Longwood AFC

Longwood football identity

Longwood AFC is a County Meath football club serving Longwood and the rural communities around the village. The club name, red and black colours and 1997 crest make it easy to recognise across underage and adult football.

The football pathway includes boys and girls teams in the North Eastern Regional League and adult football in the North Eastern Football League. That gives the club a wider role than a single youth squad or senior team.

Brackenrainey and Longwood village

Brackenrainey is the named Longwood AFC football ground. It sits close to Longwood village and should be treated as the match day anchor for visiting teams unless the home coach sends a different instruction.

Families should confirm the exact pitch, entrance, parking and meeting point before setting out. Rural grounds can have local access details that are much clearer when checked with the home team in advance.

Travel anchor: Brackenrainey, Longwood, County Meath.

At the centre of a rural football community

Longwood sits between Enfield, Trim, Kinnegad and the wider south Meath football network. A club in that setting often acts as a first football home for players who are not directly beside a large town club.

For new families, the practical questions are simple: which age group fits, where the group trains, who the coach is and what the club needs before a player attends for the first time.

Underage football in 2026

The 2026 youth structure includes boys under 16 football and girls under 15 football in the North Eastern Regional League. Those squads give Longwood a visible boys and girls pathway inside the regional football calendar.

Age groups can change each season, so parents should give the player year of birth when contacting the club. That helps Longwood direct the family to the right coach and the current training details.

Academy and younger players

A Longwood recruitment notice for the 2023/24 school year invited boys and girls aged six to eleven into academy football. It also pointed older boys and girls toward suitable club groups.

Those details are useful because they show the club has worked to recruit younger players locally. Families should still confirm the present academy age range, venue, day, time and registration steps with Longwood before attending.

Adult football route

Longwood is also part of adult football in the North Eastern Football League. The men are placed in Division 2 for the current adult setup, which connects the village club to a wider Meath, Louth and Cavan football structure.

The adult contact set includes David Byrne, Paula Murphy and Lenny Palmer. Players looking for adult football should use those contacts or the club secretary route and give clear details on position, experience and availability.

Senior honours and recent momentum

Longwood’s senior men won the Gerry Reilly Cup in 2025, beating Aston Celtic at the MDL Grounds in Navan. That cup success sits beside an earlier Division 3 title from 2006/07.

The 2025 cup run also included a two to one quarter final win over Ardee Celtic second team, with Kyle O’Malley scoring both Longwood goals. Together, those milestones give the adult side a clear competitive story.

Provincial cup context

Longwood reached the last four of the LFA Shield in May 2026. The semi final against Stradbally Town was played at the MDL Grounds, and Longwood created chances before Stradbally won four to nil.

For a village club, a provincial semi final gives players and supporters a wider benchmark. It also shows that Longwood’s adult football has recently stretched beyond local league weekends.

Girls and women football interest

Longwood’s current underage activity includes girls under 15 football, and a recent school recruitment message also referred to women football. That gives girls in the area a visible point of contact for the game.

A parent should ask the club which girls groups are running now, whether a new player can attend a session and what registration steps apply. Adult women players should also ask the secretary which option is current.

Kit colours and match preparation

Longwood’s home kit is red jersey, black shorts and red socks. The away kit is black jersey, black shorts and red socks. The club crest also uses red, black and white around a shield form with trees and a clover.

Opponents should confirm colours before travelling because away colours, bibs or goalkeeper tops may be needed. Families should pack for grass football unless their own team message says otherwise.

What the crest communicates

The Longwood AFC crest combines a red shield, black border, white ribbon text, three trees, a clover and the year 1997. The design gives the club a village identity with a clear Irish football feel.

Those visual details are useful on small team cards and match cards because families can recognise the club quickly. The red and black palette also carries naturally into club colour treatments and match day kit.

Who to contact

For youth football, Paula Murphy is the named secretary contact on 087 678 0367. For adult football, David Byrne is listed on 086 082 4348 and Paula Murphy is also included among the adult club contacts.

A helpful first message gives the player name, year of birth, previous football experience, preferred role if relevant and whether the question is about youth, girls, academy, adult men or adult women football.

First visit checklist

For a first training visit, ask which venue is being used. A past school notice named the GAA astro for some sessions, while matches are anchored to Brackenrainey, so families should not assume every group is in the same place.

Bring boots, shin guards, water, weather gear and any registration details requested by the coach. Arrive early enough to find the group and speak to the coach before the session starts.

Away team guide

Away teams should confirm Brackenrainey, the entrance, pitch allocation, parking and changing arrangements before leaving. Coaches should also confirm the warm up area and the home contact for weather updates.

The simplest travel plan is to arrive early, keep the team together, find the pitch first and then sort final kit colours. That keeps the visit calm even when the ground or weather is unfamiliar.

Stable club context

Longwood’s durable club picture is built around identity, ground, pathway, contacts, colours and notable milestones. Training groups and match arrangements can move during a season, so families should confirm the latest detail with the club.

Parents can ask with a player year of birth, visiting coaches can confirm the pitch and players can ask which group fits their experience now.

What defines Longwood AFC

Longwood AFC is defined by Brackenrainey, a red and black identity, the 1997 crest, boys and girls NERL football, adult NEFL football and cup milestones that include a 2025 Gerry Reilly Cup win.

For families in and around Longwood, the club offers a local route into football. For visiting teams, it offers a clear Meath village destination with practical details to confirm before travel.