The Republic of Ireland football league system is a series of association football leagues in Ireland. Traditionally, leagues have been classified as either senior, intermediate or junior. These classifications are effectively national, provincial and county leagues respectively. However, the definition of 'junior' has expanded to include multi-county leagues (e.g. the Combined Counties Football League), regional district leagues (e.g. south Tipperary and north Dublin) and municipal district leagues (e.g. Inishowen and West Cork).
The football system currently consists of 12 levels. The two highest level divisions, the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland First Division are both part of the only national league, the League of Ireland. As of 2025, there are only two provincial leagues operating – the Leinster Senior League and the Munster Senior League. These leagues sit below the League of Ireland in the pyramid, with their top divisions – Leinster's Senior Division and Munster's Senior Premier Division forming the pyramid's third level.
History
Senior The original national league for the island of Ireland was the Irish Football League. Founded in 1890, this league later became the Northern Ireland Football League. Three Dublin clubs – Bohemians, Shelbourne and Tritonville – played in the Irish Football League before the partition of Ireland. In June 1921, less than a month after partition, the League of Ireland was founded as the highest level of league competition in the Republic of Ireland. The inaugural season of the new national league was held in 1921–22 with St James’ Gate winning the first-ever League of Ireland title.
In 1985, six clubs were elected to the league to bring the total to 22 teams. Following a reorganisation, the League of Ireland was then split into two divisions with the creation of a Premier Division and a First Division. This also introduced promotion and relegation to senior football in Ireland for the first time. The league's Premier Division is the top division.
The 2003 season would see the League of Ireland change from a winter league to a summer league. Each team played four rounds of games, totalling 36 games each.
Intermediate The two oldest association football leagues in the Republic of Ireland are the Leinster Senior League and the Munster Senior League. Both leagues are classed as intermediate. The former was founded in 1896 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 initiated the first formal attempt at a national second level division, the League of Ireland B Division. As a national league, the B Division acted as the de facto second tier between 1964–65 and 1984–85. Although the league was national, the participants weren't classed as senior teams. Instead, they retained their intermediate status and were allowed to continue competing in the FAI Intermediate Cup. There was also no promotion between the B Division and the League of Ireland, although there are examples of B teams being elected to the top division – such as UCD in 1979.
From 1964–65 until 1985 the Leinster Senior League and the Munster Senior League formed the third level of the pyramid. They were subsequently joined by the Connacht Senior League in 1981 with the Ulster Senior League forming in 1986.
In 1985, following a reorganisation, the B Division was replaced as the second tier 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.
Junior Association football at a junior level was also becoming organised with the establishment of a Tipperary League and a Sligo League in the 1920s. In 1923, the first national cup competition for junior clubs was set up. Called the FAI Junior Cup, the competition's first winners were Brideville who beat Cobh Ramblers in the inaugural 1923–24 final. In 1924, the Waterford and District Football League was formed.
The Cork Business League was founded in 1952 and was granted junior status for the 1952–53 season. In Donegal, the first association football league in the county — the North-West Donegal League — was founded the same year and formally affiliated to the FAI. In 1954 Westport Town, Barcastle, Quay Hearts and Castlebar Celtic became the founder members of the Mayo Association Football League. In 1977, the junior league in Tipperary, which had initially covered the entire county, split into separate north and south competitions.
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.
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 is expected to eventually 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. The inaugural season was announced by the FAI in 2025, beginning in August 2026 for a truncated competition running to November. The league format for this season consists of 15 teams split into 3 groups of 5, with group winners and the best runner-up entering into semi-finals, with the eventual final winner being crowned FAI National League champions. This is expected to be followed by a full 2027 season, which will include the opportunity to be promoted to the League of Ireland First Division (Level 2).
The system Level one in the pyramid, and the top league division, is the League of Ireland Premier Division. Run by the League of Ireland clubs alongside the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), the winners of this division are regarded as the champions of the Republic of Ireland. Level two is known as the League of Ireland First Division. Together, these two divisions make up what is known as "league football". Both leagues operate across a calendar season, also known as summer football.
The leagues below level two are classed as "non-League football", meaning they are outside the League of Ireland. Prior to the introduction of the FAI National League, effectively a new third tier for Irish football, for a truncated, shortened 2026 season, the leagues at levels three to six comprised the Provincial League System, and are run by the Provinces. The top level of the Provincial leagues is known as the Senior Leagues and the winners of which are regarded as the champions of their respective Province. As of 2024, only Munster and Leinster have leagues at this level. Levels seven to twelve are designed as "Regional Feeder Leagues" or District Leagues. The leagues from levels three and below operate across calendar years, also known as a winter season, with a few exceptions. In December 2024, the FAI voted to align all leagues to one football calendar, with summer seasons chosen over winter seasons. As of 2026, the only lower levels that operate on a summer season format in the men's game are the Mayo, Kildare, Waterford, Dundalk, North East and Cork Business leagues.
There is currently no promotion or relegation system between the League of Ireland First Division (Level 2) and the provincial leagues in place. However, there is plans to introduce promotion from the newly formed FAI National League to the League of Ireland from the 2027 season. There is no movement between the football league and non-league provincial football and the only way non-league club can enter the football league is if they are elected.
Current Structure LevelTotal clubsLeague(s) / division(s)110League of IrelandPremier Division 10 clubs – 1 or 2 relegations210League of IrelandFirst Division 10 clubs – 1 or 2 promotions 20No Promotion/Relegation324Connacht Senior LeaguePremiership
0 clubs – DefunctMunster Senior League Senior Premier Division
10 clubs – 2 or 3 relegationsLeinster Senior League Senior Division
14 clubs – 3 relegationsUlster Senior League Senior Division
0 clubs – Defunct424Connacht Senior LeagueFirst Division
0 clubs – DefunctMunster Senior League Senior First Division
10 clubs – 2 or 3 promotions, 2 or 3 relegationsLeinster Senior League Senior 1
14 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegationsUlster Senior LeagueFirst Division
0 clubs – Defunct526Munster Senior League Senior Second Division
12 clubs – 2 or 3 promotionsLeinster Senior League 1A
14 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations614Leinster Senior League 1B
14 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations7TBD (~147)
8TBD (~39) 9TBD (˜36)10TBD (~21)11TBD 12TBD 13TBD 14TBD
2026 Pyramid LevelTotal clubsLeague(s) / division(s)110League of Ireland Premier Division 10 clubs – 1 or 2 relegations210League of Ireland First Division 10 clubs – 1 or 2 promotions, 0 relegations315FAI National League 15 clubs – 0 promotions, 0 relegations420League of Ireland Second Division North 10 clubs – 0 or 1 promotionsLeague of Ireland Second Division South 10 clubs – 0 or 1 promotionsProvincial levelUlsterLeinsterConnachtMunster4–?Ulster Senior LeagueLeinster Senior League 10 clubsConnacht Senior LeagueMunster Senior League Senior Premier Division 10 clubs5Munster Senior League Senior First Division 10 clubs6Munster Senior League Senior Second Division 10 clubsDistrict levelDonegalCavanMonaghanDublinCarlow / Kilkenny / WexfordKildare / Laois / Offaly / WicklowLongford / WestmeathLouth / MeathGalwayMayoRoscommonSligo / LeitrimCorkTipperary / WaterfordKerry / Clare / Limerick7?Cork Athletic Union League Premier Division – 8 clubs
Cork Business League Premier Division
– 11 clubs
West Cork League Premier Division
– 9 clubs
Munster Senior League Junior Premier Division
– 10 clubsNorth Tipperary & District Soccer League Premier Division – 8 clubs
Tipperary Southern & District Premier League
– 9 clubs
Waterford & District Junior Premier League
– 10 clubsClare District Soccer League Premier Division – 9 clubs
Kerry District League Premier A
– 8 clubs
Limerick Desmond League Premier Division
– 10 clubs
Limerick & District League Premier League
– 8 clubs
See also Northern Irish football league system
Notes
References