Football fever is set to grip Killarney as Killarney Celtic prepares to take its place on the national stage in the newly established FAI National League.

The club represented local sport at the official 2026 season launch at the National Indoor Arena on the Sport Ireland Campus in Abbotstown.

Manager Tim Jones and team captain Matt Keane attended the event alongside delegates from the other 14 founding member clubs, marking the formal expansion of the Irish football pyramid into a third tier.

Speaking at the launch, Interim FAI National Competitions Lead Garret Higgins highlighted the significance of the new structure for clubs across Ireland.

“The expansion of the football pyramid is huge for the game here in Ireland,” said Higgins. “It offers a new highly-competitive competition that will give a new standard for footballers to compete in. There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of intrigue about the upcoming season, but having Carlow, Kilkenny, Kildare, and Mayo represented in addition to more clubs in Kerry, Galway, Donegal, Waterford, Cork, and Dublin only serves to emphasise the passion for football throughout the country.”

Higgins added that while the inaugural campaign will be a learning experience, it presents a major growth opportunity for the founding clubs.

“This will be a season of learning, but with that comes a great opportunity for these clubs to grow and establish themselves even more. These are the first 15 clubs to step into the National League, but we’ve every hope to expand that in the coming years.”

The inaugural 2026 season features a temporary format, with the 15 founding clubs divided into three groups of five.

Teams will play home and away fixtures across ten rounds, with the three group winners and the best-placed runner-up advancing to the semi-finals in November. Promotion to the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland First Division will formally come into effect from the 2027 season onwards.

Opening Home Matches

Killarney Celtic has been placed in Group 3 alongside UCC Soccer, CK United, Newbridge Town, and Waterford side Villa FC.

While the new league kicks off overall on Saturday, August 29, Killarney Celtic will sit out the opening weekend as the idle team in Group 3.

Their campaign officially gets underway in Round 2 with a high-profile Munster derby at Celtic Park on Saturday, September 5, when they host UCC Soccer at 2pm.

The side remains on home soil for Round 3 on Saturday, September 12, welcoming CK United to Killarney for another 2pm kickoff. Killarney Celtic then hit the road for their first away assignment in Round 4, travelling to face Newbridge Town at Station Road on Saturday, September 19, at 5pm.

Killarney Celtic will have another open weekend during Round 5 on September 26 while UCC Soccer face CK United and Villa FC take on Newbridge Town, giving the local squad a brief breather before the mid-season run-in.

Return Leg Schedule

The second half of the group phase begins on Saturday, October 3, with a Round 6 trip to SETU Carlow Sports Campus to take on CK United at 2pm.

Killarney Celtic return to Celtic Park on Saturday, October 10, for a Round 7 encounter with Newbridge Town at 2pm, before travelling to the Cork capital on Saturday, October 17, to play UCC Soccer at the Mardyke Sports Grounds in Round 8.

The group stage draws to a close with a double header against Waterford outfit Villa FC. Killarney Celtic host Villa at Celtic Park on Saturday, October 24, at 2pm for Round 9, before concluding their Group 3 schedule on the road at workLAB Connors Park on Saturday, November 14, at 5pm.

Off the pitch, preparations for the new season continue.

The club is hosting its annual Killarney Celtic Golf Classic on Saturday, September 5, at Beaufort Golf Club, with tee times available from 7am to 4pm. Bookings can be made through Tim Jones on 087 977 1302, with tee box sponsorship available via Mary Lyne on 086 648 5809.

First day for Lissivigeen Junior Infants

Excitement filled the air in Lissivigeen National School on Thursday as more than 30 Junior Infants marked their very first day of school.

The new pupils settled into their classrooms, taking their first big steps in primary education under the guidance of Principal Ellen Cagney, teachers Kristine Sheahan and Bríd Ryan, and SNA Marie Carroll-O’Sullivan. The children spent their morning making new friends, exploring their classrooms, and getting used to school routine during a memorable milestone for the school community.

Photos: Marie Carroll-O’Sullivan.

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