TU Dublin Kick Off New Era as Founding Club in FAI National League
TU Dublin has been confirmed as one of the founding members of the new FAI National League, a landmark development in Irish men’s senior football that will kick off with a truncated inaugural season in Autumn 2026. The league will feature clubs from all four provinces, spanning 10 counties, underlining the FAI’s commitment to developing football talent across the entire country.
The announcement, made by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), sees TU Dublin named among 15 clubs selected from an initial pool of 67 applicants nationwide. Following a rigorous assessment process focused on long-term sustainability, governance, and competitiveness, the successful clubs will form the foundation of a new top tier of grassroots football in Ireland.
Christy O’Shea, Senior Manager – Sport, Societies & Student Life at TU Dublin, welcomed the news.
“We are proud that TU Dublin will be part of this exciting new chapter in Irish football. The University has a rich history and legacy of football excellence across its founding institutions, and this progression into the FAI’s new National League builds on that tradition. It represents a fantastic opportunity to create a new pathway where talented players can compete at a highly competitive level of football while continuing their academic journey. This dual-career model reflects our core mission of supporting student-athletes both on and off the field, and we’re excited to see TU Dublin football now represented on the national stage”
The FAI National League will begin with a shortened introductory season in Autumn 2026, before moving to a full season format in 2027. From that point, the winners of the North and South divisions will contest a Play-Off Final to determine the league champions.
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.