The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has confirmed the 15 clubs that will form the new FAI National League, which will kick off in autumn 2026.
This new division of men’s senior football will be the top tier of grassroots football and creates a direct pathway between the grassroots game and the League of Ireland for the first time.
Four provinces and 10 different counties are represented by the 15 clubs, with promotion and relegation to be introduced from the 2027 season. A final application window is now open for the remaining places.
The confirmation of the 15 clubs follows an extensive process which saw an initial 67 clubs/entities from around the country express an initial interest in joining the new league, the FAI said. Following a thorough assessment of the criteria, designed to ensure long-term sustainability and competitiveness, 15 clubs have been formally admitted and will become the league’s founding members.
READ MORE
The composition of the league represents every province in Ireland, reinforcing the FAI’s commitment to fostering talent and ambition across the entire football community.
The 15 confirmed clubs are:
• Bonagee United (Donegal)
• CK United (Carlow/Kilkenny)
• Cockhill Celtic (Donegal)
• Home Farm (Dublin)
• Killarney Celtic (Kerry)
• Letterkenny Rovers (Donegal)
• Lucan United (Dublin)
• Mayo Football Club (Mayo)
• Mervue United (Galway)
• Newbridge Town (Kildare)
• Salthill Devon (Galway)
• St. Francis (Dublin)
• TU Dublin (Dublin)
• UCC Soccer (Cork)
• Villa FC (Waterford)
FAI head of competitions Fran Gavin said: “We’re delighted to be able to announce the clubs who will be the founding members of the new FAI National League, and we congratulate them on coming through a rigorous selection process. The clubs have put in a lot of hard work and we’re really excited to get started in autumn 2026 with a shortened, truncated season before the full launch in February 2027.
“As part of the process, we have reopened a short window for final expressions of interest for the remaining places. Our priority from day one was not just to hit a number, but to ensure that every club involved was ready to be part of this league.
“We recognised that a number of clubs were not able to meet the original deadlines, so that is why the portal has reopened to encourage any final applications. Our priority is to have a strong, competitive league, and while we are happy to start with our founding member clubs to ensure the right quality, if there are clubs who now feel that they meet the criteria, we would like to hear from them.”
