Leinster Senior League (association football)

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Leinster Senior League
Leinster Senior Football League (association football).png
Founded 1896
Country Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland
Region Flag of Leinster.svg Leinster
Divisions22
Level on pyramid3–12
Domestic cup(s) Leinster Senior Cup
FAI Cup
FAI Intermediate Cup
FAI Junior Cup
League cup(s)Metropolitan Cup
Charlie Cahill Cup
Current champions St. Mochta’s F.C.
Most championships Shelbourne (12 titles)
Website www.lsl.ie
Current: 2025–26

The Leinster Senior League is an association football league organised by the Leinster Football Association. The Leinster Senior League operates 22 divisions, 12 of which are played on Saturdays, with 10 divisions played on Sundays. [1] [2] It also organises 17 different cup competitions. [3] [4] Its Senior Division is on the third level of the Republic of Ireland football league system.

Contents

Leinster Senior League teams also compete in the Leinster Senior Cup, the FAI Cup, the FAI Intermediate Cup and the FAI Junior Cup. In recent seasons the winners of the Senior Division have also qualified to play in the League of Ireland Cup. The vast majority of its member clubs are based in the Greater Dublin Area.

History

Foundation

Within a few seasons of the Leinster Football Association having been formed in 1892, the Leinster Senior League was established. Ciarán Priestley highlights a printed notice in the 4 September 2010 edition of The Irish Times . Under the headline "Leinster Football League" there is a report of "a general meeting of the league... held the other evening at 27 D'Olier Street". Priestley also lists Bohemians, Britannia, Dublin University, Leinster Nomads, Phoenix and Montpelier as participants in the first season. The Leinster Senior League website states it was established in 1896. [4] However other sources suggest the league started a little later and was first played for in 1897–98 and that an unidentified British Army regimental team were the inaugural winners while Shelbourne were runners up. See Note 1 [5] [6]

League pyramid

As of November 2024, there is no promotion or relegation system in place between the League of Ireland First Division (Level 2 of the national league system) and the intermediate provincial leagues (Level 3 of the system), which includes Leinster. [7] However, Leinster junior clubs can achieve promotion up to the intermediate ranks via promotion from the highest junior league (Major Sunday) to the lowest intermediate league (Senior 1B). [1]

Colour-coding key
Intermediate (levels 3–6)
Junior (levels 7–12)

Pyramid Level

League(s) / division(s)

3

Leinster Senior League
Senior Division

14 clubs – 3 relegations

4

Leinster Senior League
Senior 1

14 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations [8]

5

Leinster Senior League 1A

14 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations [9]

6

Leinster Senior League 1B

14 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations [10]

7

Leinster Senior League
Major Sunday

12 clubs – 3 promotions, 3 relegations [11]

8–12

  • Leinster Senior League Major
  • Amateur Football League [a] [12]
  • Athletic Union League
  • Carlow & District Football League
  • Combined Counties Football League [b] [13]
  • Drogheda Summer League
  • Dundalk Summer League
  • Kildare & District Football League
  • Kilkenny & District Soccer League
  • Leinster Football League Development League
  • Meath & District League
  • United Churches Football League [c] [14]
  • Wexford Football League
  • Wicklow & District Football League

Source: [15]

Senior divisions

The senior divisions of the Leinster Senior League are played on Sundays. [16]

Senior

TeamHome town/suburbHome ground
Bangor Celtic Crumlin, Dublin Iveagh Grounds
Bluebell United Bluebell/Red CowCapco Park
Glebe North Balbriggan Old Market Green
Kilbarrack United Kilbarrack Greendale Road
Killester Donnycarney Killester Haddon Park
Lucan United Lucan, Dublin O'Hanlon Park, Celbridge
Malahide United Malahide Gannon Park
Maynooth University Town Maynooth, County KildareNUI Astro Maynooth
St Francis F.C. Baldonnel John Hyland Park
St. Mochtas F.C. Clonsilla/Blanchardstown Porterstown Road
Tolka Rovers Glasnevin Frank Cooke Park
UCD (res.) Dublin UCD Bowl
Usher Celtic Coolock Memorial Park
Wayside Celtic Kilternan Jackson Park

Source: [17] [18]

Senior 1

TeamHome town/suburbHome ground
Ayrfield United Donaghmede, Dublin Blunden Drive
Cherry Orchard Ballyfermot Elmdale Crescent
CollinstownRaheen, DublinCollinstown Park
Edenderry Town Edenderry, County Offaly Paddy Maloney Park
Glenville Palmerstown, Dublin Palmerstown School
Greystones United Greystones, County Wicklow Greystones United AFC
Kilnamanagh A.F.C. Kilnamanagh, DublinNed Kelly Park
Sacred Heart Firouse Clover Tallaght, DublinKillinarden Hill, Tallaght
Skerries Town Skerries, County Dublin Skerries Town
St. Francis Baldonnel, County Dublin John Hyland Park
St. Patrick’s CY FC Irishtown, Dublin Irishtown Stadium
Swords Celtic Swords, County Dublin Balheary Reservoir
Tolka Rovers Glasnevin, DublinFrank Cooke Park
Willow Park FC Athlone, County Westmeath DPD Park

Source: [19]

Senior 1A

TeamHome town/suburbHome ground
Arklow Town Arklow, County Wicklow Travers Insurance Park
Ayrfield United Donaghmede, Dublin Ayrfield United
Castleknock Celtic Castleknock, Dublin Hartstown Park Astro
Drumcondra FC Drumcondra, Dublin Baskin Lane
Dublin Bus FCRonanstownColdcut
Inchicore Athletic Inchicore, Dublin Bernard Curtis Park
Larkview Boys Kimmage, Dublin Whelan Park
Leixlip United Leixlip, County Kildare Leixlip Amenities Sports Centre
Newbridge Town Newbridge, County Kildare Station Road, Newbridge
Portlaoise AFC Portlaoise, County Laois Portlaoise AFC
St. John Bosco Drimnagh, Dublin Brickfield Astro
St. Kevin’s Boys Santry, Dublin St. Aidans School Astro
Templeogue United Templeogue St McDaras School
Usher Celtic Islandbridge War Memorial Gardens

Source: [20] Senior 1B

TeamHome town/suburbHome ground
Ardmore Rovers Bray, County Wicklow Wolfe Tone Community Centre
Ballyfermot United Ballyfermot Cold Cut
Drogheda Town FC Drogheda, County Louth Marian Park
Dublin University Trinity College Dublin College Park
Dunboyne AFC Dunboyne, County Meath Dunboyne AFC
Finglas United Finglas Larney Park
Hartstown HuntstownHartstown/Huntstown Hartstown Park
Kilmore Celtic Kilmore, Dublin Oscar Traynor Centre
Leicester Celtic Rathfarnham, Dublin Loreto Park
Oliver Bond Celtic Dublin 8 Grangegorman Grass
Raheny United Raheny, Dublin St. Anne's Park
Rush Athletic Rush, County Dublin St. Catherine's Park
Sheriff YC Sheriff Street, Dublin Clontarf All Weather Pitch
Tullamore Town Tullamore, County Offaly Leah Victoria Park

Source: [21]

Junior leagues

This is a selection of teams playing in the lower levels of the Leinster Senior League.

TeamHome town/suburbHome ground
Beechwood Milltown, Dublin Royal Hospital, Donnybrook
Dundrum Dundrum, Dublin Meadowbrook Park
Drumcondra/Stella Maris Drumcondra, Dublin
Greystones A.F.C. Greystones Archfield
Manortown United Perrystown Greentrees Park
Phoenix Scribblestown/Ashtown
Pioneers Dublin Airport ALSAA Sports Complex
T.E.K. United Blackrock, Dublin Stradbrook
Terenure College A.F.C. Terenure Bushy Park
Transport Crumlin, Dublin Windmill Park

Representative team

A Leinster Senior League representative team competes in the FAI Intermediate Interprovincial Tournament against teams representing the Ulster Senior League, the Munster Senior League and Connacht. [22]

Notes

  1. Features teams from Dublin
  2. Features teams from the Midlands and bordering counties
  3. Features teams from Dublin

References

  1. 1 2 Stafford, Tom (21 November 2024). "The Irish Football Pyramid – or lack of (part 4 - Leinster)" . Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  2. "Competitions". LSL.ie. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  3. "Leinster Senior Football League". www.leinsterfa.ie. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Comortais Competition Management". lsl.ie. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  5. Leinster Senior League
  6. Ciarán Priestley: The Bohemian Football Club: The Enduring Legacy of an Idle Youth Archived 4 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Stafford, Tom (21 November 2024). "The Irish Football Pyramid – or lack of (part 1 - Munster)". extratime.com. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  8. "Leinster Senior League Senior 1 Sunday". finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  9. "Leinster Senior League Senior 1A Sunday". finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  10. "Leinster Senior League: Senior 1B Sunday". finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  11. "Leinster Senior League: Major Sunday". finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
  12. "Amateur Football League". www.amateurfootballleague.com. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  13. "Combined Counties Football League". ccfl.ie. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  14. "United Churches Football League". www.ucfl.ie. Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  15. "Affiliated Leagues – LFA". www.leinsterfa.ie. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  16. "LSL Competitions". lsl.ie. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  17. "Senior Sunday". finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  18. "LSL Senior Sunday". lsl.ie. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  19. "Senior 1 Sunday". finalwhistle.ie. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  20. "Senior 1A Sunday". lsl.ie. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  21. "Senior 1B Sunday". lsl.ie. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  22. "League Table 2016 FAI Intermediate Interprovincial Tournament". uslfootball.com. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  23. IFA Cup, Rsssf
  24. Where's My Country?, Rsssf