Hard to pick a winner from competitive Kildare Junior Championship
James Harris will hope to show the benefit of his first year as a senior county player for his club Castlemitchell Photo:James Lawlor
This year’s TOM CROSS JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP throws in on Friday night and looks ahead to a competition that has steadily improved in quality and competitiveness over the last few years. Who will follow in the footsteps of Grangenolvin who not only won the county title in 2025 but went on to clinch provincial honours in Leinster?
THERE is a change of format for this year with twelve teams taking part (Rheban making a welcome return after sitting out last year’s competition). The teams are split into three groups of four. Two of the three group winners will be drawn to go straight into the semi-finals with the remaining group winner and three runners-up playing off in quarter-finals.
Unlike last year when Grangenolvin were installed as favourites before a ball was thrown in, you’d be harder pushed to pick a winner this time around.
In terms of league status, positions seven to twelve in Division 3 of the Hanlon Concrete Senior League were occupied by junior clubs with Cappagh heading that list on ten points just ahead of St Kevin’s, also on ten. Rathcoffey and Athgarvan finished on eight with relegated Kill and Robertstown on six and four points respectively.
Meanwhile Ballymore Eustace recovered from a disappointing couple of seasons to win Division 4 while Kildangan gave a fine account of themselves to get into the top four of that division before the split.
If a reminder of the competitiveness of this grade is required cast your mind back to 2025 when the quarter-finals saw Athgarvan edge out Castlemitchell 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shootout after an extra-time thriller while Cappagh surprised Ballymore Eustace 1-15 to 1-11.
In the semi-finals Athgarvan got within five points of eventual winners Grangenolvin while Rathcoffey’s win over Cappagh was an entertaining high-scoring affair (1-20 to 2-14).
Although Grangenolvin proved too strong for them in the final, Rathcoffey showed they had a talented squad last year and their league ranking suggests they will be serious contenders once more on this occasion. They’re in a tricky Group A however. While they’ll expect to overcome the returning Rheban on Sunday, relegated St Kevin’s won’t get it all the own way the previous day against Robertstown in a game that could go a long way to sorting out the eventual top two, although Philip Casey’s Kevin’s side did win the league game between the two comfortably.
The two most fancied teams in Group B meet on Saturday with Cappagh’s league form giving them real hopes of beating Castlemitchell while Kildangan will fancy a first championship win in a long time when they meet Ballykelly the following day.
In Group C Athgarvan have been upwardly-mobile these last couple of years and they should prove too strong for Ardclough but Ballymore Eustace v Kill looks impossible to call. Perhaps league momentum with the teams moving in opposite directions might swing it in Ballymore’s favour.
ROBERTSTOWN v ST KEVIN’S (Saturday 3.30pm, Conneff Park, Clane)
RATHCOFFEY v RHEBAN (Sunday 1.30pm, Manguard Park Pitch 1)
CAPPAGH v CASTLEMITCHELL (Saturday 3.30pm, Manguard Park Pitch 1)
BALLYKELLY v KILDANGAN (Sunday 3pm, Manguard Park Pitch 1)
ARDCLOUGH v ATHGARVAN (Friday 8pm, Manguard Park Pitch 1)
BALLYMORE EUSTACE v KILL (Sunday 4.30pm, Manguard Park Pitch 1)
.
For a further preview of this year's Tom Cross Junior Football Championship, check out this week's edition of The Short Grass Kildare Nationalist Sports Podcast
