Kinnegad Juniors AFC

Kinnegad Juniors identity

Kinnegad Juniors AFC is a Westmeath football club based at Breedon Park on Killucan Road. The club was formed in 2005 to give young people in Kinnegad another local sporting facility.

The present club picture reaches from academy football into boys teams, girls teams, senior ladies and senior men. The red and black identity, the church crest and the Killucan Road ground all give the club a clear Kinnegad character.

The founding group

Brothers Colm and John Gildea formed the club with Michael Ronan and David Flood. Colm Gildea became the first chairperson and led the committee for ten years before David Vaz and then Darren Burbridge followed in the role.

The early purpose was practical: create football for the underage community in Kinnegad. The first teams were under 12 and under 14, playing in the Athlone League in 2005.

Why the club is called Juniors

The Juniors part of the name was chosen as a nod to Boca Juniors in Argentina. That gives the club name a little story of its own while still keeping the identity firmly rooted in Kinnegad.

The red and black badge, the football, the church and the 2005 date now carry that name across academy, youth and adult football. It is a young club compared with some older town sides, but its identity is already well established.

From Athlone Road to Killucan Road

Kinnegad Juniors first played behind the community hall on the Old Athlone Road. In 2009 the club began work at the Killucan Road site, which became the home base now known as Breedon Park.

That move changed the scale of the club. It gave Kinnegad Juniors a place to develop pitches, parking, changing areas, training space and the kind of permanent home that a growing underage club needs.

Breedon Park visitor anchor

Breedon Park is the travel anchor for parents and away teams. The address is Killucan Road, Kinnegad, County Westmeath, with Eircode N91 FYH1.

Older families may still know the ground as Lagan Park. Both names point to the same football home, so visitors should use the Killucan Road address and confirm the pitch, entrance and arrival time before setting out.

Ground anchor: Breedon Park, Killucan Road, Kinnegad, County Westmeath, N91 FYH1.

Facility timeline

The first development phase created a full size sand based grass pitch, a car park area and temporary changing. The second phase added a smaller training pitch, temporary mobile floodlighting, boundary netting and improved changing rooms and toilets.

Those steps explain how the club moved from a new underage idea into a settled football ground. Each phase added something families could use every week, not just a one day landmark.

The astro step in 2019

In January 2019 the club opened an all weather facility at Breedon Park. It houses a seven a side fully lit astro pitch, giving the academy and teams another way to train when grass space or winter weather becomes difficult.

For young players, that kind of surface adds regular touches and more consistent training time. For coaches, it creates a reliable space for small sided work, technical sessions and winter planning.

Clubhouse progress in 2024

The 2024 clubhouse opening was another major step. It added changing rooms, a meeting area, toilets and a tuckshop, turning the ground into a fuller football home rather than only a pitch location.

Those facilities matter on ordinary weekends. Players need changing space, coaches need somewhere to meet, families need toilets and a tuckshop helps create the community feel around training and matches.

The next pitch step

The next ground step is tied to extending the club grounds and adding another grass pitch. A Westmeath County Council decision in September 2026 granted conditions for one natural grass playing pitch at the Killucan Road site.

Families should treat that as a development step rather than a guarantee that new space is ready on match day. The practical question remains the same: check which pitch and surface the team is using before travelling.

Academy football

The academy is the starting point for many Kinnegad families. The current team page describes the academy for under 6 to under 9 boys and girls, with Friday evening football from 6.15pm to 7.15pm.

Families should still confirm the current session before attending, because academy times can change with season planning, pitch availability and weather. A first message should include the child’s age and football experience.

Boys team route

The boys pathway moves through several league structures. The current club team page names under 11, under 12, under 13, under 15, under 17, under 19 and senior men routes across regional competitions.

That spread matters because a player can start in academy football and still see older age groups ahead. It also means parents should ask which league and squad apply to their child before registering.

Girls and women route

Girls football began at Kinnegad Juniors in 2013. The first girls group called themselves the Dream Team, wore purple and white, won their first match against Donnycarney and reached a final in their first year.

The girls pathway soon produced silverware, with an under 14 group winning the MSL Shield on penalties in 2017. A number of those early players later moved into the senior ladies route.

Current girls and ladies contacts

The current club team page names under 13 girls, under 14 girls and senior ladies contacts. That gives families a practical route into girls and women’s football instead of leaving them to guess which age group is open.

For teenage players, the senior ladies category is useful because it gives the pathway a visible older destination. For younger players, the girls teams show that the club’s underage work is not limited to boys football.

League spread for 2025 to 2026

Kinnegad Juniors uses a mix of winter and summer league structures. The club’s 2025 to 2026 team information names the Midlands Schoolboys and School Girls League, North Eastern Regional League, North East Football League and Combined Counties Football League.

That mix can look busy to a new parent, but the idea is simple: different age groups and pathways can sit in different competitions. The safest route is to ask the relevant team contact where that squad trains and plays.

FAI Club Mark

In 2020 Kinnegad Juniors became the first Westmeath club to receive the FAI Club Mark. The club treats that mark as a standard to keep building on, rather than a finish line.

For families, the value is trust. It points to a club trying to organise its coaching, administration and player environment to a recognised football standard while continuing to improve the ground and pathway.

Fundraising that supports football

Fundraising is a visible part of the club’s development story. The sponsored fun cycle was set up to help fund a new defibrillator and new goals for Breedon Park, while the club lotto has also been part of the weekly support picture.

This kind of fundraising is practical rather than decorative. Defibrillators, goals, lights, pitch work, changing areas and clubhouse improvements all rely on local effort as well as grants and sponsorship.

Registration and first contact

The club runs registration for the 2025 to 2026 season and keeps the secretary email visible for family questions. A good first message should include the player name, year of birth, school year, football experience and the pathway needed.

The secretary email is also useful when a family is unsure whether to start with academy, a named team contact, Football for All style support elsewhere, or an adult football contact.

Kit and club colours

The club’s match identity is red and black. The home kit is red and black stripes with black shorts and red and black socks. The away kit is blue and white stripes with white shorts and white socks.

Those colours match the badge, where the shield is split between red and black with white detail. Families should still confirm the kit for a specific squad because age groups can have their own practical needs.

The crest and local detail

The crest names Kinnegad Juniors A.F.C. and carries EST 2005. The shield shows a football, a diagonal red and black split and a white church building, with the current anniversary mark adding gold laurel detail.

The church detail gives the badge a local feel. The red and black split keeps the mark strong from a distance, while the 2005 date anchors the club story in its foundation year.

Planning a first visit

A first visit should be planned around Breedon Park, Killucan Road and the team instruction. Arrive early enough to find parking, meet the coach, identify the surface and give the player time to settle before warm up.

Bring boots suited to the surface, shin guards, water and weather gear. If the session is on the astro, ask whether moulded boots, astro shoes or runners are preferred.

Visitor guide for away teams

Away teams should confirm whether the match is on the grass pitch or the astro area, and whether changing rooms are available for the fixture. The ground has developed over time, so instructions may depend on age group and pitch allocation.

The practical questions are simple: which pitch, where to park, where the team should warm up, whether the tuckshop is open, and who to contact if delayed. Confirming those points keeps match day calm.

What defines Kinnegad Juniors

Kinnegad Juniors is defined by local initiative, a 2005 foundation, Breedon Park, red and black colours, academy football, boys and girls pathways, senior teams and steady facility development.

For parents, the club offers a football route close to home from the youngest academy ages through older teams. For players, it offers a clear identity and a ground that has kept growing with the club.