| Football in the Republic of Ireland | |
|---|---|
| Country | Ireland |
| Governing body | Football Association of Ireland |
| National team | Republic of Ireland national football team |
| National competitions | |
| Club competitions | |
| International competitions | |
Champions League Women's Champions League Europa League Europa Conference League Super Cup FIFA Club World Cup FIFA World Cup (national team) UEFA European Championship (national team) UEFA Nations League (national team) | |
Association football, commonly referred to asfootball or soccer (to avoid confusion withGaelic football), is the team sport with the second highest level of participation in the Republic of Ireland (with five-a-side games being included).[1]
It is the second most popularsport in Ireland[2][3] and it is also the third most popular spectator sport overall with 16% of total attendances at sports events, behind onlyGaelic football (34%) andhurling (23%).[4] Approximately 60% of the people in Ireland are considered association football fans.[5]
The national governing body for the sport is theFootball Association of Ireland, which runs thenational football team and theLeague of Ireland, which is the top level of the sport in the country. The term "football" is used interchangeably in Ireland between association football andGaelic football.Rugby union, another popular type of football, is generally called "rugby", whilerugby league,Australian Rules football andAmerican football are niche and minority sports usually referred to by their long title.[citation needed]
For spectators in Ireland,English football is extremely popular compared with the domestic league, with up to 120,000 Irish fans travelling to watch games in the UK each year and 40,000 Irish fans travelling to watch games in the UK on a regular basis[6][7] Irish school children are commonly seen wearing replica shirts of English league teams. In addition twoScottish football clubs with strong Irish roots,Celtic F.C. and, to a lesser extent,Hibernian F.C. maintain strong followings in Ireland.
In its earliest days, association football was largely confined to the city ofDublin and its surroundingcounty.[8] Gradually it became more widespread throughout the country, to the point where in the modern day there are clubs in all of thecounties of Ireland. Currently, average league attendances at matches in the League of Ireland Premier Division is around 3,000.[9] Many of the country's top players move to leagues outside of the country, particularly thePremier League in England, which is one of the reasons why significant numbers of locals follow clubs in that league.[10] Having said that, the best Irish players have always followed the best wages. This did not stop the game entering into a "golden period" after the second world war when grounds would be full every weekend to watch a league game. It was the start oftelevised football in England, and the amateur setup in Ireland, that led to a decrease in attendances and a lack of support for the home teams.
The sport is played at all levels in the country. The national team's performance in the1990 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals is their best to date.[11]
Although the sport was being played in Ireland in the 1860s[citation needed], it was mainly based inUlster and it was not until the 1880s that the game spread to other areas of the country. TheLeinster Football Association was formed in 1892 as the game became more popular in the area. Clubs from outside theBelfast area thought that theIFA favoured Ulster based clubs and when the IFA reneged on a promise to play theIrish Cup semi-final replay inDublin and instead scheduled the match for Belfast a meeting of southern associations and clubs was arranged and on 1 June 1921, theFootball Association of Ireland (FAI) was formed in Molesworth Hall inDublin. TheLeague 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 firstFAI Cup, then called the Free State Cup, in 1922. In 1923, the FAI was recognised byFIFA as the governing body of the Irish Free State[12] under the name Football Association of the Irish Free State (FAIFS) and at the1924 Olympics, the Irish Free State made their international debut. On 28 May at theStade Olympique, they beatBulgaria 1–0, withPaddy Duncan scoring the team's first ever goal. As a result of this they qualified for the quarter-finals.[13][14]On 14 June 1924, the Irish Free State made their home debut against theUnited States, who had embarked on a brief European tour after competing in the same Olympics.Ed Brookes scored ahat-trick in a 3–1 home win atDalymount Park.[15]The Irish Free State did not play their next game until 21 March 1926. This was an away game againstItaly 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 ofDublin's dominance in the league. During the 20s,Bohemians,St James's Gate,Shelbourne andShamrock Rovers had a monopoly over the domestic game, butDundalk andSligo Rovers both won championships whileCork F.C. andWaterford 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 withCork United F.C. dominating, winning four titles between 1940 and 1945. On the international front,England 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 theGoodison Park encounter2–0.
In 1953,FIFA directed both theFAI andIFA 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 theRepublic of Ireland with the IFA's side being calledNorthern Ireland.[16] Up to that point, both Associations referred to their teams as 'Ireland'. TheDublin based clubs reasserted their dominance with onlyCork United capable of challenging their dominance. 1958 saw aLeague of Ireland side enterEuropean competition for the first time with Shamrock Rovers going out 9–2 on aggregate toManchester United in the first round of theEuropean Cup.
In the 1960sWaterford United became one of the league's most successful clubs as they won three titles during the decade, thoughShamrock Rovers were the team of the 60s. The Hoops won sixFAI Cups in a row during the 60s, a feat that has never been repeated. In 1969 theFAI decided to appoint a national team manager instead of a team of selectors.Mick Meagan became the first manager. They still failed to win any of their qualifiers for the1970 World Cup. Ireland finished bottom of their qualification group for the1972 European Championship, ending Meagan's tenure as manager.Liam Tuohy briefly replaced him.Johnny Giles became the Republic of Ireland's first ever player-manager before the1976 European Championship qualifiers, but the side again failed to qualify. During the qualifiers for the1980 European Championship, the Republic of Ireland took on Northern Ireland in a historic first ever meeting between the two sides. A 0–0 draw atDalymount Park was marred by rioting inDublin on the day of the match. Domestically, no team really dominated as the popularity of the game began to diminish. The major achievement wasDundalk's progress to the last 16 of theEuropean Cup in 1979 when they eventually went out toGlasgow Celtic.
The domestic game went from bad to worse during the 1980s with clubs all over the country struggling for finance. Shamrock Rovers were forced out of their home,Glenmalure Park, whileSt Patrick's Athletic were forced to move out ofRichmond Park towards the end of the decade although they subsequently returned in 1993. On the field, Shamrock Rovers were again the team to beat as they won four consecutive titles, though provincial clubsAthlone,Dundalk andDerry City also claimed titles. The 1990s saw an improvement in the game domestically. Facilities countrywide improved, as did the standard of football. Shelbourne and St Patrick's Athletic dominated the decade, winning four league titles between them, with Shelbourne also winning threeFAI Cups.
The national game received a huge boost when the Republic, underJack Charlton, qualified for the1988 European Championship—their first ever major finals—where they won their first game 1–0 againstEngland. This was followed by qualification for theWorld Cup in1990,1994 (where they beatItaly) and2002. TheSaipan incident, over the facilities and preparation for the 2002 World Cup, had far-reaching effects on the sport in Ireland. Team captainRoy Keane went home (or was sent home) before the start of the tournament after a public quarrel with managerMick McCarthy.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, made a range of recommendations. Brendan Menton resigned as FAI General Secretary, 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 theLeague of Ireland and led to the appointment of an assessment group.[17][18] 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.[19]
The League of Ireland entered its best ever era in the 2000s whenBohemians knockedAberdeen out of theUEFA Cup and beatKaiserslautern 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 theChampions League, where they knocked out by Spanish clubDeportivo La Coruña 3–0 on aggregate. However, the league continued in improving results and thanks in part toCork City making progress in the Champions League qualifiers, andDerry City beatingIFK Gothenburg andGretna 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 byDrogheda United—their first ever league championship. The league entered difficult times along with the Irish economy during 2008 and 2009.
In 2011 the League got the best co-efficient in its history asShamrock Rovers made history by becoming the first Irish club to reach the group stages of the Europa League[1].
It is currently ranked as the 31st 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.
The Republic of Ireland,Scotland andWales jointly bid to co-hostUEFA Euro 2020.[20]
TheRepublic of Ireland football league system is formed of theLeague of Ireland and the 2011–12 FAI U19 League. TheLeague of Ireland was established in 1921. The League of Ireland consisted of one division up to 1985, when it split into thePremier Division andFirst Division. In 2008, theA Championship was introduced below the league as a preparatory division for entry into 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 inEuropean competition 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 theFAI completed a merge with theLeague 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 andTG4) show live matches and/or highlights of Premier Division games.
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 theLeague of Ireland First Division and the team who finishes in 9th position will enter a promotion/relegation playoff with a First Division qualifier. TheLeague of Ireland First Division was introduced in 1985. Currently, there are 10 teams in the First Division, and they play each other four times. The A Championship was introduced in the 2008 season as a new third tier, below the League of Ireland. The division was split into 2 separate groups competing independently of each other. The A Championship was replaced by the 2011–12 FAI U19 League in 2012.
As of August 2016, the League of Ireland is 42nd out of 55 in theUEFA country coefficient. The League of Ireland's UEFA coefficient accumulates to a total value of 5.700 as of 2016. From 1998 to 2010, the league's place on the coefficient table rose 15 places, the highest of any league in Europe. However, since then, the League's ranking has fallen from its highest ever ranking of 29th in June 2010 to 42nd in 2016. Its position of 43rd in 2013/14 was also its lowest position since 1998.
IrelandThree provinces in the country (Ulster,Munster,Leinster) 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 theFAI Cup, however. These leagues do not gain much media coverage certainly on a national level.
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 northCounty Tipperary. This particular league contains four divisions and also a youth division.[21]
TheFAI 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.
TheLeague 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.
Provincial senior cup competitions such as theLeinster Senior Cup andMunster Senior Cup also run and include all League of Ireland teams from their given province, as well as a selection of intermediate clubs.
League of Ireland clubs also compete in the cross-borderChampions Cup against teams fromIrish League in Northern Ireland. This is a two-legged affair between the champions of each jurisdiction.[22] ].
TheScottish Challenge Cup for senior clubs playing below theScottish Premiership invites clubs from Republic of Ireland to take part.[23][24] It also features the Under 20 sides from the Scottish top tier as well asWelsh and Northern Irish clubs. Recently,Conference level English teams have also taken part.[25]
Defunct cup competitions include:
In Republic of Ireland there are also various local amateur, intermediate and junior leagues which run cup competitions for their respective clubs throughout the country.
| Competition | Who Qualifies | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round | Club finishing 1st in theLeague of Ireland Premier Division | |
| UEFA Europa League Second/Third Qualifying Round | FAI Cup winners or runners-up | If theFAI Cup winners have already qualified for theUEFA Champions League then theFAI Cup 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 bestUEFA Fair Play ranking 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. |
The Republic of Ireland's first competitive international finished in a 1–0 victory againstBulgaria 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 sevenWorld Cups. The furthest they reached was the quarter-final in 1990.
See alsoLeague of Ireland XI
Women's football is growing in the Republic of Ireland. TheWomen's National League (Ireland) was resurrected in 2011. There is a national team also which compete on an international basis. They played in their first world cup at the2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Croke Park,Thomond Park and theRDS Arena have been used as football venues during the construction of the Aviva.
| Most supportedPremier League clubs in Ireland (Meta Platforms, 2024)[26] | |
|---|---|
| Club | Fans |
| Liverpool | 443,500 |
| Manchester United | 441,000 |
| Chelsea | 254,100 |
| Arsenal | 246,400 |
| Manchester City | 209,600 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 150,700 |
| Everton | 142,600 |
| Leicester City | 133,800 |
| Aston Villa | 128,500 |
| Newcastle United | 113,400 |
| Most supported football clubs in Ireland (Empathy Research, 2020)[27] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Club | Country | % |
| Manchester United |  England | 33% |
| Liverpool | England | 29% |
| Celtic |  Scotland | 14% |
| Arsenal | England | 10% |
| Barcelona |  Spain | 8% |
| Cork City | Ireland | 7% |
| Chelsea | England | 6% |
| Manchester City | England | 4% |
| Tottenham Hotspur | England | 4% |
| Dundalk | Ireland | 4% |
| Most supported football clubs in Ireland by province (Empathy Research, 2020)[27] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Country | Percentage | ||||
| Connacht/ Ulster | Dublin[a] | Leinster[b] | Munster | Total | ||
| Arsenal | England | 7% | 6% | 14% | 11% | 10% |
| Barcelona | Spain | 5% | 7% | 9% | 11% | 8% |
| Bohemian | Ireland | — | 6% | — | — | — |
| Celtic | Scotland | 13% | 15% | 14% | 15% | 14% |
| Chelsea | England | 5% | 8% | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Cork City | Ireland | — | — | — | 24% | 7% |
| Dundalk | Ireland | — | — | 10% | — | 4% |
| Finn Harps | Ireland | 4% | — | — | — | — |
| Galway United | Ireland | 10% | — | — | — | — |
| Heart of Midlothian | Scotland | — | — | 5% | — | — |
| Leeds United | — | — | — | 5% | — | — |
| Limerick | Ireland | — | — | — | 6% | — |
| Liverpool | England | 27% | 29% | 37% | 24% | 29% |
| Manchester City | England | — | 6% | — | — | 4% |
| Manchester United | England | 27% | 37% | 29% | 35% | 33% |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Ireland | — | 4% | — | — | — |
| Shamrock Rovers | Ireland | — | 10% | — | — | — |
| Sligo Rovers | Ireland | 12% | — | — | — | — |
| Tottenham Hotspur | England | 4% | — | — | 9% | 4% |
| West Ham United | England | — | — | — | 6% | — |