Kildare Junior Football Championship

The Kildare Junior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football competition contested by lower-tier Kildare GAA clubs. The winning club plays in the Kildare Intermediate Football Championship in the following year. As of the 2022 season there is an overall Junior Championship winner as well as a Junior A winner (competed for between the bottom four teams in the Junior Championship Round Robin Group 2). There have been various iterations of the competition, which started in 1906 as the secondary competition to the Kildare Senior Football Championship. In 1928 a Kildare Intermediate Football Championship was started for middle tier teams with the Junior Championship ranking below that. In 1947 the Junior Championship was split into A and B competitions with the winners competing for the overall Junior title. They played for a trophy called the Jack Higgins Cup, named after the former Kildare and Naas great. Reserve teams were allowed to enter the Junior Championship at various stages up until recent years but a Reserve Championship has since been instigated. The Jack Higgins Trophy has not been played since 2019 due to the covid pandemic. The Junior winners receive the Noel Moran Cup, named after the former Kilcock and Kildare player.

Qualification for subsequent competitions

Leinster Junior Club Football Championship

The Kildare JFC winners qualify for the Leinster Junior Club Football Championship. It is the only team from County Kildare to qualify for this competition. The Kildare JFC winners enter the Leinster Junior Club Football Championship at the __ stage.

All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship

The Kildare JFC winners — by winning the Leinster Junior Club Football Championship — may qualify for the All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship, at which they would enter at the __ stage, providing they haven't been drawn to face the British champions in the quarter-finals.

For example, Two Mile House, the 2013 winners, went on to win the All-Ireland Football Championship title at Croke Park.^[1]^[2] In an unprecedented occurrence, Sunday Mass was moved to accommodate the game.^[3]

Junior and Jack Higgins Cup Finals listed by year

Note: Listed in the "JFC Winner" column is the team who won the primary Junior competition each year. Generally this was the "Junior A" competition when there were A,B,C etc competitions but in more recent years there was just one Junior grouping. In 2022 the Junior Championship was split between Groups 1 and 2 on a seeded basis with Group 2 consisting of weaker teams. The bottom four teams in that Group 2 played off for a new "Junior A" championship which was won by Rheban who beat Castlemitchell in the final by 2-7 to 0-9. A new, as yet unnamed trophy was presented to the winners.

Year	JFC Winner	Score	Opponent	Score	Jack Higgins Winner	Score	Opponent	Score
2023	Milltown	1-17	Robertstown	1-6
2022^[4]	Straffan	2-15	Kill	0-13
2021^[5]	Kilcullen	2-10	Rathcoffey	1-04
2020 *^[6]	Caragh	0-11	Robertstown	0-06
2019	Ballymore Eustace	3-12	Robertstown	0-08	Ballymore Eustace	3-20	Sarsfields	3-12
2018	Milltown	1-14	Rheban	1-10	Naas		Milltown
2017	Ballymore Eustace	3-18	Caragh	1-04	Ballymore Eustace	2-13	Sarsfields	0-13
2016	Kilcullen	0-07, R 2-14	Milltown	0-07, R 0-13	Moorefield	2-10	Kilcullen	1-05
2015	Castlemitchell	1-11	Cappagh	0-07	Sarsfields		Castlemitchell
2014	Straffan	2-12	Castlemitchell	0-06
2013	Two Mile House	0-15	Straffan	0-13
2012	Clogherinkoe	2-10	Two Mile House	2-08	Moorefield	1-10	Clogherinkoe	0-09
2011^{[additional citation(s) needed]}^[7]	Robertstown	2-10	Two Mile House	2-07
2010	Caragh	0-08	Robertstown	1-04
2009	Straffan	1-11	Two Mile House	0-13	Sarsfields	1-12	Straffan	0-09
2008^[8]	Milltown	0-14	Robertstown	1-10
2007	Ballykelly	2-10	Two Mile House	0-10
2006	Nurney	1-14	Straffan	1-13	Moorefield	2-06	Nurney	0-09
2005	Grangenolvin	1-12	Robertstown	3-05
2004	Castledermot	2-14	Robertstown	1-10	Castledermot		Milltown
2003	Confey	1-13	Nurney	0-05	Confey		Robertstown
2002	Moorefield	2-08	Leixlip	0-12	Nurney	1-11	Moorefield	0-11
2001	Sallins	2-16	Confey	2-08	Sallins	0-10	Straffan	0-06
2000	Ardclough	0-10	Milltown	0-06	Ardclough	3-10	Ballykelly	2-07
1999	Ellistown	4-03	Ardclough	0-09
1998	Clogherinkoe	1-10	Ardclough	0-08
1997	Kilcullen	0-14	Ellistown	1-05	Kilcullen	2-11	Moorefield	3-07
1996	Rheban	0-11	Kilcullen	1-06	Rheban	0-10	Carbury	0-03
1995	Maynooth	0-13	Kilcullen	0-10	Moorefield	2-08	Maynooth	1-07
1994	Two Mile House	2-08	Maynooth	0-08	Sarsfields	3-04	Two Mile House	0-07
1993	Caragh	2-11	Ellistown	1-08	Caragh	1-08	Moorefield	1-02
1992	Kill	0-11	Kilcullen	0-08	Kill	0-11	Allenwood	1-06
1991	Eadestown	1-09	Kilcullen	0-07	Eadestown	1-03	Sarsfields	0-04
1990	Rathcoffey	1-09	Eadestown	0-09	Naas	0-10	Rathcoffey	1-05
1989	Robertstown	0-06 1-08 (R)	Rheban	0-06 0-09 (R)	Robertstown	1-09	Naas	1-06
1988	Ballyteague	4-08	Kill	0-08	Ballyteague	0-06	Carbury	0-03
1987	Grangenolvin	2-04	Ballyteague	0-07	Grangenolvin	2-06	Round Towers	0-04
1986	Celbridge	0-15	Robertstown	0-05	Celbridge	0-13	Straffan	0-04
1985	Ballymore Eustace	1-11	Ballyteague	2-07	Sarsfields	1-11 (R)	Grangenolvin	0-07 (R)
1984	Clogherinkoe	1-09 3-09 (R)	Milltown	0-12 1-07 (R)	Nurney	0-08 2-08 (R)	Clogherinkoe	1-05 1-07 (R)
1983	Castlemitchel	3-08	Ardclough	1-08	Castlemitchel	0-08	Robertstown	0-06
1982	Eadestown	0-09 2-09 (R)	Ballymore Eustace	1-12 1-07 (R)	Eadestown	1-11	Celbridge	1-05
1981	Naas	5-06	Eadestown	1-12	Kilcock	2-07	Naas	2-06
1980	Leixlip	1-08	Kill	1-05	Leixlip	5-06	Eadestown	1-13
1979	Castledermot	1-06	Leixlip	0-08	Castledermot	2-06	Kill	2-04
1978	St. Laurence's	4-12	Ballymore Eustace	1-04	Clongorey	4-04	St. Laurence's	2-03
1977	Suncroft	1-08	St. Laurence's	0-07	Suncroft	3-08	Clogherinkoe	1-06
1976	St. Kevin's	1-08 0-11 (R)	Leixlip	1-08 0-04	Maynooth	1-09	St. Kevin's	2-04
1975	Johnstownbridge	4-16	Suncroft	0-05	Johnstownbridge	2-08	St. Laurence's	1-04
1974	Ballykelly	1-09	Johnstownbridge	1-07	Raheens	1-05	Ballykelly	0-06
1973	Sallins	1-12	Castledermot	1-09	Sallins	1-12	Castledermot	1-09
1972	Ballyteague	2-10	Castlemitchel	0-06	Ballyteague	2-09	St. Kevin's	2-04
1971	Kilcullen	2-09 2-04 (R)	Ballyteague	2-09 1-06 (R)	Kilcullen	1-14	Sallins	0-04
1970	Rathangan	1-06 0-11 (R)	Rathcoffey	1-06 0-09 (R)	Rathangan	0-16	Kilcullen	1-07
1969	Rheban	2-14	Castledermot	2-02	Rheban	2-09	Kilcullen	1-07
1968	Ardclough	0-14	Ballyteague	1-09	Ardclough	0-14	Ballymore Eustace	1-09
1967	Johnstownbridge	2-09	Rheban	2-07	Milltown	5-07	Johnstownbridge	2-08
1966	Sallins	2-06 0-08 (R)	Ardclough	0-12 0-05 (R)	Sallins	1-10	Johnstownbridge	0-08
1965	Grangenolvin	1-05 2-08 (R)	Rheban	0-08 1-03 (R)	Grangenolvin	1-07	Sallins	0-05
1964	Straffan	3-11	Rheban	0-06	Straffan	bt	Grangenolvin
1963	Clogherinkoe	0-12	Straffan	0-10	Ellistown	0-08	Clogherinkoe	0-06
1962	Suncroft	bt	Ardclough		Suncroft	1-06 2-03 (R)	Ballyteague	1-06 1-02 (R)
1961	Allenwood	1-10	Rheban	1-05	Allenwood	2-04	Carbury	1-03
1960	Kill	2-09	Carbury	1-07	Eadestown	0-11	Kill	1-05
1959	Ardclough	0-05 3-06 (R)	Rheban	1-02 0-06 (R)	Ardclough	3-06	Straffan	1-04
1958	Celbridge ****	1-05	Moone	2-07	Celbridge	1-06	Clongorey	1-01
1957	Castledermot	2-07	Kill	0-07	Castledermot	5-09	Clogherinkoe	1-01
1956	Athgarvan	bt	Kill		Athgarvan	2-05	Castledermot	0-08
1955	Rathcoffey	bt	Rheban		Rathcoffey	1-07	Milltown	1-06
1954	Monasterevin	0-08	Ballykelly	0-07	Monasterevin	4-09	Rathcoffey	0-05
1953	Kilcullen	1-05	Moone	0-02	Kilcullen	1-07	Ballykelly	1-04
1952	Leixlip	4-04	Athgarvan	0-08	Naas	3-03	Leixlip	1-03
1951	Ballymore Eustace	4-09	Kilcullen	0-02	Ballymore Eustace	4-09	Kilcullen	0-02
1950	Kilcock	2-05	Monasterevan	1-02	Kilcock	1-02	Johnstownbridge	0-02
1949	Caragh	2-09	Athy	0-04	Caragh	4-09	Ballymore Eustace	2-07
1948	Moorefield	1-05	Caragh	1-03	Moorefield	1-04 2-06 (R)	Athy	1-04 2-02 (R)
1947	Maynooth	0-01 0-06 (R)	Robertstown	0-01 0-02 (R)	Maynooth	7-09	Narraghmore	1-02
1946	Straffan	1-04	Kildangan	0-04
1945	Rathcoffey	3-07	Monasterevan	1-00
1944	Milltown	0-09	Carbury	0-01
1943	Kilcullen	1-04	Castlemitchel	0-03
1942	Kildangan	2-03	Cappagh	0-04
1941	Ardclough	1-05	Kildangan	2-01
1940	Rheban	0-04 0-08 (R)	Ardclough	0-04 1-01 (R)
1939	Robertstown	6-02	Rheban	1-04
1938	Rathangan	2-02	Ardclough	2-01
1937	Kilcock	1-08	Rheban	0-03
1936	Celbridge	3-06	Kildangan	1-02
1935	Monasterevin	bt	Moorefield	by 1 pt
1934	Robertstown	3-03	Maynooth	0-03
1933	Roseberry	1-03 5-10 (R)	Robertstown	1-03 1-03 (R)
1932	Moorefield	1-09	Celbridge	2-04
1931	Newbridge	1-04	Monasterevin	0-02
1930	Suncroft	1-05	Celbridge	0-02
1929	Clane	2-05	Eleventh Batt.	2-02
1928	Raheens	1-08	Celbridge	0-03
1927	Athgarvan	1-03 2-02 (R)	Newbridge	1-03 1-02 (R)
1926	Carbury	2-04	Roseberry	1-05
1925	Maddenstown	2-04	Carbury	0-02
1924	Roseberry	2-02	Leixlip	1-01
1923	Celbridge	3-05	Milltown	1-01
1922	Ellistown	bt	Celbridge
1921	Kildare	2-03	Naas	2-01
1920	Rathangan	2-04	Robertstown	0-04
1919	Naas	1-04	Rathangan	1-03
1918	Maddenstown	0-03 2-03 (R)	Leixlip	0-03 2-01 (R)
1917	Caragh	1-02 1-02 (R) 2-03 (2R)	Maddenstown	0-05 1-02 (R) 1-03 (2R)
1916	Blacktrench	1-06	Rathangan	1-05
1915	Eadestown	1-02	Castledermot	0-01
1914	Kilcullen	2-03	Ballymore Eustace	1-02
1913	Naas	3-01	Athy	1-03
1912	Maynooth	3-03	Castledermot	1-02
1911	Round Towers	0-06	Eyrefield	1-00
1910***	Monasterevin	3-02	Roseberry	0-02
1909	Cancelled
1908**	Maddenstown	0-09	Rathmore	1-03
1907*	Athy	1-04	Caragh	0-07
1906	Monasterevin	2-13	Carbury	0-02

2020 final (played in July 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games)
* No record of replay for the 1907 title. Original match played on Feb 14 '09 but neither team turned up for replay on March 14
** Maddenstown and Rathmore played 5 times in all with the other four scorelines being 0-7 to 0-1, 0-6 to 0-5, 0-7 to 1-4 and 0-7 to 0-6. Three objections and the one draw caused the replays. Games were played July 11 '90, Aug 1 '09, Sep 2 '09, Oct 10 '09 and Oct 31 '09.
*** Objection led to a replay after Monasterevan won first game by a point
**** Celbridge won the 1958 JFC A Final on an objection after Moone fielded an ineligible player from nearby Barronstown, just over the Wicklow border

References

^ "All-Ireland club JFC final: Kildare men win goal fest". Hogan Stand. 9 February 2014.
^ Sweeney, Peter (9 February 2014). "Avalanche of goals sees Two Mile House claim All-Ireland Club Junior Championship". The42.ie.
^ Kelly, Liam (7 February 2014). "'The joke was that we were like the Mayo of Kildare club fooball[sic]'". Irish Independent.
^ Callaghan, Tommy. "Kildare GAA: Straffan crowned junior champions". www.leinsterleader.ie. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
^ Lindsay, Ross (30 October 2021). "Kilcullen Crowned Tom Cross Transport Junior Football Champions".
^ Callaghan, Tommy (11 July 2021). "Caragh defeat Robertstown to lift Kildare Junior title".
^ "JFC final takes centre stage". Hogan Stand. 28 September 2011.
^ "Milltown sneak past Robertstown to take JFC title". 14 October 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

External links

[1] "All-Ireland club JFC final: Kildare men win goal fest". Hogan Stand. 9 February 2014.

[2] Sweeney, Peter (9 February 2014). "Avalanche of goals sees Two Mile House claim All-Ireland Club Junior Championship". The42.ie.

[3] Kelly, Liam (7 February 2014). "'The joke was that we were like the Mayo of Kildare club fooball[sic]'". Irish Independent.

[4] Callaghan, Tommy. "Kildare GAA: Straffan crowned junior champions". www.leinsterleader.ie. Retrieved 6 October 2022.

[5] Lindsay, Ross (30 October 2021). "Kilcullen Crowned Tom Cross Transport Junior Football Champions".

[6] Callaghan, Tommy (11 July 2021). "Caragh defeat Robertstown to lift Kildare Junior title".

[7] "JFC final takes centre stage". Hogan Stand. 28 September 2011.

[8] "Milltown sneak past Robertstown to take JFC title". 14 October 2008. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

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