Wicklow Junior B Football Championship: Newcastle v Rathnew

Newcastle host Rathnew in Round 1 of the Wicklow Junior B Football Championship at their Healy Farrell Park grounds on Thursday, 13 August 2026. It is a home fixture for the small coastal club, whose men’s team plays at Junior B level, and it opens a three-round group series that continues through late August and September.

What to expect

Junior B is one of the lower rungs of Wicklow’s club football ladder, but the games are no less competitive for it, often featuring players who have come through the club’s own underage ranks alongside a few more experienced heads. Rathnew, based a few miles down the coast near Wicklow town, bring a settled panel and will fancy their chances of an away win to start the campaign. Expect a typical midweek club game under lights, with a smaller crowd than a senior fixture but the same commitment from both sets of players. Newcastle’s home form at Healy Farrell Park has generally been solid in recent seasons. The winner of this round takes a big step toward qualifying from the group, with two more rounds to follow against Baltinglass and Annacurra.

Getting there

Healy Farrell Park is on Sea Road in Newcastle, a small coastal village between Kilcoole and Wicklow town on the R761. There is parking at the grounds, and the village is roughly 10 minutes from Kilcoole and 15 minutes from Wicklow town by car. There is no direct rail station in Newcastle itself.

While you’re in Newcastle

Newcastle is a small coastal parish between Kilcoole and Five Mile Point, with the GAA club at the heart of local sporting life. There is more to see in Newcastle and across Co. Wicklow.

Good to know

• Date: Thursday, 13 August 2026
• Throw-in: 7:30pm
• Venue: Healy Farrell Park, Sea Road, Newcastle, Co. Wicklow
• Competition: Wicklow Junior B Football Championship, Round 1
• Booking: no advance ticketing; pay at the gate on the night