The 2026 Kildare Senior Football Championship is the 133rd edition of the Kildare GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior graded teams in County Kildare, Ireland. The tournament consists of 16 teams with the winner going on to represent Kildare in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship will begin with a group stage sorted by an open draw (excluding 4 teams) followed by a knockout stage.
Athy are the defending champions this year after defeating Naas to win their 8th championship and their first since 2020.
Sallins returned to the senior grade for the first time since 2003 after defeating St Laurence's in the 2025 Kildare Intermediate Football Championship final. This was at the cost of Confey, who were defeated by Allenwood in the Relegation Play-off to be relegated to the Kildare I.F.C for the first time since 2011.
Championship structure Following the meeting of the Kildare GAA County Board on Tuesday 3 February, a proposal to revamp the senior, intermediate and junior football championships were passed unanimously.
The following changes were made:
The preliminary quarter-finals will be discontinued and the four semi-finalists from the previous year's championship will be seeded. There will be no preliminary round, instead heading straight into the Round Robin Group Stage. The Group Stage will consist of four groups (Group A, B, C & D), and each of these groups will consist of 4 teams. The four semi-finalists from the last year's championship will be seeded into each of the 4 groups, will the other 12 teams will be open draw into the groups. The 1st and 2nd placed teams progress into the Quarter-finals. 1st placed teams will be drawn randomly against 2nd placed teams with no repeat pairings from the group stage. The winners of these quarter-finals will progress to the semi-finals with no repeat pairings, and the winners will progress to the final. The 3rd and 4th placed teams progress to the Senior A Quarter-finals. 3rd placed teams will be drawn randomly against 4th placed teams with no repeat parings from the group stage. The winners of the Senior A quarter-finals progress to the Senior A semi-finals with the same permutations as with the Senior A quarter-finals. The winner progress to the Senior A final. The losers of the Senior A quarter-finals will progress to the Relegation Semi-finals, also with no repeat pairings. The losers of the relegation semi-finals will contest a relegation final to secure their senior status.
Team Changes The following teams have changed division since the 2025 championship season:
To S.F.C. Promoted from 2025 I.F.C. Sallins - (Intermediate Champions)
From S.F.C. Relegated to 2026 I.F.C. Confey
Participating teams The 16 teams that will participate in the 2026 Kildare S.F.C are: ClubLocation Manager Pre C'ship Odds 2025 Championship Position2026 Championship PositionIn championship sinceChampionship TitlesLast Championship Title AllenwoodAllenwoodMark Murnaghan200/1Relegation Finalist202412004 AthyAthySeán Gannon4/1ChampionsQuarter-Finalist197582025 CaraghProsperousMichael Browne50/1Quarter-Finalist202531926 CarburyCarburyAndrew Dermody150/1Non-Qualifier1931111985 CelbridgeCelbridgeAlan Costello9/2Semi-Finalist200312008 ClaneClaneSeán Mealiffe20/1Quarter-Finalist1950171997 ClogherinkoeClogherinkoeJarlath Gilroy150/1Non-Qualifier20210— EadestownEadestownEmmet Bolton100/1Preliminary Quarter-Finalist201511970 JohnstownbridgeJohnstownbridgeAidan Dunne50/1Quarter-FinalistQuarter-Finalist201431989 KilcockKilcockDeclan Gibbons200/1Non-Qualifier202251958 MaynoothMaynoothRoss Glavin20/1Preliminary Quarter-Finalist201021913 MoorefieldNewbridgeFrank Hanniffy20/1Quarter-FinalistQuarter-Finalist1940102018 NaasNaasJimmy HigginsEvensRunners-Up2005122024 SallinsSallinsJohnny McNulty16/1I.F.C Champions20260— SarsfieldsNewbridgeVinny Walsh3/1Semi-FinalistNever Relegated252019 RaheensCaraghAnthony Rainbow33/1Non-QualifierQuarter-Finalist2018101981 Group Stage As last year's semi-finalists were Celbridge, Sarsfields, Athy and Naas, those four teams were seeded into Group A, B. C and D respectively. The draw for the group stage was conducted on 15 May 2026, and the fixtures for those group stage games were released on 10 June 2026.
Group A
TeamMatchesScorePtsPldWDLForAgainstDiff Celbridge33007749 +286 Johnstownbridge31115748 +93 Clane31115852 +63 Allenwood30034184 -430
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Group B
TeamMatchesScorePtsPldWDLForAgainstDiff Sarsfields33007148 +236 Maynooth32016250 +124 Caragh31024159 -182 Carbury30034360 -170
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Group C
TeamMatchesScorePtsPldWDLForAgainstDiff Athy32105544 +115 Raheens31114948 +13 Sallins31024949 02 Kilcock31024052 -122
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Group D
TeamMatchesScorePtsPldWDLForAgainstDiff Naas33007544 +316 Moorefield31115048 +23 Eadestown31024867 -192 Clogherinkoe30125165 -141
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Knock-out Stage
Senior A Championship
Senior A Quarter-Finals The 3rd and 4th placed teams from the group stage are placed into the "B" quarter-finals where they are drawn randomly against one another (no repeat pairings). The winners progress to the "B" semi-finals while the losers progress to the Relegation Semi-finals.
Senior A Semi-Finals The "B" quarter-final winners are drawn against each other with no repeat pairings allowed. The winners progress to the "B" final.
Senior A Final
Relegation Series
Relegation Semi-Finals The losers of the "B" quarter-finals are drawn against each other with no repeat pairings allowed. The losers progress to the relegation final where the two teams will contest against one another for the right to stay within the S.F.C.
Relegation Final
Quarter-Finals
The 1st and 2nd placed teams are placed into the quarter-finals where they are drawn randomly against each other (no repeat pairings). The winners progress to the semi finals.
Semi-Finals The quarter-final winners progress to the semi-finals where they are drawn against each other randomly (no repeat pairings). The winners progress to the final.
Final
References