FAI National League

Last updated

The FAI National League is a proposed association football league in the Republic of Ireland, [1] due to start play in August 2026. It was announced in December 2024 by the FAI, [2] who invited teams to apply to enter the competition, which will consist of 20 teams split into a North and South division. [3] [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Patrick's Athletic F.C.</span> Football club in Dublin

St Patrick's Athletic Football Club, commonly known as Pat's or The Athletic, is a professional Irish association football club based in Inchicore, Dublin, that plays in the Irish Premier Division. Founded in May 1929, they played originally in Phoenix Park but they moved to their current ground of Richmond Park in 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Ireland women's national football team</span> Womens national association football team representing the Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland women's national football team represents the Republic of Ireland in competitions such as the FIFA Women's World Cup and the UEFA Women's Championship. The team played in their first World Cup at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. It has taken part in invitational tournaments such as the Algarve Cup, the Istria Cup, the Cyprus Cup and Pinatar Cup. It is organised by the Women's Football Association of Ireland.

Cherry Orchard Football Club is an association football club based in the Cherry Orchard area of Ballyfermot, Dublin in Ireland. Their senior team plays in the Leinster Senior League (LSL). They have also competed in the FAI Cup, the FAI Intermediate Cup, the FAI Junior Cup and the Leinster Senior Cup. The club also has reserve teams playing in the LSL and enter teams in the Dublin and District Schoolboys/Girls League (DDSL). A number of players, who progressed through the Cherry Orchard youth system, have gone onto play for professional clubs in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Several have also represented the Republic of Ireland national team at international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Kenny (football manager)</span> Irish football manager (born 1971)

Stephen Kenny is an Irish football manager and former player who is the manager of League of Ireland Premier Division side St Patrick's Athletic. He has formerly managed Longford Town, Bohemians, Derry City, Dunfermline Athletic, Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk, the Republic of Ireland U21 side and the senior Republic of Ireland national team. He is one of Republic of Ireland's most successful domestic league managers, having won eight trophies with Dundalk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">League of Ireland</span> Association football league in Ireland

The League of Ireland is a league of professional football clubs from the Republic of Ireland plus Derry City from Northern Ireland. It is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland, along with the Football Association of Ireland. It is also the top-level football league in the Republic of Ireland since its foundation in 1921, but the term was used to refer to a single division league before the introduction of a second division in 1985.

Stephen Bradley is a retired Irish footballer, he has been the manager of Shamrock Rovers since July 2016. Besides the Republic of Ireland, he has played in England and Scotland.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FAI Women's Cup</span> Football tournament

The Football Association of Ireland Women's Cup is the senior cup competition for women's association football in the Republic of Ireland. It is commonly known as the Women's FAI Cup, the WFAI Cup, or prior to 2001, the Ladies FAI Cup or the LFAI Cup. Organised by the Women's Football Association of Ireland, like the Women's National League, the Cup is currently sponsored by Sports Direct and is known as the Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup. Previous sponsors include EVOKE.ie, Continental Tyres, Umbro and Brother International.

The League of Ireland Women's Premier Division is a professional women's association football league in the Republic of Ireland, organised by the League of Ireland, which began play in the 2023 season. The league consists of eleven teams, eight of which owned by clubs with men's teams in the League of Ireland's Premier Division or First Division. The winners of the league qualify for the first round of the UEFA Women's Champions League in the following season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelbourne F.C. (women)</span> Irish association football club

Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Northside, Dublin. It is the women's section of the League of Ireland club Shelbourne FC. The senior women's team currently plays in the League of Ireland Women's Premier Division. They have also fielded teams in the Dublin Women's Soccer League, the Metropolitan Girls League and the North Dublin Schoolboys/Girls League. They are the current FAI Women's Cup holders after defeating Athlone Town 6:1 at Tallaght Stadium in the 2024 final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kieran Sadlier</span> Irish association football player

Kieran Paul Sadlier is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL League One club Wycombe Wanderers. He can also play at wing-back. Sadlier previously won both the League of Ireland Premier Division and FAI Cup in his first season with Cork City. Born in England, he has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galway W.F.C.</span> Football club

Galway Football Club was an Irish association football club based in Galway. It is the women's section of the League of Ireland club Galway United. Since 2013–14 the club played in the Women's National League (WNL) and did so as Galway WFC until 2022. Throughout its existence the club has been closely associated with both the Galway Ladies League and the Galway Football Association. The WNL team had its origins in the Galway Ladies League representative team that won the 2007 FAI Women's Cup and then represented the Republic of Ireland in the 2008–09 UEFA Women's Cup. The Galway Ladies League and its member clubs, such as Salthill Devon, Galway Bohemians, Corrib Celtic, Colga F.C. and NUI Galway, served as a feeder system for Galway WFC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shamrock Rovers Ladies F.C.</span> Association football club in Tallaght, Ireland

Shamrock Rovers Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. It is the women's section of the League of Ireland club Shamrock Rovers FC.

The 2011–12 Women's National League season was the inaugural season of the Women's National League. The season was sponsored by Bus Éireann. Originally seven clubs were invited to join the league. However shortly before the start of the season Bray Wanderers/St. Joseph's pulled out due to a lack of competitive players. This left six teams – Peamount United, Castlebar Celtic, Cork Women's F.C., Raheny United, Shamrock Rovers and Wexford Youths – to play the inaugural season.

Karen Duggan is an Irish footballer who plays for Peamount United of the Women's National League (WNL). She has previously played for UCD Waves and the Republic of Ireland women's national football team. Between 2013 and 2016 Duggan was selected for the WNL Team of the Season for four successive seasons. She was the only player selected all four seasons. In 2015–16 she was also WNL Senior Player of the Season. Duggan has also played camogie at club, university and county level.

Eileen Gleeson is an Irish association football manager who was most recently head coach of the Republic of Ireland women's team. She has also held the role of the Football Association of Ireland's (FAI) Head of Women and Girls Football, as well as being Assistant Coach to Vera Pauw with the Ireland women’s team. At club level, Gleeson has coached Glasgow City of the Scottish Women's Premier League and Women's National League (Ireland) sides UCD Waves and Peamount United, who she guided to the last 32 of the 2011–12 UEFA Women's Champions League.

The FAI Futsal Cup is a cup competition organized by the Football Association of Ireland for futsal teams based in the Republic of Ireland. The winners qualify to represent the Republic of Ireland in the UEFA Futsal Cup. The competition was introduced in 2007 and the inaugural winners were Shamrock Rovers. The 2007 tournament was referred to as the Eircom U21 Futsal League and the 2008 and 2009 tournaments were referred to as the Futsal League of Ireland or the FAI National Futsal League. Since 2010 it has generally been referred to as the Ireland Futsal Union Cup.

The 2019 Women's National League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Só Hotels Women's National League, was the ninth season of the Women's National League, the highest women's association football league in the Republic of Ireland. It began on 9 March 2019 and concluded on 10 November 2019. Wexford Youths were the defending champions, but Peamount United won to secure their first League title since the inaugural 2011–12 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Rowe</span> Irish female footballer

Sarah Rowe is a triple code sportswoman. She currently plays association football for Central Coast Mariners and women's Australian rules football for Collingwood in the AFLW.

The 2021 League of Ireland First Division season was the 37th season of the League of Ireland First Division, the second tier of Ireland's association football league. The fixture list was released on 8 February 2021 and the competition commenced on 26 March 2021. Shelbourne were confirmed Champions and promoted to the League of Ireland Premier Division on 1 October 2021.

References

  1. "National League". www.fai.ie.
  2. "FAI welcomes Expressions of Interest for a new National League". fai.ie. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  3. "FAI set to create new league to bridge gap to LOI". 12 December 2024 via www.rte.ie.
  4. "FAI ask for expressions of interest from clubs interested in joining new League of Ireland third tier". Irish Independent. 12 December 2024.
  5. Donovan, Shane (12 December 2024). "FAI launch National League creating 'clear pathway' to League of Ireland". Irish Examiner.