Summary
The League of Ireland Premier Division (IRL1) (aka SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division) is the top football league in the Republic of Ireland's football system. At the end of the 2026 IRL1 season, the IRL1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:
- 2027 - 2028 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
- 1st place 2026 IRL1 team
- 2027 - 2028 UEFA Europa Conference League - 2nd Qualifying Round:
- 2nd place 2026 IRL1 team
- 2027 - 2028 UEFA Europa Conference League - 1st Qualifying Round:
- 3rd place 2026 IRL1 team
The winner of the 2026 Sports Direct FAI Cup, typically an IRL1 team, also receives a berth in the 1st Qualifying Round of the 2027 - 2028 UEFA Europa Conference League.
Leagues Pyramid - Republic of Ireland
| Abbrev | League | # of Teams |
|---|---|---|
| IRL1 | League of Ireland Premier Division | 10 |
| IRL2 | League of Ireland First Division | 10 |
Competition Structure
Season | # of Teams | ||
| 6 Feb 2026 - 30 Oct 2026 | 10: IRL1 (8 minimum), IRL2 (2 maximum) | ||
Season Format
The IRL1 season consists of a double round robin format where each IRL1 team plays Home-Away matches with the other 9 IRL1 teams twice, for a total of 36 league matches per team. Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goal difference, then (2) goals scored.
Playoffs
Not applicable.
Relegation
At the end of the 2026 IRL1 season, the 10th place IRL1 team is relegated to the IRL2, and the 9th place IRL1 team enters into a Home-Away highest aggregate score playoff with the 2nd/3rd place team that won the IRL2 Promotion playoff. The winner of this playoff and the 1st place IRL2 team play in the 2027 IRL1.
More Info...
| League | Home | Road | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | MP | W - D - L | PTS | CPTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | MP | W - D - L | PTS | GF | GA | GD | |
| 1 | Shamrock Rovers | 15 | 9 -4-2 | 31 | - | 24 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 7 -1-0 | 22 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 2 -3-2 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 2 | St Patrick's Athletic FC | 15 | 8 -4-3 | 28 | - | 27 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 5 -1-1 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 3 -3-2 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 1 |
| 3 | Bohemians FC | 15 | 5 -7-3 | 22 | - | 18 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 2 -5-1 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 3 -2-2 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| 4 | Dundalk FC | 15 | 5 -7-3 | 22 | - | 26 | 23 | 3 | 7 | 4 -2-1 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 1 -5-2 | 8 | 12 | 17 | -5 |
| 5 | Derry City FC | 15 | 4 -7-4 | 19 | - | 19 | 18 | 1 | 8 | 3 -3-2 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 1 -4-2 | 7 | 6 | 7 | -1 |
| 6 | Shelbourne FC | 14 | 4 -5-5 | 17 | - | 23 | 24 | -1 | 7 | 0 -3-4 | 3 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 7 | 4 -2-1 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 3 |
| 7 | Galway FC | 14 | 4 -5-5 | 17 | - | 18 | 20 | -2 | 6 | 3 -2-1 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 1 -3-4 | 6 | 7 | 11 | -4 |
| 8 | Drogheda United FC | 14 | 4 -4-6 | 16 | - | 18 | 24 | -6 | 7 | 2 -2-3 | 8 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 7 | 2 -2-3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | -5 |
| 9 | Sligo Rovers FC | 15 | 4 -3-8 | 15 | - | 11 | 19 | -8 | 8 | 3 -2-3 | 11 | 7 | 9 | -2 | 7 | 1 -1-5 | 4 | 4 | 10 | -6 |
| 10 | Waterford FC | 14 | 0 -6-8 | 6 | - | 12 | 28 | -16 | 7 | 0 -5-2 | 5 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 7 | 0 -1-6 | 1 | 6 | 19 | -13 |
2026-2027 UEFACL 2026-2027 UEFAECL Relegation Playoffs Relegation to IRL2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Fixtures
 | Shamrock Rovers | Eamonn Deacy Park |
 | Sligo Rovers FC | Tolka Park |
 | Waterford FC | Richmond Park (Dublin) |
 | Bohemians FC | Oriel Park |
 | Derry City FC | Sullivan & Lambe Park |
| Drogheda United FC | Dalymont Park |
| Shamrock Rovers | Oriel Park |
| Shelbourne FC | Richmond Park (Dublin) |
| Derry City FC | Waterford Regional Sports Centre |
| Galway FC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) |
| St Patrick's Athletic FC | The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium |
| Dundalk FC | Sullivan & Lambe Park |
| Bohemians FC | Eamonn Deacy Park |
| Waterford FC | Tolka Park |
| Sligo Rovers FC | Tallaght Stadium |
| Shamrock Rovers | Dalymont Park |
| Shelbourne FC | The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium |
| Waterford FC | Sullivan & Lambe Park |
| Derry City FC | Oriel Park |
| Galway FC | Tolka Park |
Results
| 33 | Dundalk FC | Waterford Regional Sports Centre |
| 41 | Drogheda United FC | Tallaght Stadium |
| 11 | Galway FC | The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium |
| 22 | Shelbourne FC | Dalymont Park |
| 11 | St Patrick's Athletic FC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) |
| 10 | Waterford FC | Tallaght Stadium |
| 11 | Derry City FC | Dalymont Park |
| 22 | St Patrick's Athletic FC | Eamonn Deacy Park |
| 12 | Shelbourne FC | Oriel Park |
| 10 | Sligo Rovers FC | Sullivan & Lambe Park |
| 20 | Dundalk FC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) |
| 10 | Shamrock Rovers | The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium |
| 31 | Bohemians FC | Richmond Park (Dublin) |
| 34 | Drogheda United FC | Tolka Park |
| 11 | Galway FC | Waterford Regional Sports Centre |
| 20 | Waterford FC | The Showgrounds (Sligo) |
| 21 | Bohemians FC | Tallaght Stadium |
| 21 | Galway FC | Oriel Park |
| 13 | St Patrick's Athletic FC | Sullivan & Lambe Park |
| 12 | Derry City FC | Tolka Park |