PREVIEW: Who will win the 2025 Kildare Intermediate Football Championship?

The Kildare Intermediate Championship is always a great value for entertainment and drama and 2025 should be no different. The Preliminary Round fixtures are set and with new sponsor, National Electrical Wholesalers, onboard we’re almost ready to go for our opener on Thursday, August 7. 

The new rules are reasonably well established at this point in the year, but there is also a format change for this year’s IFC. Upon completion of the Preliminary Round, a new draw will take place to format the winner’s and loser’s groups which in turn will set out the rest of this year’s Kildare Intermediate Championship. 

Milltown vs Monasterevan, Thursday August 7

After being relegated to Junior in 2022, Milltown’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric since and, with promotion to Division 1 secured earlier this year, they have now ascended through the ranks with three consecutive promotions. After their Leinster Junior Championship win in 2023, they have continued to build and build again. 

Exiting last year’s IFC at the semi-final stage with a narrow defeat to Leixlip and reaching the Division 2 final this year means that they must be considered among the contenders for this Championship. Milltown have young players blossoming in several positions and are an exciting outfit to watch. Their ventures in Division 2 this year saw them lose three games before a heavy defeat in the final to Johnstownbridge, but they suffered just one loss against another team in the IFC, Rathangan by 1-17 to 1-15. They should go deep in this competition once again.

Monastervean lie on the other end of the spectrum when it comes to progress with their own success in Leinster (at Intermediate level) long in the rear view mirror. They registered just one win in Division 3, over midtable Nurney, and were relegated. With about a ball being kicked, Monasterevan are likely among the leading candidates for the drop to Junior.

Ballyteague vs Kilcullen, Saturday August 9

The Larks face The Rags and at the risk of reducing a club to one man, Jimmy Hyland’s presence or there lack of will likely dictate Ballyteague’s season. It may seem reductive but Hyland was last year’s Intermediate Championship top-scorer from play and indeed overall. His participation could propel them to the upper echelons of the competition, but they are still unlikely to challenge the top brass. Without him they will be fighting further down with not much fear of the drop, even if they were to stumble on the opening day.

Kilcullen have had a fairly dismal year to this point, but staved off relegation from Division 3 to their credit. They showed some signs of life in the Championship last year and would have been disappointed not to have converted some decent performances into better results. They will likely replicate their league efforts and do enough to avoid relegation without troubling the top end of this competition.

Round Towers vs St Kevins, Saturday August 9

The men from Kildare Town were relegated in 2022 and, despite expectations that they would bounce back up, they haven’t managed to do just yet. That fact may speak more to the difficulty of Kildare’s IFC than Towers themselves who should kick on this year after a disappointingly short Championship in 2024. They will be led from the front by Kildare U20 Jay O’Brien who was one of the standouts in a talented county underage side which underperformed. O’Brien has taken to the new rules superbly too and could exceed his 4-14 scored from play from last year under Jim Gavin’s new laws. O’Brien could be the man to kick the town of Kildare back into the big time as they are among this year’s contenders once again.

St Kevins were well beaten by their Preliminary Round opponents in the Championship group stages last year, but also picked up a win and a draw to progress to the knockout stages. Kevins are a well-organised bunch and put together a really impressive league season with eight wins from 11 games in Division 3. In all likelihood they will face a losers group this year, but it may also be one they could top and again progress out. They were seven points worse off in their Quarter-Final with a flying Milltown, but should earn themselves another crack at the last eight.

Ellistown vs Larries, Saturday August 9

This game is the battle of the one that came up and the one that came down. Junior Champions of ‘24 Ellistown are of course the team moving up and they put together an excellent Division 3 campaign to top the league with 10 wins from 11. The current JFC champs came up short to current IFC holders Caragh in the league final this year, 2-15 to 2-10, but have really capitalised on their momentum from last year. They of course will be looking to replicate Milltown’s rapid rise, but that is a rare case indeed. Ellistown should have enough quality and confidence to stave off relegation, but may not have enough to go deep into the IFC this year.

Now to the peculiar case of the Senior team dropping down. Both Round Towers and Ballyteague (relegated sides of ‘22 and ‘23) have remained in the IFC since and Larries will find out just how difficult bouncing back is when they tackle Intermediate this year. St Laurence's should be at the sharp end of things after retaining Division 1 football this year and picking up four wins, most impressively against Athy and Raheens as well as Leixlip and Allenwood who suffered the drop. Their league form should build confidence in the group for this Championship and Larries need to be in the latter stages. However, an impressive opening few games and a semi-final exit is a well worn path at this level and they will need to be on it to move back to the top tier.

Castledermot vs Suncroft, Sunday August 10

Back-to-back finalists in 2022 and 2023, Casteldermot have regressed since reaching consecutive deciders. Their 2024 championship involved earning a winners group spot before finishing bottom of that group with a single point. An opening day win might see them replicate that pattern in 2026 depending on the draw.

Suncroft will be targeting this game and be hopeful of catching Castledermot cold to secure their status for 2026 straight off the bat. Should they find themselves in a losers group, they will need to maintain their tradition of producing at least one rousing Championship performance, which last year was enough to earn them a Preliminary Quarter-Final against Rathangan. Eoghan Lawless’ return from down under is an undoubted Championship boost.

Straffan vs Two Mile House, Sunday August 10

Straffan arrive to this year’s Championship with a decent Division 3 showing in their back pocket and perhaps some resentment after a rough winner’s group draw in 2024. Losses to Sallins, Leixlip, and Rathangan sent them out with zero points but, even if they find themselves down in a losers group this year, the 2022 Junior champions should have enough to stay at Intermediate level.

Two Mile House contested last year’s relegation final with now departed Ballymore, but finished level on points in their group with Suncroft who progressed to the knockout stages. Their points difference cost them, a tough draw didn’t help, and they should have enough to stay in Intermediate without making too many waves once again.

Rathangan vs Leixlip, Sunday August 10

Rathangan were one of the team’s that took a real step forward in Championship action in 2024. A team full of talent and potential, they feel spiritually linked with Johnstownbridge in their swashbuckling but inconsistent manner. However, it was only eventual winners Caragh who could stop them and based on Championship action last year they are likely to be able to capitalise on the new rules when at full strength. Regardless of their opening day clash, they should be mixing it with the best in this year’s Intermediate Championship once again.

Last year’s losing finalists Leixlip were relegated from Division 1 but that will be firmly put behind them as they look to make yet another push to reach the Kildare Championships elite level. Lexilip were challenged and wobbled in the group stages in ‘24 but still managed to win all three games to top their group. That type of resilience will be needed once again if they are to battle to the latter stages. Leixlip don’t feel like a team as much in the ascent as others around them.

Nurney vs Sallins, Sunday August 10

Nurney’s only win of last year’s Championship came in the group stages against eventually relegated Ballymore. You can only beat what is in front of you however and Nurney to their credit put together five decent wins in Division 3 this year and finished above four fellow IFC outfits. They will once again be looking to stave off the drop and, like last year, one win against a rival should be enough to do it.

Sallins will once again be (rightly) named as Intermediate Championship contenders, but this group of players has unfairly been labeled in quiet whispers as a team that can’t get over the line. Sallins finished fourth in Division 1 this year with an incredibly impressive seven wins, but exited last year’s Championship at the Quarter-Final stage, but did so to eventual champions Caragh. Sallins will know their reputation heading into their latest attempt at IFC glory and this could be the year they prove doubters wrong.

READ NEXT: Allenwood man (67) raises over €2,500 with marathon around club grounds