County legend announced as new manager of Kildare SFC team

Kildare selector Anthony Rainbow before the 2022 Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Kildare and Westmeath at Croke Park, Photo By Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

placeholder image — Kildare selector Anthony Rainbow before the 2022 Leinster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Kildare and Westmeath at Croke Park, Photo By Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Well-known Kildare and Suncroft GAA figure Anthony Rainbow will be named the new Raheens GAA manager for the 2026 season

Well-known Kildare and Suncroft GAA figure Anthony Rainbow will be named the new Raheens GAA manager for the 2026 season.

The legendary Lilywhite wing-back most recently took charge of Laois club Arles-Killeen as a manager. The Laois SFC club exited Championship at the Quarter-Final stage with defeat to eventual champions Portarlington. Rainbow of course prior to that had a brief stint in Glenn Ryan's backroom team during his time in charge of Kildare.

His new club Raheens are coming off the back of a Championship season that saw them win zero games in the SFC proper with three losses in an admittedly difficult group of Naas, Sarsfields, and Maynooth. They earned their spot in the winner's group with a 2-17 to 1-15 win over then reigning Intermediate champions Caragh. Earlier in 2025, they managed to finish seventh in Division 1 of the SFL so there is plenty of scope for improvement for the incoming boss.