Clonakilty · County Cork · Founded 1965
Clonakilty AFC, from youth football to the adult game
Clonakilty AFC is a County Cork club founded in 1965. Its 2026 club statement reports more than 600 boys and girls aged six to eighteen, supported by 50 volunteer coaches. The club enters over twenty teams in the West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League and is campaigning for a permanent home.
Youth football
Boys and girls at Ballyvackey
The club’s youth programme includes boys’ and girls’ football across several age groups. Chairman David Gilbert’s statement describes an approach centred on player development and keeping children involved in the game. Ballyvackey is the current rented base. Ask the club for the correct group, available places and training arrangements for your child.
Adult football
One club for the 2026/27 season
In September 2026, The Southern Star reported that Clonakilty Soccer Club had joined Clonakilty AFC. John Leahy leads the adult side, and the combined club has two adult teams. This brings an adult pathway alongside AFC’s established youth programme. The report assigns youth football to Ballyvackey and adult matches to Darrara.
Club recognition
West Cork Club of the Year
Clonakilty AFC received the West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League’s Club of the Year award for 2024 at the ceremony reported in March 2025. Mark Harrington, Sam Doharty and Craig Scot accepted it for the club. Eirinn Coppinger received the under 12 Girls Premier League player award, while Luke O’Neill won goal of the season.
Joining and volunteering
Contact Clonakilty AFC
Email clonakiltysoccerafc@gmail.com through the official club website. Give the player’s age and ask about places, fees, training times and registration. People interested in volunteering or the permanent home campaign can also contact the club or join its mailing list. Confirm the team’s venue before the first session.
Club story
Sixty years of football and a new adult pathway
Since 1965, Clonakilty AFC has used grounds around the town, including the Showgrounds and Inchydoney. Its present search for a permanent home reflects the demands of a growing playing membership and limited space at Ballyvackey. The club’s campaign seeks help from the community as it plans its next move.
The 2026 arrival of the adult team adds another chapter. Before joining AFC, Clonakilty Soccer Club won West Cork Premier Division and Beamish Cup doubles in 2024 and 2025. Those successes belong to the Soccer Club team of that period. The September account of the move explains the aim of connecting young players with adult football in the town.
The youth record also includes individual recognition through the West Cork Academy. At the awards reported in March 2025, Luke O’Neill was named the academy’s under 14 player of the year for 2023/24, and Finn O’Mahony received its under 16 award. Those academy distinctions sit alongside AFC’s club award and Eirinn Coppinger’s league recognition.
The award report documents both the players and the presentation. Together they show several parts of the youth programme earning recognition in the same period. The teams and match lists below cover verified IYF links; direct club contact remains the route for checking the complete current programme.