approx. 20 September 2026
• Time: Various - check kildaregaa.ie for throw-in times per fixture
• Price: Admission charged at the gate; pricing varies by fixture
• Clubs in group: Raheens, Sallins, Athy, Kilcock
• Venues: Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge; Manguard Park, Hawkfield
• Fixtures and updates: kildaregaa.ie