Filip Mostowy of Bridge Utd. Photograph: Joe Buckley
BRIDGE UTD and Newmarket Celtic have been handed tricky assignments in the last sixteen of the Munster Junior Cup.
On Friday, the last sixteen draw of the provincial competition was held at Turner’s Cross where the two Clare sides learned who they will be facing at the beginning of 2026 to try advance to the Munster quarter-finals. The last sixteen fixtures will take place on January 17th/18th.
Mark Culbert’s Bridge Utd have been handed a home fixture against last year’s finalists Pike Rovers. Ironically Coachford AFC who won the title in May eliminated Bridge from the competition in the quarter-finals. Pike have boosted their squad with the return of Ennis’ Steven McGann who is joined in the squad by former Bridge Utd winger, Leon Daly.
Newmarket Celtic and St Michaels’ will meet for the first time since the 2023 FAI Junior Cup final when Celtic became the first Clare club to win the national competition. It is an away outing for Newmarket who lost in the sixth round of the FAI Junior Cup in 2019 to the Tipperary side. The teams also met in the 2016 Munster Junior Cup decider when St Michael’s prevailed while earlier that season, the then Mike O’Malley managed Newmarket eliminated Michaels from the FAI on penalties.
Regional Utd winners of the 2023 Munster Junior Cup will be at home to Geraldines AFC in the last sixteen. Their squad includes Shannon duo, Eoin Duff and Brian O’Connor along with Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Rob Shier.
Aisling Annacotty face Kilorglin AFC and their lineup is expected to include Shannon’s Jamie Halpin plus former Tulla Utd duo Arron Curtis and Isaac O’Sullivan.
In the Munster Junior Cup Shield, both Avenue Utd B and Shannon Town Utd B will be on the road to face Murroe AFC and Mullinaone respectively.
McCarthy Insurance Munster Junior Cup Last 16:
Ark Rovers vs Hibernians FC
Kilorglin AFC vs Aisling Annacotty
Bridge Utd vs Pike Rovers
Regional Utd vs Geraldines AFC
Coachford AFC vs Tralee Dynamos
Broadford Utd vs Tramore AFC
St Michael’s vs Newmarket Celtic
Villa FC vs BT Harps
McCarthy Insurance Munster Junior Cup Quarter Finals
Broadford United or Tramore AFC vs Villa FC or BT Harps
Kilorglin AFC or Aisling Annacotty vs Bridge United or Pike Rovers
Coachford or Tralee Dynamos vs Regional United or Geraldines
ARC Rovers or Hibernians vs St Micheals or Newmarket Celtic
