Republic of Ireland football league system

The Republic of Ireland football league system currently consists of 12 levels. Traditionally association football leagues in the Republic of Ireland have been classified as either senior, intermediate or junior. These leagues are effectively national, provincial and district leagues respectively. The two highest level leagues/divisions, the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland First Division are both national leagues. Together they make up the League of Ireland. The third level currently consists of two provincial leagues – the Leinster Senior League Senior Division and the Munster Senior League Senior Premier Division.

History

Senior

The original top-level league for what is now the Republic of Ireland was the Irish Football League. Founded in 1890, this league is now the Northern Ireland Football League. Before the partition of Ireland, three Dublin clubs – Bohemians, Shelbourne and Tritonville – played in the Irish Football League.^[1] The League of Ireland was founded in 1921 and its Premier Division is now the top level division.^[2]

Intermediate

The two oldest association football leagues in what is now the Republic of Ireland are the Leinster Senior League and the Munster Senior League. The former was founded in 1896^[3] while the latter first appeared in the early 1900s. The Leinster Senior League's jurisdiction included the Greater Dublin Area, the most populated region in the country, and as a result it was effectively a de facto second-level league between 1896–97 and 1964–65. In 1964 the League of Ireland formed the first formal national second level division, the League of Ireland B Division.^[4] In 1985, following a reorganisation, the B Division was replaced as the second-level league by the League of Ireland First Division. As part of this reorganisation, a promotion and relegation system involving the top two national divisions was introduced for the first time.^[5]

Junior

From 1964–65 until 2008 the Leinster Senior League and the Munster Senior League formed the third level. They were subsequently joined at this level by the Connacht Senior League in 1981 and the Ulster Senior League in 1986. Between 2008 and 2011, the provincial leagues were briefly replaced as the third level by a short lived national third level league known as the A Championship. Following the demise of the A Championship, the provincial leagues regained their third level status. Both the Connacht and Ulster leagues were subsequently wound up.^[6]

Cup eligibility

Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions.

FAI Cup: Levels 1–3
League of Ireland Cup: Levels 1–2
FAI Intermediate Cup: Levels 3–7
FAI Junior Cup: Levels 7–12

Below level 7 the pyramid becomes regional and the cups become accordingly regional. Further down the pyramid is split on a county basis, counties having their own cups accordingly. This excludes some tournaments marked "Senior Cups", which often are competitions between teams representing top professional clubs in a given district, such as the Munster Senior Cup.

Promotion and relegation

A promotion and relegation system has existed between the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland First Division since 1985–86. Between 2008 and 2011, A Championship teams were also eligible for promotion to the First Division. Promotion and relegation systems also operate within the separate provincial league systems. There is no formal promotion and relegation relationship between the provincial leagues and the League of Ireland. Teams have been invited to join the League of Ireland however. In 2015, Cabinteely of the Leinster Senior League became the most recent team to accept an invite. In 2024, it was announced by the FAI that a 3rd tier will be launched in 2026. The new league will contain 20 clubs in total., split into North and South divisions. The teams will play against other teams in their respective divisions first to qualify for playoffs, where top teams from North and South will compete for a chance to be promoted to the LOI Men’s First Division^[7]. This is expected to include various current intermediate clubs, as well as reserve sides of League of Ireland clubs and new entities similar to Kerry F.C..

The system

Level one in the pyramid, the top division of Irish football, is run by the League of Ireland Premier Division (which gives its name to the competition in that division), the winners of which are regarded as the champions of the Republic of Ireland. Level two is run by the League of Ireland. Together, these two divisions make up what is known as "league football".

The leagues below level two are classed as "non-League football", meaning they are outside the League of Ireland. The leagues at levels three to six comprise the Provincial League System, and are run by the Provinces. The top level (level 3) of the Provincial leagues is known as the Senior Leagues and the winners of which are regarded as the champions of their respective Province. At present only Munster and Leinster have leagues at this level. Levels seven to twelve are designed as "Regional Feeder Leagues" or District Leagues.

There is currently no promotion or relegation system between the League of Ireland First Division (Level 2) and the provincial leagues (Level 3) in place. Therefore, there is no movement between the football league and non-league football and the only way non-league club can enter the football league is if they are elected.

Level	Total clubs	League(s) / division(s)
1	10	League of Ireland Premier Division 10 clubs – 1 or 2 relegations
2	10	League of Ireland First Division 10 clubs – 1 or 2 promotions
3	24	Connacht Senior League 0 clubs – Defunct				Munster Senior League Senior Premier Division 10 clubs – 2 relegations												Leinster Senior League Senior Division 14 clubs – 3 relegations														Ulster Senior League Senior Division 0 clubs – Defunct
4	23					Munster Senior League Senior First Division 10 clubs – 2 promotions												Leinster Senior League Senior 1 13 clubs – 3 promotions
5	29					Munster Senior League Senior Second Division 12 clubs												Leinster Senior League 1A 14 clubs
6	14																	Leinster Senior League 1B 14 clubs
7	TBD	Galway & District League Premier Division – 10 clubs	Mayo Super League – 10 clubs	Roscommon & District Premier Division – 10 clubs	Sligo and Leitrim Super League – 10 clubs	Munster Senior League Junior Premier Division – 10 clubs	Clare District Soccer League Premier Division – 9 clubs	Cork Athletic Union League Premier Division – 8 clubs	Cork Business League Premier Division – 11 clubs Source:^[8]	West Cork League Premier Division – 9 clubs	Kerry District League Premier A – 8 clubs, 2r	Limerick Desmond League Premier Division – 10 clubs	Limerick & District League Premier League – 8 clubs	North Tipperary & District Soccer League Premier Division – 8 clubs	Tipperary Southern & District Premier League – 9 clubs	Waterford & District Junior League	West Waterford East Cork Junior League	Leinster Senior League Major Saturday	Leinster Senior League Major Sunday	Amateur Football League ^{[note 1]}^[9]	Athletic Union League	Leinster Football League Premier Division	United Churches Football League / Athletic Union League Premier Division - 12 clubs ^{[note 2]}^{[note 3]}^[10]	North East Football League	Kildare & District Football League	Combined Counties Football League^{[note 4]}^[11]	Dundalk & District League	Carlow & District Football League	Wicklow & District Football League Source:^[12]	Kilkenny & District Soccer League	Wexford Football League	Inishowen Football League	Donegal Junior League	Monaghan Cavan League Premier Division – 7 clubs
8	TBD	Galway & District League Championship – 12 clubs	Mayo Premier League – 9 clubs	Roscommon & District Division One – 10 clubs	Sligo and Leitrim Premier League – 7 clubs	Munster Senior League Junior First Division – 10 clubs	Clare District Soccer League First Division – 10 clubs	Cork Athletic Union League Premier A League – 8 clubs	Cork Business League First Division – 8 clubs	West Cork League Division One	Kerry District League Premier B – 8 clubs, 2p, 2r	Limerick Desmond League Division One – 8 clubs	Limerick & District League Premier A League – 12 clubs	North Tipperary & District Soccer League First Division – 8 clubs	Tipperary Southern & District Division One – 7 clubs			Leinster Senior League Saturday Major 1	Leinster Senior League Sunday Major 1				United Churches Football League Division One - 10 clubs											Monaghan Cavan League First Division – 6 clubs
9	TBD	Galway & District League Division 1 – 9 clubs	Mayo League One – 10 clubs	Roscommon & District Division Two – 8 clubs		Munster Senior League Junior Second Division – 10 clubs	Clare District Soccer League Second Division – 9 clubs	Cork Athletic Union League League 1 – 7 clubs	Cork Business League Second Division – 11 clubs	West Cork League Division Two	Kerry District League Division 1A – 8 clubs, 2p, 2r	Limerick Desmond League Division Two – 6 clubs	Limerick & District League Division 1A – 11 clubs	North Tipperary & District Soccer League Second Division – 9 clubs	Tipperary Southern & District Division Two – 8 clubs			Leinster Senior League Saturday Major 1A	Leinster Senior League Premier Sunday				{United Churches Football League Division Two - 12 clubs
10	TBD	Galway & District League Division 2 – 12 clubs	Mayo League Two – 9 clubs			Munster Senior League Junior Third Division – 10 clubs	Clare District Soccer League Third Division – 7 clubs	Cork Athletic Union League Division 2 – 9 clubs			Kerry District League Division 1B – 8 clubs, 2p, 2r	Limerick Desmond League Division Three – 7 clubs	Limerick & District League Division 1B – 10 clubs		Tipperary Southern & District Division Three – 10 clubs			Leinster Senior League Saturday Major 1B	Leinster Senior League Premier 1 Sunday				United Churches Football League Division Three - 11 clubs
11	TBD	Galway & District League Reserve League – 8 clubs				Munster Senior League Junior Fourth Division – 10 clubs		Cork Athletic Union League Division 3 – 11 clubs			Kerry District League Division 2A – 7 clubs, 2p, 2r		Limerick & District League Division 2A – 10 clubs					Leinster Senior League Saturday Major 1C	Leinster Senior League Sunday Division 3				United Churches Football League Division 3A - 12 clubs
12	TBD										Kerry District League Division 2B – 8 clubs, 2p, 2r		Limerick & District League Division 2B – 9 clubs					Leinster Senior League Saturday Major 1D	Leinster Senior League Sunday Division 3A				United Churches Football League Division 3B - 11 clubs
13	TBD										Kerry District League Division 3A – 9 clubs, 2p, 2r		Limerick & District League Division 3A – 8 clubs
14	TBD												Limerick & District League Division 3B – 12 clubs

Notes

^ Features teams from Dublin
^ Features teams from Dublin
^ AUL and UCFL partnered for a joined Premier Division features 6 clubs from each league system from 2024.
^ Features teams from the Midlands and bordering counties

References

^ "Northern Ireland – Final League Tables 1890–1998". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
^ "Republic of Ireland League Tables". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
^ "Welcome to the Leinster Senior Football League". lsl.ie. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
^ Lynch, Frank (1991). A History of Athlone Town F.C: The First 101 Years. Athlone: Arcadia.
^ Graham, Alex. Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921–2005. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-135-4.
^ "USL demise to signal junior return for Cockhill, Bonagee and Letterkenny". Donegal Live. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
^ Limegreentangerine. "FAI welcomes Expressions of Interest for a new National League". www.fai.ie. Retrieved 2024-12-13.
^ "Details of Affiliated Leagues & Clubs 2015/2016". www.munsterfa.com. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
^ "Amateur Football League". www.amateurfootballleague.com. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
^ "United Churches Football League". www.ucfl.ie. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
^ "Combined Counties Football League". ccfl.ie. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
^ "Affiliated Leagues – LFA". www.leinsterfa.ie. Retrieved 20 March 2016.

[9] Features teams from Dublin

[11] Features teams from Dublin

[12] AUL and UCFL partnered for a joined Premier Division features 6 clubs from each league system from 2024.

[14] Features teams from the Midlands and bordering counties

[rsssfni-1] "Northern Ireland – Final League Tables 1890–1998". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 March 2016.

[rsssfloi-2] "Republic of Ireland League Tables". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 March 2016.

[3] "Welcome to the Leinster Senior Football League". lsl.ie. Retrieved 18 March 2016.

[4] Lynch, Frank (1991). A History of Athlone Town F.C: The First 101 Years. Athlone: Arcadia.

[Graham-5] Graham, Alex. Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921–2005. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-135-4.

[USL_demise_to_signal_junior_return_for_Cockhill,_Bonagee_and_Letterkenny-6] "USL demise to signal junior return for Cockhill, Bonagee and Letterkenny". Donegal Live. Retrieved 12 July 2023.

[7] Limegreentangerine. "FAI welcomes Expressions of Interest for a new National League". www.fai.ie. Retrieved 2024-12-13.

[munsterfa-8] "Details of Affiliated Leagues & Clubs 2015/2016". www.munsterfa.com. Retrieved 20 October 2016.

[10] "Amateur Football League". www.amateurfootballleague.com. Retrieved 17 March 2016.

[13] "United Churches Football League". www.ucfl.ie. Retrieved 17 September 2024.

[15] "Combined Counties Football League". ccfl.ie. Retrieved 17 March 2016.

[16] "Affiliated Leagues – LFA". www.leinsterfa.ie. Retrieved 20 March 2016.

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