Association football in the Republic of Ireland

Association football, more usually known as football or soccer, is the team sport with the highest level of participation in the Republic of Ireland (with five-a-side games being included).
It is also the third most popular spectator sport overall with 16% of total attendances at sports events, behind only Gaelic football

Gaelic football

Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

(34%) and hurling

Hurling

Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...

(23%).
The national governing body for the sport is the Football Association of Ireland

Football Association of Ireland

The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...

, which runs the national football team

Republic of Ireland national football team

The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

and the League of Ireland

League of Ireland

The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...

, which is the top level of the sport in the country. The term "football" is used interchangeably in Ireland between association football , the country's national sport Gaelic football

Gaelic football

Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...

and Rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

.

In its earliest days, association football was largely confined to the city of Dublin and its surrounding county

County Dublin

County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...

. Gradually it became more widespread throughout the country, to the point where in the modern day there are clubs in all of the counties of Ireland

Counties of Ireland

The counties of Ireland are sub-national divisions used for the purposes of geographic demarcation and local government. Closely related to the county is the County corporate which covered towns or cities which were deemed to be important enough to be independent from their counties. A county...

. Currently, average league attendances at matches in the League of Ireland is around 2,000. Many of the country's top players move to leagues outside of the country, particularly the Premier League in England, which is one of the reasons why significant numbers of locals follow clubs in that league.

The sport is played at all levels in the country. The national team's performance in the 1990 FIFA World Cup

1990 FIFA World Cup

The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...

, where they reached the quarter-finals is their best to date.

History

Although the sport was being played in Ireland in the 1860s, it was mainly based in Ulster

Ulster

Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...

and it was not until the 1880s that the game spread to other areas of the country. The Leinster

Leinster

Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...

Football Association was formed in 1892 as the game became more popular in the area. Clubs from outside the Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

area thought that the IFA

Irish Football Association

The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...

favoured Ulster based clubs and when the IFA reneged on a promise to play the Irish Cup

Irish Cup

For the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...

semi-final replay in Dublin and instead scheduled the match for Belfast a meeting of southern associations and clubs was arranged and on 1 June 1921, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI)

Football Association of Ireland

was formed in Molesworth Hall in Dublin. The League of Ireland

League of Ireland

was established in 1921, with eight teams taking part. St. James's Gate F.C. won the first title, and they were also winners of the first FAI Cup

FAI Cup

The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...

, then called the Free State Cup, in 1922. In 1923, the FAI was recognised by FIFA

FIFA

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...

as the governing body of the Irish Free State under the name Football Association of the Irish Free State (FAIFS) and at the 1924 Olympics

Ireland at the 1924 Summer Olympics

Ireland, then known as the Irish Free State, competed as an independent nation for the first time at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France....

, the Irish Free State made their international debut. On 28 May at the Stade Olympique, they beat Bulgaria

Bulgaria national football team

The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...

1–0, with Paddy Duncan

Paddy Duncan

Paddy Duncan was an Irish footballer. At the 1924 Olympics Games he scored the Irish Free State’s first ever goal in a senior international.-Club career:During his career Duncan was known by the nickname Dirty Duncan...

scoring the team's first ever goal. As a result of this they qualified for the quarter-finals.
On 14 June 1924, the Irish Free State made their home debut against the United States

United States men's national soccer team

The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...

, who had embarked on a brief European tour after competing in the same Olympics. Ed Brookes

Ed Brookes

Edward A. Brooks , also known as Ed Brooks or Ned Brooks, was an Irish footballer who played as centre-forward or inside-left for, among others, Shelbourne, Bohemians, Stockport County and Athlone Town...

scored a hat-trick

Hat-trick

A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...

in a 3–1 home win at Dalymount Park

Dalymount Park

Dalymount Park is an Irish football stadium situated on Dublin's Northside. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as 'Dalyer' by fans, it was also historically the "home of Irish football" holding Irish internationals and FAI Cup...

.

The Irish Free State did not play their next game until 21 March 1926. This was an away game against Italy

Italy national football team

The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

which they lost 3–0. In subsequent years the status of the Olympic Games football competition was downgraded and as a result this game is widely regarded as the Irish Free State's first official game.

The 1930s saw the erosion of Dublin's dominance in the league. During the 20s, Bohemians

Bohemian F.C.

Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...

, St James's Gate

St James's Gate F.C.

St James's Gate F.C. is an Irish football club that currently plays in the Leinster Senior League. St James Gate was founded as the footballing part of the Guinness Sports and Social club and was named after St. James's Gate Brewery....

, Shelbourne

Shelbourne F.C.

Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....

and Shamrock Rovers

Shamrock Rovers F.C.

Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...

had a monopoly over the domestic game, but Dundalk

Dundalk F.C.

Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...

and Sligo Rovers

Sligo Rovers F.C.

Sligo Rovers Football Club is a professional Irish football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1928 and have been in the League of Ireland since 1934. The club is a co-operative venture, owned by the people of Sligo. Sligo Rovers have played at...

both won championships while Cork F.C.

Cork F.C.

Cork Football Club was an Irish football club based in Cork. They played in the League of Ireland between 1930 and 1938.-History:Cork F.C. originally played as Fordsons and were originally the factory team of the Ford Motor Company, a major employer in the city at that time. However in 1930, Ford...

and Waterford collected FAI Cups as football spread to the provinces. The Second World War curtailed international matches between 1939 and 1946, but league football went ahead with Cork United F.C. dominating, winning four titles between 1940 and 1945. On the international front, England

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

won a match at Dalymount Park 1–0, but Ireland got their revenge three years later when they became the first 'foreign' side to defeat England on English soil. Ireland won the Goodison Park

Goodison Park

Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...

encounter 2–0

England v Ireland (1949)

England v Ireland. On 21 September 1949 at Goodison Park, Liverpool, the home of Everton, England were defeated 2-0 by Ireland in a friendly international...

.

In 1950, FIFA

FIFA

directed both the FAI

Football Association of Ireland

and IFA

Irish Football Association

The Irish Football Association is the organising body for association football in Northern Ireland, and was historically the governing body for Ireland...

to pick players only from within their own boundaries rather than picking players from all over the island. FIFA also ruled that the FAI's team would be known as the Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland national football team

with the IFA's side being called Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland national football team

The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

. Up to that point, both Associations referred to their teams as 'Ireland'. The Dublin based clubs reasserted their dominance with only Cork United capable of challenging their dominance. 1958 saw a League of Ireland

League of Ireland

side enter European

UEFA

The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

competition for the first time with Shamrock Rovers going out 9–2 on aggregate to Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

in the first round of the European Cup

European Cup 1958-59

The 1958–59 European Cup was the fourth season of the European Cup, Europe's premier club football tournament. The competition was won by Real Madrid for the fourth time in a row, who beat Stade Reims 2–0 in the final at Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, on 3 June 1959...

.

In the 1960s Waterford United

Waterford United

Waterford United is an Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded and elected to the league in 1930 and hails from Waterford. Originally the club was based at Kilcohan Park greyhound stadium, but have now moved to the Waterford Regional Sports...

became one of the league's most successful clubs as they won three titles during the decade, though Shamrock Rovers were the team of the 60s. The Hoops won six FAI Cup

FAI Cup

s in a row during the 60s, a feat that has never been repeated. In 1969 the FAI

Football Association of Ireland

decided to appoint a national team manager instead of a team of selectors. Mick Meagan

Mick Meagan

Michael Kevin "Mick" Meagan is a former professional footballer. He was the first manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team to be given total control over selecting players.-Early days:Meagan grew up in Dublin, Ireland...

became the first manager. They still failed to win any of their qualifiers for the 1970 World Cup

1970 FIFA World Cup

The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...

. Ireland finished bottom of their qualification group for the 1972 European Championship

1972 UEFA European Football Championship

-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Statistics:*Fastest goal: 24 minutes**Raoul Lambert **Gerd Müller -Top scorers:...

, ending Meagan's tenure as manager. Liam Tuohy

Liam Tuohy (footballer)

Liam Tuohy is a former Irish footballer and manager. During the 1950s and 1960s. Tuohy played as an outside left for Shamrock Rovers, Newcastle United, and the Republic of Ireland. In 1959 while playing for Ireland, Tuohy scored the first ever goal in the history of the European Championship...

briefly replaced him. Johnny Giles

Johnny Giles

Michael John "Johnny" Giles is a former association footballer and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s...

became the Republic of Ireland's first ever player-manager before the 1976 European Championship

1976 UEFA European Football Championship

-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Top scorers:19 goals were scored in 4 games for an average of 4.75 goals per game.4 goals Dieter Müller2 goals Dragan Džajić Ruud Geels...

qualifiers, but the side again failed to qualify. During the qualifiers for the 1980 European Championship

1980 UEFA European Football Championship

The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980...

, the Republic of Ireland took on Northern Ireland in an historic first ever meeting between the two sides. A 0–0 draw at Dalymount Park

Dalymount Park

was marred by rioting in Dublin on the day of the match. Domestically, no team really dominated as the popularity of the game began to diminish. The major achievement was Dundalk

Dundalk F.C.

's progress to the last 16 of the European Cup in 1979 when they eventually went out to Glasgow Celtic

Celtic F.C.

Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

.

The domestic game went from bad to worse during the 1980s with clubs all over the country struggling for finance. Shamrock Rovers were forced to sell their home, Glenmalure Park

Glenmalure Park

Glenmalure Park, often simply known as "Milltown", was a football stadium on the Southside of Dublin city in Ireland. Located in the suburb of Milltown, it was home to Shamrock Rovers from 1926 to 1987, when it was sold to property developers by the club's directors...

, while St Patrick's Athletic

St Patrick's Athletic F.C.

St Patrick's Athletic Football Club is a football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Founded in 1929, they are based in the Dublin suburb of Inchicore and play their home matches at Richmond Park. They have won the League of Ireland title 7 times and...

were forced to move out of Richmond Park

Richmond Park

Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...

towards the end of the decade. On the field, Shamrock Rovers were again the team to beat as they won a record four titles in a row, though provincial clubs Athlone

Athlone Town A.F.C.

Athlone Town F.C. is an Irish football club from Athlone, playing in the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1887. First elected to the League of Ireland in 1922, they play their home matches in Lissywoollen their new stadium which opened in 2007...

, Dundalk

Dundalk F.C.

and Derry City

Derry City F.C.

Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...

also claimed titles. The 1990s saw an improvement for the game domestically. Facilities at grounds throughout the country improved, and, the standard of football was also excellent. Shelbourne and St Patrick's Athletic dominated the decade, winning four league titles between them, with Shelbourne also winning three FAI Cup

FAI Cup

s.

The national game received a huge boost when the Republic, under Jack Charlton

Jack Charlton

John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...

, qualified for the 1988 European Championship

1988 UEFA European Football Championship

The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football...

—their first ever major finals—where they won their first game 1–0 against England

England national football team

. This was followed by qualification for the World Cup

FIFA World Cup

The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

in 1990

1990 FIFA World Cup

, 1994

1994 FIFA World Cup

The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...

(where they beat Italy

Italy national football team

) and 2002

2002 FIFA World Cup

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

. However, the Roy Keane incident

2002 Roy Keane incident

The Roy Keane incident was a public quarrel in May 2002 between Republic of Ireland national football team's captain Roy Keane and manager Mick McCarthy when the team was preparing for its matches in Japan in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. It resulted in Keane, the key player, leaving the squad...

, when the team captain Roy Keane

Roy Keane

Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....

went home (or was sent home) before the start of the 2002 World Cup after a public quarrel with manager Mick McCarthy

Mick McCarthy

Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....

over the facilities and preparation for the tournament, had far-reaching effects on the sport in Ireland. The FAI commissioned a report from external consultants Genesis, into its World Cup preparations. The "Genesis Report" agreed with many of Keane's criticisms, finding that the FAI structure was not conducive to good planning and making a range of recommendations. Brendan Menton resigned as FAI General Secretary at this time, and the media linked the two events, though Menton denied this. A second Genesis report, this time produced by the FAI but disingenuously called "Genesis II" (or the "White Paper"), in 2005 recommended a radical overhaul of the League of Ireland

League of Ireland

and led to the appointment of an assessment group. A joint implementation committee made major changes to the league, including merging the league with the FAI, changing the management structure and revamping the league structure.

The League of Ireland entered its best ever era in 2000 when Bohemians

Bohemian F.C.

knocked Aberdeen

Aberdeen F.C.

Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...

out of the UEFA Cup

UEFA Cup

The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

and beat Kaiserslautern

1. FC Kaiserslautern

1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...

of Germany in the next round. A brief period of mixed results turned for the better in 2004. Shelbourne became the first team to get to the third qualifying round of the Champions League

UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

, where they knocked out by Spanish club Deportivo La Coruña

Deportivo de La Coruña

Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña is a professional football club based in the city of A Coruña, Galicia; founded in 1906 and currently playing in Segunda División...

3–0 on aggregate. However, the league continued in improving results and got the best co-efficient in its history in 2006, thanks in part to Cork City

Cork City F.C.

Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...

making progress in the Champions league, and Derry City

Derry City F.C.

Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...

beating IFK Gothenburg

IFK Göteborg

IFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....

and Gretna

Gretna F.C.

Gretna Football Club was a Scottish football club that represented the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland...

in the UEFA Cup before falling in the final tie before the group stage. In 2008, it got its second best co-efficient in its history. The League of Ireland in 2007 was won by Drogheda United—their first ever league championship. The league entered difficult times along with Irish economy during 2008 and 2009 but recovered in 2010. It is currently ranked as the 29th best league in Europe out of 53. The league has scored at least 1.000 in every year since 2003, meaning it is currently in its best European cycle to date.

League system

The Republic of Ireland football league system

Republic of Ireland football league system

The Republic of Ireland's football league system comprises three tiers: the League of Ireland Premier Division and League of Ireland First Division and the A Championship. The A Championship consists of both League of Ireland reserve sides and lower-level senior clubs...

is formed of the League of Ireland

League of Ireland

and the A Championship

A Championship

The A Championship was the third tier in the Republic of Ireland football league system. It was created in 2008 by the FAI to act as the first stop for clubs hoping to move into the League of Ireland, but cancelled at the end of the 2011 season...

. The League of Ireland

League of Ireland

was established in 1921. The League of Ireland consisted of one division up to 1985, when it split in to the Premier Division and First Division. In 2008, the A Championship

A Championship

was introduced below the league as a preparatory division for entry in to it. The league season runs from March to November. Another change undergone by the league has been the introduction of professionalism into some clubs, and the majority of Premier Division clubs. Clubs were previously semi-professional. These changes were mainly made in an effort to better performances in European competition

UEFA

The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

by League of Ireland clubs. The improvements provided by professionalism, particularly in fitness, produced significantly better results in European competition, but proved to be somewhat unsustainable for some clubs, with the vast majority of the clubs involved suffering severe financial collapses but these clubs have been outpassed by more financially stable clubs and the league has kept up its impressive performances. In 2006 the FAI

Football Association of Ireland

completed a merge with the League of Ireland

League of Ireland

. This merge involved changes to league format which were to be gradually introduced over the next three years. The changes included the introduction of the A Championship which would provide non-league and amateur clubs a chance to win promotion to the First Division which, up to that stage, had no clubs actually relegated. Clubs who finished in last place had to re-apply for league membership, however. The league has received more media coverage in recent years. At the moment, two channels (RTÉ

RTE

RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...

and TG4

TG4

TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....

) show live matches and/or highlights of Premier Division games.

Divisions

The Premier Division currently contains 10 clubs. The 10 clubs play each other four times which gives a total of 36 matches each. The bottom placed club will be relegated to the League of Ireland First Division and the team who finishes in 9th position will enter a promotion/relegation playoff with a First Division qualifier. The League of Ireland First Division was introduced in 1985. At the moment there are 12 clubs in the First Division with teams playing each other three times. The A Championship was introduced in the 2008 season as a new third tier, below the League of Ireland. The division is split into 2 separate groups competing independently of each other.

UEFA ranking

The League of Ireland is in 29th position out of 53 as of June 2010. The League of Ireland's UEFA coefficient accumulates to a total value of 9.541 as of 2010. Since 1998, the league's place on the coefficient table has risen 15 places, the highest of any league in Europe. Its current ranking is the highest position the league has been in since 1986.

27 Independent State of Croatia Croatia
28 Belarus Belarus
Belarusian Premier League
-Soviet era champions:*1934 BVO *1935 BVO *1936 BVO *1937 Dinamo *1938 Dinamo *1939 Dinamo *1940 DKA *1941-44 unknown...
29 Republic of Ireland Ireland
30 Finland Finland
Veikkausliiga
Veikkausliiga is the premier division of Finnish football, comprising the top 12 clubs of the country. Veikkausliiga is currently ranked as the 28th best league in Europe. Its main sponsor is the Finnish national betting agency Veikkaus, hence the league's name...
31 Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia-Herzegovina
Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the top football league in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the country's most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs with last two teams relegated at the end of every season....
Full list

Provincial leagues

Each province in the country (Ulster

Ulster

, Munster

Munster

Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...

, Leinster

Leinster

and Connacht

Connacht

Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...

) run a league. These leagues are amateur leagues, though, and clubs cannot be promoted to the League of Ireland. Some of the top clubs in these leagues do compete in the FAI Cup

FAI Cup

, however. These leagues do not gain much media coverage certainly on a national level.

Local amateur football

Many counties in the country run a local league. These leagues do not provide promotion to provincial leagues but are still run. An example of one such league is the North Tipperary District Soccer League which is run in North Tipperary

North Tipperary

North Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-West Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 48% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...

. This particular league contains four divisions and also a youth division.

Cup competitions

The FAI Cup

FAI Cup

is the national cup competition of the country. It was first run in 1922. The tournament has a straight knockout format with non-league and junior sides competing in the first round before the league clubs join in the second round.

The League of Ireland Cup is the other main cup in the country. It was first held in 1974. This tournament's format has changed over the years. Previously it had group stages in the opening round but it now is straight knockout but clubs are divided into regional groups in the opening rounds. All 22 league clubs take part with the addition of 2 non-league clubs in order to bring the number up to 24.

League of Ireland clubs also compete in the Setanta Cup

Setanta Sports Cup

The Setanta Sports Cup, commonly known as just the Setanta Cup, is a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland...

. This competition is played between clubs from both the League of Ireland and the Irish League

IFA Premiership

The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...

in Northern Ireland. Four clubs from both sides of the border take part. League of Ireland clubs can qualify by finishing in the top two places in the Premier Division, winning the FAI Cup

FAI Cup

or winning a playoff held between the League of Ireland Cup winners and First Division champions. The competition, itself, is has two groups of four with the top two progressing through to the semi-final stage. This tournament was first played in 2005.

Munster

Munster

also run a cup for all clubs located in Munster including league clubs.

Each of the provincial and local amateur leagues also run cup competitions for their league clubs.

Defunct cup competitions include:

Texaco Cup
Texaco Cup
The Texaco Cup was an association football competition involving clubs from England, Ireland and Scotland that had not qualified for European competitions. Irish clubs withdrew from the competition after 1971-72 due to political pressure, and in 1973-74 and 1974-75 competed in a separate Texaco Cup...
Blaxnit Cup
Blaxnit Cup
The Blaxnit Cup, is a defunct club football competition which featured teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland, in a similar format to the current Setanta Cup...
Dublin City Cup
Dublin City Cup
The Dublin City Cup is a defunct Irish football tournament which was played for by all League of Ireland sides . It ran from 1933 and ran uninterrupted until 1973. In season 1975/76 it was revived and played for by sides who did not reach the League of Ireland Cup quarter finals...
Dublin and Belfast Intercity Cup
Dublin and Belfast Intercity Cup
The Dublin and Belfast Inter-city Cup was a soccer competition that ran for eight seasons in Ireland between and including 1941/42-1948/49. Each season's competition consisted of 6 teams from each of the 2 jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, the Irish Football Association and the Football...
FAI Super Cup
FAI Super Cup
The FAI Super Cup is a defunct football tournament which was played for 3 years between 1998 and 2000. It was played before the League of Ireland season began, usually in July. The first tournament was played in the neutral Morton Stadium and the 1999 and 2000 editions were both played for in...
League of Ireland Shield
League of Ireland Shield
The League of Ireland Shield is a defunct Irish football tournament which was introduced when the League of Ireland started in 1921 and ran uninterrupted until 1972...
Leinster Senior Cup
Leinster Senior Cup
This is a disambiguation page. Leinster Senior Cup may refer to:* Leinster Club Senior Cup: rugby union* Leinster Schools Senior Cup: rugby union* Leinster Senior Cup...
Top Four Cup
Top Four Cup
Top Four Cup was a football competition played between the top four clubs in the League of Ireland from 1956 to 1974.-Final Results:1955/56 - Shamrock Rovers F.C. 1 - 0 Waterford F.C.1956/57 - Evergreen United 2 - 1 Drumcondra F.C....

Qualification for European competitions

Competition	Who Qualifies	Notes
UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... Second Qualifying Round	Club finishing 1st in the League of Ireland Premier Division
UEFA Europa League Second/Third Qualifying Round	FAI Cup FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland... winners or runners-up	If the FAI Cup FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland... winners have already qualified for the UEFA Champions League UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It... then the FAI Cup FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland... runners-up receive this place. FAI Cup winners can Qualify for either the Second or Third Qualifying round depending on coefficient
UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round	Club finishing second in the Premier Division
UEFA Europa League First Qualifying Round	Club finishing third in the Premier Division
	Premier Division club with the best UEFA Fair Play ranking UEFA Fair Play ranking The UEFA Fair Play ranking has been used by UEFA since 1995 to grant three berths for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.-Current club qualification system:... that has not already qualified for Europe, but only if the Republic of Ireland has the best fair play ranking or has a fair play score of above 8 and is one of the two countries drawn out of the hat	Only if the Republic of Ireland has the best fair play ranking or has a fair play score of above 8 and is one of the two countries picked randomly.

Republic of Ireland national team

The Republic of Ireland's first competitive international finished in a 1–0 victory against Bulgaria

Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...

on 28 May 1924 in the Olympics. They have never won any major international competitions and had never qualified for a major tournament until 1988. Since then they have enjoyed relative success qualifying for three of the last five World Cup

FIFA World Cup

s. The furthest they reached was the quarter-final in 1990.

See also League of Ireland XI
League of Ireland XI
The League of Ireland XI, known as of 2010 as the Airtricity League XI for sponsorship reasons, is the representative select team for the League of Ireland which operates in the Republic of Ireland.The select first played the Scottish League XI in 1938....

Women's game

Women's football is not very widespread in the Republic of Ireland. There is currently no national league in place, although, there are regional leagues including the Dublin Women's League. There is a national team also which compete on an international basis. They are currently attempting to qualify for the European Championships

UEFA Women's Championship

The UEFA European Women's Championship, also called the UEFA Women's Euro and unofficially the "European Cup", held every fourth year, is the main competition in women's association football between national teams of the UEFA Confederation...

in Finland in 2009.

Stadiums used for football in the Republic of Ireland

Stadium	Capacity	Club/Team
Aviva Stadium Aviva Stadium The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the...	50,000	Ireland Republic of Ireland national football team The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
Tallaght Stadium Tallaght Stadium Tallaght Stadium is a football stadium in the Southside suburb of Tallaght, Dublin. Shamrock Rovers originally announced details of the stadium back in July 1996...	5,700	Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers F.C. Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
Dalymount Park Dalymount Park Dalymount Park is an Irish football stadium situated on Dublin's Northside. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as 'Dalyer' by fans, it was also historically the "home of Irish football" holding Irish internationals and FAI Cup...	7,955	Bohemians Bohemian F.C. Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
Tolka Park Tolka Park Tolka Park is an Irish football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne...	9,680	Shelbourne Shelbourne F.C. Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
Turners Cross Turners Cross (stadium) Turners Cross is an all-seater football stadium located in and synonymous with the district of Turners Cross, Cork, Ireland. It is home to the Munster Football Association, and League of Ireland side Cork City FC....	7,485	Cork City Cork City F.C. Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
Oriel Park Oriel Park Oriel Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Dundalk, County Louth, Republic of Ireland. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Dundalk F.C. Its current capacity is about 4,500 with 3,000 seats. The ground was opened in 1919.-History:...	6,000	Dundalk Dundalk F.C. Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
Terryland Park Terryland Park Terryland Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Galway, Ireland, owned by the Galway & District Football League. It is currently used for association football matches and has been the home ground of Galway United since 1977.- History :...	5,000	Galway United
Morton Stadium Morton Stadium Morton Stadium, or the National Athletics Stadium, is an athletics stadium in Santry, in the north of Dublin City. Often called Santry Stadium, it is the centre for athletics events in Ireland, and home track of Clonliffe Harriers. It was home to Sporting Fingal FC...	4,000	Sporting Fingal Sporting Fingal F.C. Sporting Fingal Football Club was a professional football club based in Fingal, County Dublin, Ireland. The club competed in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland from 2008 to 2011. Former Shamrock Rovers manager, Liam Buckley was the club's manager while former Arsenal player, John Devine...
Jackman Park Jackman Park Jackman Park is a football ground in Limerick, Republic of Ireland located on the Lower Carey's Road, that is home to Limerick F.C. It is regularly used by almost every grade of football in Limerick, from schoolboy to women's international games. The capacity is 2,450. The ground has a single 261...	2,000	Limerick 37
Waterford Regional Sports Centre Waterford Regional Sports Centre The Waterford Regional Sports Centre is part of Waterford Corporation's Municipal sporting facilities and home to Waterford United of the League of Ireland ....	3,125	Waterford United Waterford United Waterford United is an Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded and elected to the league in 1930 and hails from Waterford. Originally the club was based at Kilcohan Park greyhound stadium, but have now moved to the Waterford Regional Sports...
Finn Park Finn Park Finn Park is a football stadium in Ballybofey, Ireland, the home of League of Ireland Premier Division team Finn Harps F.C., and has a capacity of 7,500 with 400 seats...	4,000	Finn Harps
Carlisle Grounds Carlisle Grounds The Carlisle Grounds is a football stadium in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland, situated directly behind the Bray D.A.R.T. station. It is home to Bray Wanderers A.F.C. Its current capacity is roughly 3,000.-History:...	3,250	Bray Wanderers
Lissywoollen Athlone Town Stadium Athlone Town Stadium is the home stadium of Athlone Town. It has a seating capacity of 2,500 and an overall capacity of 5,000...	3,000	Athlone Town Athlone Town A.F.C. Athlone Town F.C. is an Irish football club from Athlone, playing in the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1887. First elected to the League of Ireland in 1922, they play their home matches in Lissywoollen their new stadium which opened in 2007...
Richmond Park Richmond Park (football ground) Richmond Park is a football stadium in Dublin, Ireland. It is the home ground for Irish football team St. Patricks Athletic of the League of Ireland. It is situated in the Dublin suburb of Inchicore...	5,500	St Patrick's Athletic
The Showgrounds	5,500	Sligo Rovers
United Park United Park Hunky Dorys Park is a football stadium in Drogheda, Ireland. The ground has been home to League of Ireland side Drogheda United since 1979. The ground has a capacity of 2,000 with 400 seats...	2,000	Drogheda United Drogheda United Drogheda United Football Club is an Irish football club currently playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club hails from Drogheda, Ireland and, since 1979, plays its home matches at Hunky Dorys Park....
St. Colman's Park St. Colman's Park St Colman's Park is a football stadium in Cobh, County Cork. It is home to Cobh Ramblers F.C. of the Newstalk A Championship. The stadiums capacity is 5,000...	3,000	Cobh Ramblers
Ferrycarrig Park Ferrycarrig Park Ferrycarrig Park has been the home of League of Ireland side Wexford Youths since joining the league in 2007. The building works for the new stadium and facilities, at Newcastle, Crossabeg, have been ongoing since 2003. Currently spectator facilities consist of a clubhouse with viewing area and a...	3,000	Wexford Youths
Flancare Park Flancare Park Flancare Park is a soccer stadium in Longford, Ireland. It is the home stadium of League of Ireland side Longford Town F.C.. Flancare Park has also held numerous international underage matches. The stadium underwent a huge redevelopment at the end of 2000/2001 season...	4,500	Longford Town Longford Town F.C. Longford Town F.C. is an Irish football club playing in the League of Ireland First Division. The club, founded in 1924 and elected to the league in 1984, hails from Longford, County Longford and play their home matches at Flancare Park...
Kingspan Century Park Kingspan Century Park Gortakeegan is the home ground of Irish side Monaghan United who play in the League of Ireland First Division. The ground has an overall capacity of 2,000 including a single stand which seats 620. The ground was formerly known as Kingspan Century Park....	1,500	Monaghan United Monaghan United Monaghan United F.C. is an Irish football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club, founded in 1979 and elected to the league in 1985, hails from Monaghan and play their home matches at Gortakeegan, Monaghan...
UCD Bowl UCD Bowl The UCD Bowl is a rugby union and football stadium in the Southeast of Dublin. It is the home ground of University College Dublin RFC in the AIB All Ireland League and University College Dublin A.F.C. in League of Ireland Premier Division...	3,000	U.C.D. University College Dublin A.F.C. University College Dublin Association Football Club known commonly as UCD is the football team of University College Dublin. They play in the League of Ireland. The club, founded in 1895 was elected to the league in 1979 under the management of Dr. Tony O'Neill. Since the 2008 season they have...

Croke Park

Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...

, Thomond Park

Thomond Park

Thomond Park is a stadium located in Limerick in the Irish province of Munster. The stadium is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union and count Munster Rugby, Shannon RFC and UL Bohemian RFC as tenants. The capacity of the stadium is 26,500 following its large scale redevelopment in...

and the RDS Arena

RDS Arena

RDS Arena is a multi-purpose sports stadium, owned by the Royal Dublin Society and located in the Dublin suburb of Ballsbridge, Ireland.The arena was originally developed to host equestrian events, including the annual Dublin Horse Show, which was first held there in 1868. The site was acquired in...

have been used as football venues during the construction of the Aviva.

External links

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