The 2026 Meath Senior Football Championship is the 134th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior clubs in County Meath, with 16 teams competing. The winner will represent Meath in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship will start with a group stage and then progress to a knock-out stage.
Summerhill are the defending champions after defeating Ratoath 0–16 to 0–13 in the final to win their 9th Keegan Cup and their 2nd in the space of 3 years.
Kilbride won the 2025 Meath Intermediate Football Championship by beating Castletown 0–20 to 1–16 in the final, gaining them senior status for the first time since 1978. Meath Hill replaces them in the 2026 Meath I.F.C after losing the Relegation final to St Colmcille's.
The draw for the group stage was conducted on 19 January 2026, and the fixtures for those group stage games were finalised on 18 June 2026.
Championship Structure The 2026 Meath S.F.C consists of 16 teams openly drawn into four groups each containing four teams. The top two teams progress to the quarter-finals, while the bottom team in each group contests the Relegation Semi-finals. The loser of the semi-finals will play-off against one another for the right to retain their senior status into 2027.
Team Changes The following teams have changed division since the 2025 championship season:
To S.F.C. Promoted from 2025 I.F.C. Kilbride - (Intermediate Champions)
From S.F.C. Relegated to 2026 I.F.C. Meath Hill
Participating teams The teams participating in the 2026 Meath S.F.C are: ClubLocationManager(s)Pre C'ship Odds2025 Championship Position2026 Championship PositionIn championship sinceChampionship Titles (Pre 2026)Last Championship Title (Pre 2026) BallinabrackeyBallinabrackeyCiarán Giblin80/1Quarter-FinalistNon-Qualifier20210— Donaghmore/AshbourneAshbourneTimmy O'Regan20/1Quarter-Finalist200831942 DunshaughlinDunshaughlin & DrumreeRichie Kealy6/1Semi-FinalistQuarter-Finalist202342024 Gaeil ColmcilleKellsConn Cleary18/1Relegation Semi-FinalistNon-Qualifier201431991 KilbrideKilbrideAnthony Moyles80/1I.F.C ChampionsRelegation Semi-Finalist202651971 Na FiannaEnfield & BaconstownJohnny Baldwin50/1Non-QualifierRelegation Finalist20130— RathkennyRathkennyJoey Farrelly50/1Non-QualifierQuarter-Finalist202451923 RatoathRatoathKevin Daly9/4Runners-UpSemi-Finalist201632022 SeneschalstownKentstown & Yellow FurzeDavid Hosie25/1Non-QualifierRelegation Semi-Finalist196842009 Simonstown GaelsNavanTony Dunne50/1Relegation Semi-FinalistRelegated to Intermediate199622017 SkryneSkryne & TaraAidan Tuite33/1Semi-FinalistNon-Qualifier1938132010 St Colmcille'sBettystown, Donacarney, Laytown & MorningtonMickey Conlon25/1Relegation FinalistQuarter-Finalist20170— St Peter's DunboyneDunboyneDavid Gallagher16/1Non-QualifierNon-Qualifier199332018 SummerhillSummerhillDave Clare3/1ChampionsSemi-Finalist197292025 TrimTrimKen Robinson20/1Quarter-FinalistQuarter-Finalist202211962 Wolfe TonesKilberry, Gibbstown, Oristown & WilkinstownShane McCoy13/2Quarter-Finalist200522021
Group Stage There are four groups each containing four teams, each of these groups being named Group A, B, C and D. The top two teams qualify for the quarter-finals, while the bottom placed teams in each group proceed to a relegation play-off to determine who will be relegated.
The draw for the group stage was conducted on 19 January 2026, and the fixtures for those group games were finalised on 18 June 2026.
Group A
TeamMatchesScorePtsPldWDLForAgainstDiff Summerhill33007245 +276 Rathkenny31116046 +143 St. Peter's Dunboyne31115561 -63 Kilbride30032964 -350
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Group B
TeamMatchesScorePtsPldWDLForAgainstDiff Ratoath33007135 +366 Trim32014852 -44 Skryne31025166 -152 Na Fianna30034259 -170
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Group C
TeamMatchesScorePtsPldWDLForAgainstDiff Wolfe Tones33007647 +296 St. Colmcille's32016260 +24 Ballinabrackey31024059 -192 Seneschalstown30036072 -120
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Group D
TeamMatchesScorePtsPldWDLForAgainstDiff Donaghmore/ Ashbourne32015838 +204 Dunshaughlin32016759 +84 Gaeil Colmcille32015943 +164 Simonstown Gaels30033478 -440
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Relegation Play-off The relegation play-off will consist of the 4th placed teams from each group. The winners of each playoff retain their senior status while the outright loser will be relegated to the Intermediate Championship for 2027. The draw for the relegation playoff semi-finals was made on 6 September 2026.
Relegation Semi-Finals
Relegation Final
Knock-out Stage The 1st and 2nd placed teams in each group will qualify for the quarter-finals. One 1st placed team will be drawn against a 2nd placed team in each pair with no repeats from the group stage. The draw for the quarter-finals was made on 6 September 2026.
Bracket
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals The draw for the semi-finals was made on 20 September 2026.
Final It was Donaghmore/Ashbourne's first final in 10 years, and were hoping to win their first Keegan Cup since 1942. They also had an historic opportunity as the final was at their home ground since Páirc Tailteann was under redevelopment.
For Wolfe Tones it was their first SFC final since 2024 when they lost to Dunshaughlin. They were looking to win their 3rd SFC title.
It was the first time that Donaghmore/Ashbourne and Wolfe Tones ever faced each other in a Meath SFC final.
Leinster Senior Club Football Championship
References