Be part of the fun, football, And the future.

Our Little Lions' Academy is where your child's journey will begin and is designed to be a welcoming, safe, and engaging environment for boys and girls from the ages of 4 to 7 years old. For children aged 3-4 we also have our Academy Playgroup.

Your child will learn the the key techniques for football such as passing, dribbling, shooting and receiving – all through our carefully designed, child-centered, and fun syllabus. Our Academy is run partnership with Be The Difference Coaching who are highly qualified (FAI & UEFA accrediations) and Garda vetted.

Little Lions' Academy registration, timetable, and costs

To ensure the quality of the programme and the right coach/child ratio, the Academy is limited to 50 children at any one time. Get in touch to check on available space or just pop into a session to discuss registering. First session is free so your welcome to come along and check it out!

Boys and girls:
4-5 years 12:30-1:30pm
6-7 years 1:30-2:30pm
Saturdays at Old County Glen.

The cost is €30 per month via Direct Debit plus €25 registration fee per season (September to August of the following year).

Academy Playgroup

For boys and girls aged 3 or 4 years, we also have our Academy Playgroup – all about fun, physical activity.

No registration fee. €5 pay-as-you-go. Contact Dave Nugent on 085 243 9545 for sessions times and availability.

Our schoolboy/girl section of the club is for children (7+) and teens.

At Lourdes Celtic we follow the FAI player development plan, which sees your child gradually progress through different playing formats and pitch dimensions as they grow, learn and develop. Post academy we begin with teams playing 5v5 before progressing to 7v7, 9v9 and eventually at U13, the 11-a-side full game is coached. 

Our aim is to have as many teams playing as possible at each age group to accommodate each child's level of learning as they progress during their time at the club. Read more about our philosophy >

Teams in this age group normally train twice a week in the evenings with matches on either Saturday or Sunday mornings – days and times will vary by team. 

Our teams play in the Dublin and District Schoolboy/Girls' League (DDSL), with many of our girls teams members of the Metropolitan Girls League (MGL).

A registration fee is due at the start of each season (August to July of the following year). Fees can vary by section. As a volunteer-led community organisation, we aim to keep our yearly fee as low as possible – and ensure it's invested back into improving coaching and facilities for our members. 

Our partnership with St. James's Gate FC provides a seemless pathway for Lourdes Celtic players to continue their football journey beyond Underage and into the Leinster Senior League.

St. James's Gate, founded in 1902, are one of the founding clubs of the League Of Ireland. As well as offering players top-class coaching and fantastic facilities in the Iveagh Grounds, St. James's Gate share our player-centred values and community focus.

The weekly classes are all about inclusion – there are a variety of games planned but if a child just wants to play by themselves that’s no problem too! The classes take place weekly at Old County Glen and are free of charge.

For more information on times and to check on available space for your child, email davidnugent@thekidscoach.ie or call/text +353 85 243 9545. You can also learn more about other classes offered by The Kids Coach at www.thekidscoach.ie

As a community club and volunteer-led, we make every effort to keep yearly registration and membership fees as low as possible – and we offer the facility to spread the cost over the course of the season (August to July of the following year).

Your contributions ensure we can operate, improve facilities, and continue to invest in the development and well-being of every child at the club. 

Fees can vary by age group and a percentage of our fees go to the League itself. For more information on fees, email us at ask@lourdesceltic.ie

Lourdes Celtic wouldn't exist without the time and support of volunteers. The number of past players who return to coach is a testiment to the family feel of the club. We encourage parents to get involved if they'd like to help and many of our younger teams are led by an experienced coach paired with a parent.

We provide internal workshops and access to FAI courses for those new to coaching as well as those with experience. But non-coaching roles are also available – just support in the running of the team itself is always welcome.

Getting involved is a great way to give back. Interested? Get in touch with us via email at ask@lourdesceltic.ie