The League of Ireland (Irish: Sraith na hÉireann) 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.
 | |
| Founded | 1921 |
|---|---|
| Country |  Republic of Ireland (19 teams) |
| Other club(s) from |  Northern Ireland (1 team) |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Divisions | Premier Division First Division U19 Division U17 Division U15 Division U14 Division |
| Number of teams | 20 |
| Level on pyramid | 1–2 |
| Domestic cup(s) | FAI Cup President's Cup |
| League cup(s) | League of Ireland Cup |
| Current champions | Shamrock Rovers (21st title) (2023) |
| Most championships | Shamrock Rovers (21 titles) |
| Most appearances | Al Finucane (612) |
| Top goalscorer | Brendan Bradley (235) |
| TV partners | RTÉ Virgin Media Television LOI TV |
| Website | leagueofireland |
| Current: 2024 League of Ireland | |
There are currently three divisions in the League – the Premier Division, the First Division and the Women's Premier Division. The League has always worked closely with the FAI, with which it formally merged in 2006. The League is currently sponsored by SSE Airtricity, and as such is known as the SSE Airtricity League for sponsorship reasons. In 2007, it became one of the first leagues in Europe to introduce a salary cap.
The men's League is divided into the Premier Division and the First Division, with ten teams in each division, 20 in total, and promotion and relegation between the highest-placed teams in the First Division and the lowest-placed teams in the Premier Division. Underage divisions include the U19 Division, U17 Division, U15 Division, and most recently the U14 Division. Nineteen teams are located in the Republic of Ireland, while one – Derry City – is located in Northern Ireland. The League also organises two knockout cup competitions: the FAI Cup and the League of Ireland Cup.
History
First level
The League of Ireland was founded in 1921 as a single division known as the A Division. The inaugural season featured eight teams from County Dublin, all of whom had spent the 1920–21 season playing in the Leinster Senior League: Bohemians, Dublin United, Frankfort, Jacobs, Olympia, St James's Gate, Shelbourne and YMCA.[1][2] Bohemians and Shelbourne had previously played in the 1919–20 Irish League. St James's Gate were the inaugural champions, and also went on to complete a treble, having also won both the FAI Cup and the Leinster Senior Cup.[citation needed]
The League expanded to twelve teams in 1922–23. Among the new members were Shamrock Rovers, who would win the title at the first attempt, and Athlone Town, who became the first team from outside County Dublin to compete in the League. Along with Bohemians and Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers would go on to dominate the League during the 1920s and 1930s.[citation needed]
Bray Unknowns and Fordsons became the second and third teams from outside County Dublin to join the League in 1924–25, the latter also becoming the first team from Munster to play in the league. The League continued to expand both numerically and geographically during its first two decades, with Dundalk being elected in 1926–27 and subsequently becoming the first team from outside County Dublin to win the title in 1932–33. Dundalk were subsequently joined by Waterford in 1930–31, Cork Bohemians in 1932–33, Sligo Rovers in 1934–35 and Limerick in 1937–38. Sligo Rovers became only the second team from outside County Dublin to win the title in 1936–37.[1][2]
Cork United emerged as the strongest team in the League during the Emergency, winning five titles between 1940–41 and 1945–46, three of which in succession. However, they subsequently resigned from the League in 1948.[3]
The 1950s was marked by the emergence of St Patrick's Athletic and the re-emergence of Shamrock Rovers, with the former winning the title at the first attempt in 1951–52 and claiming two more in the middle of the decade, and the latter winning their first title in fifteen years in 1953–54. While Drumcondra and Dundalk won two titles each during the 1960s, Waterford were the dominant team of the decade by winning four titles, including three in succession between 1967–68 and 1969–70. Six different teams won the title during the 1970s, with Bohemians, Dundalk and Waterford each winning two titles. While Athlone Town won two titles at the start of the 1980s, the decade was marked by the four successive titles won by Shamrock Rovers between 1983–84 and 1986–87.
Following the conclusion of the 1984–85 season, the League was restructured and the A Division was replaced by the Premier Division.[1][2]
Second level
A second division known as the B Division was introduced in 1964–65, featuring reserve teams and emerging senior teams. While there was no formal promotion and relegation to and from the A Division, a number of B Division teams, including Athlone Town, Bray Wanderers, Home Farm, Longford Town, Monaghan United and UCD, were subsequently elected to the A Division.[4][5]
The B Division was replaced as the second-level division by the First Division in 1985, featuring first teams and promotion and relegation to and from the new Premier Division.[1][6][7]
Third level
A third division known as the A Championship was introduced in 2008, and like the former B Division featured reserve teams and emerging senior teams. However, unlike the B Division, there was promotion and relegation between the Premier Division, First Division and A Championship.[8][9]
The A Championship was disbanded following the conclusion of the 2011 season.
Youth leagues
A number of youth leagues have also been introduced since the 2000–01 season.
- The original youth league was an under-21 division, and later became an under-20 division before becoming an under-19 division, the winners of which are awarded the Dr Tony O'Neill Cup.[10][11]
- An under-17 division was introduced in 2015.[12][13]
- An under-15 division was introduced with a truncated season in 2017, before fully aligning with the League calendar in 2018.
- An under-13 division was introduced in April 2019.[14][15][16]
Competition
League structure
There are 20 teams in the League, organised into two divisions: the Premier Division (formerly the A Division) and the First Division (formerly the B Division), which were renamed in 1985. There are ten teams in each division, and in a given season each team plays the other nine four times: twice at home and twice away, resulting in a total of 36 games per season.
Teams gain three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. At the end of the season, the last-placed team in the Premier Division is relegated, with the winner of the First Division being promoted in their place. The second- to fourth-placed teams in the First Division compete in a playoff series, the winner of which plays the ninth-placed team in the Premier Division to determine the final place in the Premier Division for the following season.
| Division | Promotion and relegation |
|---|---|
| Premier Division | 1 direct relegation 0 or 1 relegation via playoffs |
| First Division | 1 direct promotion 0 or 1 promotion via playoffs |
Teams
2023 Premier Division
| Team | Home city/suburb | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Dublin (Phibsborough) | Dalymount Park | 3,400 |
| Cork City | Cork | Turners Cross | 7,485 |
| Derry City | Derry | Brandywell | 3,700 |
| Drogheda United | Drogheda | United Park | 3,500 |
| Dundalk | Dundalk | Oriel Park | 4,500 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Dublin (Inchicore) | Richmond Park | 5,350 |
| Shamrock Rovers | Dublin (Tallaght) | Tallaght Stadium | 8,000 |
| Shelbourne | Dublin (Drumcondra) | Tolka Park | 3,600 |
| Sligo Rovers | Sligo | The Showgrounds | 4,000 |
| UCD | Dublin (Belfield) | UCD Bowl | 3,000 |
2023 First Division
Former League of Ireland clubs
Apart from the current twenty members, at least 38 other clubs have competed in the League of Ireland at one time or another. Some of these clubs are still active, playing in intermediate and junior leagues. The list below only includes teams that played in the A Division, the Premier Division and the First Division.
Champions
First level
A Division
Premier Division
List of winners
By number of titles
| Club | First level | Second level | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shamrock Rovers | 21 | 1 | 22 |
| Dundalk | 14 | 2 | 16 |
| Shelbourne | 13 | 2 | 15 |
| Bohemians | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Waterford | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Cork United | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Drumcondra | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Cork City | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Sligo Rovers | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Limerick United | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Athlone Town | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Derry City | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Cork Athletic | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| St James's Gate | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Drogheda United | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Cork Celtic | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cork Hibernians | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Dolphin | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bray Wanderers | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| UCD | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Cobh Ramblers | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Dublin City | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Finn Harps | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Galway United | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Kilkenny City | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Longford Town | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Wexford | 0 | 1 | 1 |
By team
| Club | Titles | Seasons | Runners-up | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shamrock Rovers | 21 | 1922–23, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1931–32, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1963–64, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1993–94, 2010, 2011, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 | 15 | 1925–26, 1932–33, 1939–40, 1941–42, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1981–82, 2009, 2019 |
| Dundalk | 14 | 1932–33, 1962–63, 1966–67, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1994–95, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 | 12 | 1930–31, 1936–37, 1942–43, 1947–48, 1963–64, 1967–68, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1986–87, 1988–89, 2013, 2017 |
| Shelbourne | 13 | 1925–26, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1943–44, 1946–47, 1952–53, 1961–62, 1991–92, 1999–2000, 2001-02, 2003, 2004, 2006 | 9 | 1922–23, 1923–24, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1929–30, 1948–49, 1951–52, 1997–98, 2001-02, 2002–03 |
| Bohemians | 11 | 1923–24, 1927–28, 1929–30, 1933–34, 1935–36, 1974–75, 1977–78, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2008, 2009 | 15 | 1921–22, 1924–25, 1928–29, 1966–67, 1973–74, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2003, 2010, 2020 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | 8 | 1951–52, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1989–90, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2013 | 5 | 1960–61, 1987–88, 2007, 2008, 2021 |
| Waterford | 6 | 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73 | 4 | 1937–38, 1940–41, 1954–55, 1962-63 |
| Drumcondra | 5 | 1947–48, 1948–49, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1964–65 | 5 | 1945–46, 1946–47, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1956–57 |
| Cork United | 5 | 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1945–46 | 0 | |
| Cork City | 3 | 1992–93, 2005, 2017 | 9 | 1990–91, 1993–94, 1998–99, 1999-2000, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 |
| Sligo Rovers | 3 | 1936–37, 1976–77, 2012 | 3 | 1938–39, 1950–51, 2011 |
| Derry City | 2 | 1988–89, 1996–97 | 6 | 1989–90, 1991–92, 1994–95, 2005, 2006, 2022 |
| Limerick | 2 | 1959–60, 1979–80 | 2 | 1943–44, 1944–45 |
| St James's Gate | 2 | 1921–22, 1939–40 | 1 | 1934–35 |
| Athlone Town | 2 | 1980–81, 1982–83 | 1 | 1974–75 |
| Cork Athletic | 2 | 1949–50, 1950–51 | 0 | |
| Cork Celtic | 1 | 1973–74 | 4 | 1953–54, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1961-62 |
| Drogheda United | 1 | 2007 | 2 | 1982–83, 2012 |
| Dolphin | 1 | 1934–35 | 1 | 1935-36 |
| Cork Hibernians | 1 | 1970–71 | 1 | 1971-72 |
| Finn Harps | 0 | 3 | 1972-73, 1975–76, 1977–78 | |
| Cork | 0 | 2 | 1931-32, 1933–34 | |
| Galway United | 0 | 1 | 1985-86 |
By county
| County | Titles | Most successful club |
|---|---|---|
 Dublin | 60 | Shamrock Rovers (21) |
 Louth | 15 | Dundalk (14) |
| Cork | 12 | Cork United (5) |
 Waterford | 6 | Waterford (6) |
 Sligo | 3 | Sligo Rovers (3) |
| Derry | 2 | Derry City (2) |
 Limerick | 2 | Limerick (2) |
 Westmeath | 2 | Athlone Town (2) |
By season
For each season, the number of teams competing (in brackets) are shown.
| Team | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | 2nd | 5th | 6th | - | 4 |
| Cork City | 10th | - | 2 | ||
| Derry City | 7th | 4th | 2nd | - | 4 |
| Drogheda United | 7th | 8th | - | 3 | |
| Dundalk | 3rd | 6th | 3rd | - | 4 |
| Finn Harps | 8th | 8th | 10th | 3 | |
| Longford Town | 10th | 1 | |||
| Shamrock Rovers | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 4 |
| Shelbourne | 9th | 7th | - | 3 | |
| Sligo Rovers | 4th | 3rd | 5th | - | 4 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | 6th | 2nd | 4th | - | 4 |
| UCD | 9th | - | 2 | ||
| Waterford | 5th | 9th | 2 |
Media coverage
League of Ireland games are broadcast by both RTÉ and Virgin Media Television. It was announced in 2014 that RTÉ would show 78 live Premier Division and FAI Cup games as part of a new agreement with the FAI. The agreement expires in November 2018. RTÉ also broadcast a highlights show, Soccer Republic, throughout the season.[17][18][19][20] In 2015 the FAI agreed a deal with TrackChamp to stream all Premier Division and First Division games outside Ireland, but the deal was criticised by customers as the streaming service required registration for a betting platform.[21]
Attendance
European record
UEFA Champions League
| Season | Club | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Agg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Bohemians | 2QR |  Red Bull Salzburg | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 |
| 2010–11 | Bohemians | 2QR |  The New Saints | 1–0 | 0–4 | 1–4 |
| 2011–12 | Shamrock Rovers | 2QR |  FC Flora Tallinn | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| 3QR |  F.C. Copenhagen | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 | ||
| 2012–13 | Shamrock Rovers | 2QR |  FK Ekranas | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 |
| 2013–14 | Sligo Rovers | 2QR |  Molde FK | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–3 |
| 2014–15 | St Patrick's Athletic | 2QR |  Legia Warsaw | 0–5 | 1–1 | 1–6 |
| 2015–16 | Dundalk | 2QR |  BATE Borisov | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 |
| 2016–17 | Dundalk | 2QR |  FH | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–3 (a) |
| 3QR | BATE Borisov | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | ||
| PO | Legia Warsaw | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–3 | ||
| 2017–18 | Dundalk | 2QR | Rosenborg BK | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 (aet) |
| 2018–19 | Cork City | 1QR | Legia Warsaw | 0–1 | 0–3 | 0–4 |
| 2019–20 | Dundalk | 1QR |  Riga FC | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 (5–4 p.) |
| 2QR |  Qarabag | 1–1 | 0–3 | 1–4 | ||
| 2020–21 | Dundalk | 1QR |  NK Celje | 0–3[a] | 0–3 | |
| 2021–22 | Shamrock Rovers | 1QR |  Slovan Bratislava | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 |
1QR/2QR/3QR = First/Second/Third qualifying round; PO = Playoff
UEFA Europa League
1QR/2QR/3QR = First/Second/Third qualifying round; PO = Playoff; Group = Group stage
UEFA Europa Conference League
| Season | Club | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Agg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Bohemians | 1QR | Stjarnan | 3–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 |
| 2QR |  F91 Dudelange | 1–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 3QR |  P.A.O.K. | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | ||
| Dundalk | 1QR | Newtown | 4–0 | 1–0 | 5–0 | |
| 2QR | FCI Levadia Tallinn | 2–2 | 2–1 | 4–3 | ||
| 3QR |  Vitesse | 1–2 | 2–2 | 3–4 | ||
| Sligo Rovers | 1QR | FH | 0–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | |
| Shamrock Rovers | 3QR |  Teuta | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | |
| PO | FC Flora Tallinn | 0–1 | 2–4 | 2–5 |
1QR/2QR/3QR = First/Second/Third qualifying round; PO = Playoff