County champions Mungret ready to kick-start 2026 season as county leagues commence

CLUB action returns to Limerick this weekend as the new-look All-County Football League gets underway on Saturday.

There are nine divisions in the revamped ACFL with each tier having six clubs each.

Each group will see the top two teams face off in the final with the bottom two teams in Divisions 1 to 8 relegated for the 2027 season.

With the leagues being run on a divisional basis in recent years, the renewed all-county format teams are placed in divisions based on their championship status.

Mungret-St Paul’s enter 2026 as defending county champions for the first time in the club’s history. A historic 2025 saw the city club also claim Premier U20 and Premier MFC honours.

With clubs missing their inter-county players for much of the All-County League, Mungret-St Paul's manager Kevin O’Hagan is eager to see young players coming through the ranks cut their teeth at senior level.

“We have a lot of fellas out of our reach because of county panels, U19, U20 and senior,” O’Hagan explained. “We might get one or two back when they have vacant weekends, but we are down a lot of the core group that would have been involved over the last few years.

“We have a load of young fellas coming through from that minor and U20s team who are in training with us. If we can get them into the league and see where they are at, that’s what we are going to be doing. So, we are totally focusing on ourselves.”

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With the six teams who reached the SFC quarter-finals last year making up the new-look Division 1, O’Hagan knows all the top teams are in the same boat.

“If you look at Casey’s, they have five or six with the county, Newcastle have a few with the county, Adare too, they all have got people with the county so they are going to be down numbers too.”

The county champions travel west on Saturday to take on St Kieran’s on Saturday at 2pm.

At the same time in the top tier, Newcastle West play Adare while Monaleen host Fr Casey’s on St Patrick's morning.

Fixtures (First team named at home, all Saturday 2pm unless stated):

Division 1: St Kieran's v Mungret St Paul's, Newcastle West v Adare, Monaleen v Fr Casey's (Tuesday 10.30am).

Division 2: Oola v Rathkeale (Saturday, 12pm), Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan v Ballylanders, Galtee Gaels v Kildimo-Pallaskenry.

Division 3: Na Piarsaigh V Pallasgreen (Friday, 7.45), Cappagh v Galbally, St Patrick's v St Senan's.

Division 4: Ahane v Crecora Manister (Saturday, 12pm), Glin v Gerald Griffins 14:00, Claughaun v Dromcollogher-Broadford

Division 5: Granagh-Ballingarry V Camogue Rovers, Croom v Mungret St Paul's (Saturday, 4:30), Fr Casey's V Monagea (Sunday, 2pm)

Division 6: Banogue v Castletown-Ballyagran, Athea v St Kieran's (Saturday, 4.30pm), Mountcollins v Ballylanders (Sunday, 2pm).

Division 7: Knockainey v Knockane (Saturday 4.30), Monaleen v Oola (Sunday, 2pm), Bruree v Galtee Gaels (Sunday, 2pm).

Division 8: Na Piarsaigh v South Liberties (Sunday, 2pm), Cappagh v Galbally (Sunday, 2pm), Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan v Athea (Sunday, 2pm).

Division 9: Kilmallock v Camogue Rovers (Sunday, 2pm), Glin v Knockane (Sunday, 2pm), St Senan's v Killeedy (Sunday, 2pm).