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), municipal district leagues (e.g. West Cork League), and regional district leagues (e.g. InishowenÃÂ andÃÂ north Dublin).
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 â the Leinster Senior League and the Munster Senior League. These leagues sit below the League of Ireland in the pyramid, with their top divisions â Leinster's Senior Division and Munster's Senior Premier Division forming the pyramid's third level.
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 â Bohemians, Shelbourne and Tritonville â 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 1921âÂÂ22 with St Jamesâ Gate winning the first-ever League of Ireland title.
In 1985, following a reorganisation, the League of Ireland was 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.
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 1896âÂÂ97 and 1964âÂÂ65.
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 1964âÂÂ65 and 1984âÂÂ85. 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 â such as UCD in 1979.
From 1964âÂÂ65 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.
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 1923âÂÂ24 final.
The Cork Business League was founded in 1952 and was granted junior status for the 1952âÂÂ53 season. In 1954 Westport Town, Barcastle, Quay Hearts and Castlebar Celtic became the founder members of the Mayo Association Football League.
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.
Being members of a league at a particular level also affects eligibility for Cup, or single-elimination, competitions.
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.
A promotion and relegation system has existed between the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland First Division since 1985âÂÂ86. 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. 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.
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.
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