Breaking: League of Ireland football set for return to Kilkenny
The long-awaited third tier in the League of Ireland pyramid has finally been confirmed by the FAI
The pathway for a return to top-tier football in Kilkenny has been laid out as the FAI announced that Carlow-Kilkenny (CK) United will be one of 15 founding teams to compete in the FAI National League on Friday morning.
The new league will act as the third tier in the Irish football pyramid and after a shortened season which will be played in Autumn of next year, promotion and relegation to the League of Ireland First Division will be introduced from 2027 onwards.
CK United was formed in 2017 and has been fielding underage teams against League of Ireland opposition in national competitions. Kilkenny has been without a team in the LOI pyramid since Kilkenny City resigned from the league in 2008 while it will be the first time Carlow has had involvement.
All four provinces are represented in the 15 clubs announced so far with Villa FC of Waterford, Newbridge Town from Kildare and Dublin’s Home Farm also taking part.
The competition will be split into north and south divisions with the winners from each meeting in a playoff for the National League title.
If the champions are approved for the necessary license, they will face off against the bottom team from the First Division in a promotion/relegation match for the chance to move up to the second tier.
The new league will serve as the top tier of the grassroots game in the country and create a pathway to the League of Ireland for the first time.
Speaking about the announcement, 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”.
“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”, he concluded.