GROUP B: Larries favoured but Towers and Kilcullen aiming for upsets in Kildare IFC
St Laurence’s, Round Towers, Kilcullen and Monasterevan make up Group B of the 2026 National Electrical Wholesalers Intermediate Football Championship
Kilcullen and Monasterevan meet in a Round 1 game that leaves no opportunity to feel your way into this year’s Kildare IFC with both eyeing a win to try to check the box of relegation safety as soon as mathematically possible.
The Barrowside Blues avoided the drop with an eight-point win over St Kevin’s in the 2025 relegation final after a dismal showing in the group stages alongside a weaker collection of teams than they will meet in ‘26. This Round 1 match could dictate the fate of both of these teams straight from the off.
Kilcullen produced a couple fine wins in their 2025 campaign with two points gained against future finalists St Laurence’s and soon-to-be relegated St Kevin’s, but were the ones to miss out on a knockout round spot with three teams tied on four points in Group C.
They made little impression on Division 3 this year, slotting themselves right in the middle of the pack, but they will be eyeing this game as a must-win for them, regardless of their ambitions.
Beaten 2025 finalists St Laurence’s face Round Towers on the opening day and have built on their disappointment of losing out to a supreme Sallins side by putting together an impressive campaign in Division 1, where they picked up four wins and maintained their top-tier league status.
Their strong start to the year has rightly put them to the forefront of conversations regarding potential favourites for this year’s Championship and their strong cohort of young talent, who have been spread across recent Kildare underage sides, will be raring to get them back to the big one.
Towers were relegated in 2022 and have not made the impact many thought they might on Intermediate football. The Kildare Town outfit were expected to get things back on track and disappointed last year with a lacklustre exit to Two Mile House.
Their team contains the dazzling forward talents of Jay O’Brien as well as the tenacity of Kildare U20 joint-captain and Leinster champion at that level in 2026, Ben Ryan. It’s been below par from Round Towers in the IFC to this point and this first round game is the ultimate litmus test for their 2026 ambitions.