Irish Junior Football League System

[gufcfan]

Browsing through Wikipedia I noticed that many other countries' leagues have a very detailed run through of the whole pyramid of their national leagues.

Obviously in Ireland we don't have many leagues which you could say are part of a pyramid (would be hard to make a pyramid out of 3 divisions). Having said that, I would like to get an idea of the structure of the leagues below the League of Ireland.

The structures in most of the country seem to be self explanatory, but maybe what I'd like is for someone to explain what the structure is in Leinster for example. Is it possible for clubs to gain promotion into the LSL from the other district leagues?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_junior_football_league_systems

I've started that wiki above, where I would hope any information you lot can pass on could be entered by myself, or if anyone feels like it, they could enter any info they know.

It's a rough template so far, but I will give it a much better structure later on... Also, some stuff related to the english league structure could be in it, here and there, as I had to use the english league systems page as a template.

Actually, I'd rather people didnt mess with the wiki for now, at least not the table parts, as they are a proper ******* to get right.

EDIT: Also, the sticky that A Face put in this section was a great help too.

[drummerboy]

You can gain promotion to the Senior divisions of the Leinster Senior League (Intermediate) only through the junior section of the LSL. However in the past certain clubs have been parachuted into the Senior Divisions from the AUL. However clubs must reach certain standards regarding pitch, dressing rooms, showers ect.

[gufcfan]

Thanks for that drummerboy.

So what are the Dublin AUL and Dublin AFL in relation to the LSL?

Would the LSL be 90% made up of Dublin teams or would it be more spread out than that?

[drummerboy]

I'd say about 15% of the team in LSL are from outside Dublin. Most clubs from the Louth, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.

LSL (Intermediate) (4 Divisions)
Top division would not be far from LOI First Division. Unfortunately a lot of clubs find the need to pay players. Most clubs have excellent facilities with almost half having floodlights.

LSL (Junior Section) Mostly up and coming clubs from satelite town such as Dunshaughlin, Peamount, Rathoath ect. Quite a few of these clubs have excellent facilities, floodlights ect. The Saturday section is mostly made up of the reserve teams of Intermediate clubs. Decent standard in the top divisions of Saturday and Sunday.

AUL
Probably the strongest of the junior leagues. While facilities are improving they still have a long way to go. Most clubs are based on the north side of Dublin. Standard decent. A couple of the top clubs like Killester could hold their own in the top LSL division, rest wouldn't though.

LJL
Can't say I know much about this league. Run by Charlie O’Leary. Most of the country clubs have left to form their own leagues. Those left are clubs from southside of Dublin who have no facilitiels and quite a few play in PHoenix Park.

AFL
Another northside league. Poor standard. Poor facilities with the exceptio of the league own grounds.

UCL
This is a Saturday league which was once the bastion of Protestant clubs who did not want to play on Sundays. While quite a few of these clubs still exist, the league now reflect a cross section of society with clubs made up from public servants ect. They have produced some decent clubs over the years such as Trinity Corinthians who are made up of Trinity graduates and have been successful in the LJCup and Clontarf who also won the LJC.

[smasher]

I'd say about 15% of the team in LSL are from outside Dublin. Most clubs from the Louth, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow.

LSL (Intermediate) (4 Divisions)
Top division would not be far from LOI First Division. Unfortunately a lot of clubs find the need to pay players. Most clubs have excellent facilities with almost half having floodlights.

LSL (Junior Section) Mostly up and coming clubs from satelite town such as Dunshaughlin, Peamount, Rathoath ect. Quite a few of these clubs have excellent facilities, floodlights ect. The Saturday section is mostly made up of the reserve teams of Intermediate clubs. Decent standard in the top divisions of Saturday and Sunday.

AUL
Probably the strongest of the junior leagues. While facilities are improving they still have a long way to go. Most clubs are based on the north side of Dublin. Standard decent. A couple of the top clubs like Killester could hold their own in the top LSL division, rest wouldn't though.

LJL
Can't say I know much about this league. Run by Charlie O’Leary. Most of the country clubs have left to form their own leagues. Those left are clubs from southside of Dublin who have no facilitiels and quite a few play in PHoenix Park.

AFL
Another northside league. Poor standard. Poor facilities with the exceptio of the league own grounds.

UCL
This is a Saturday league which was once the bastion of Protestant clubs who did not want to play on Sundays. While quite a few of these clubs still exist, the league now reflect a cross section of society with clubs made up from public servants ect. They have produced some decent clubs over the years such as Trinity Corinthians who are made up of Trinity graduates and have been successful in the LJCup and Clontarf who also won the LJC.

In Munster the situation is a little more straightforward.
There is Munster Senior League for Intermediate clubs and the Junior leagues from each of the other counties, Cork, Waterford ,Kerry, Limerick, Clare and Tipperary.
The Waterford and District League is very strong with both Carrick Utd and Waterford Glass very recent winners of the prestigious FAI Junior Cup, with the former having a very good run in the Senior Cup, beating Everton of the Munster League along the way.

[gufcfan]

I'll update the wiki with the info yee have given me in time.

Here's the link again for anyone who wants to look... or make suggestions or whatever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_junior_football_league_systems

[citybone]

In Munster the situation is a little more straightforward.
There is Munster Senior League for Intermediate clubs and the Junior leagues from each of the other counties, Cork, Waterford ,Kerry, Limerick, Clare and Tipperary.
The Waterford and District League is very strong with both Carrick Utd and Waterford Glass very recent winners of the prestigious FAI Junior Cup, with the former having a very good run in the Senior Cup, beating Everton of the Munster League along the way.

The West Cork League clubs- Cork Aul are basically the same level and clubs from these leagues can apply to join the Munster Junior league and if facilities are good enough can join and progress up too MSL. I guess its the same for Junior league's (nothing formal)
Also Munster senior league has 2 junior divisions below it. (5 tier system) http://www.msl.leaguerepublic.com/Index.do;jsessionid=80D19DC40896F69259DBDF75834907 39?selectedSeason=9864311&selectedDivision=5747722

[gufcfan]

So DrummerBoy,

Would you say that the AUL, LJL, AFL, UCL are all technically on the same tier or are they above each other in that order or what? but they would be below the LSL...

Also. who do they stand for... AUL (Amateur ..... League?), LJL (Leinster Junior League?), AFL (Amateur Football League?), UCL (United Churches?)
Actually that last one makes sense...

[passinginterest]

UCL is officially UCFL - United Churches Football League. The standard would vary between the leagues but they're all junior so no particular pyramid to them.

[gufcfan]

PassingInterest,

While your at it, do you know the name of the Wexford League and how many teams it has?

Cheers

[passinginterest]

Wexford Football League. Official website is here;
http://www.wexfordfootballleague.com/

A quick count makes it 58 clubs with 9 divisions, many of the clubs having second and third teams.

[Innishvilla]

The West Cork League clubs- Cork Aul are basically the same level and clubs from these leagues can apply to join the Munster Junior league and if facilities are good enough can join and progress up too MSL. I guess its the same for Junior league's (nothing formal)
Also Munster senior league has 2 junior divisions below it. (5 tier system) http://www.msl.leaguerepublic.com/Index.do;jsessionid=80D19DC40896F69259DBDF75834907 39?selectedSeason=9864311&selectedDivision=5747722

It should be pointed out that the Cork AUL (nor west cork league) is not as a feeder for the MSL they are separate entities. Some of the larger Junior clubs do look at joining the Munster Senior League but it seems to be happening less of late as the west cork and AUL try to improve their overall standards and structures... If a club does move across, Lakewood or Blarney to list a few recent teams (last 4-5 years) they moved straight into the senior section and would normally have a 2nd team that might go into the MSL junior section

[gufcfan]

thanks passinginterest, looks like there is a healthly league going on down there

[drummerboy]

Leinster Senior League http://www.lsl.ie
AUL (Athletic Union League) http://www.aul.ie
UCL United Churches League http://www.ucfl.ie
LJL Leinster Junior League
AFL Amateur Football League http://www.amateurfootballleague.com

Basically the Intermediate section of the LSL is a tier above the other leagues which are all supposedly on the same level (Junior)

[passinginterest]

UCFL website has been down for the last few months, it's due to be relaunched shortly. It was pretty rubbish so hopefully they come up with something decent this time. It's a pain relying on the Herald for results and league tables.

[gufcfan]

Thanks DrummerBoy, i'll put that into the wiki and get peoples opinions on the accuracy of my work.

[gufcfan]

More questions....

I suppose then that while technically all the teams in Leinster would look towards the LSL, would the champions of say, the Wexford DL apply to get into it?

I mean, they would be starting off Saturday Major 1A or B or something, so it wouldnt really be a natural progression for them...

I'm starting to wonder whether I should bother at all because there is no real natural order in which the leagues can be ordered...

[drummerboy]

I think the travel involved would deter clubs from Wexford joining the LSL.

Quite a few of the top clubs in the LSL have come from the AUL. Clubs such as Tolka Rovers, Cherry Orchard were stalwarts of the AUL, while Malahide came from the Amateur League. However lately the movement has stalled. This is due mainly to the reluctance of the LSL to allow clubs parachute into the Top Division and the prize for the winning he AUL is an all paid trip to places like the US and South Africa. When clubs do come from other leagues now they end up in Major or Major 1 Sunday, which is effictively the 5th or 6th division of the league. It will be interesting to see where Kilkenny will be placed if they do bother joining the league.

[gufcfan]

Leinster is a bit of a head scratcher at the moment so ill just fill in what I can of the district leagues in Connacht.

[TheBoss]

Here is a list I compiled a year ago about the junior leagues:

http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=704947&postcount=35

[gufcfan]

Here is a list I compiled a year ago about the junior leagues:

http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=704947&postcount=35

Sound. One thing though, what's the Combined Counties League?

[TheBoss]

You can get some info here: http://www.ccfl.ie/

[couchpotato]

Super League (10Teams)
Premier Division (10Teams)
First Division (10Teams)
Second Division split between 2A(9teams) and 2B(8teams)

[Big Ears]

Just to note that when you wrote 'In theory it is should be possible for a lowly local amateur club to rise to the pinnacle of the Irish game and become champions of the Irish Premier League.', you should have put League of Ireland Premier Division, because as it stands it gives a link to the IFA's league.

Tipperary:

North Tipperary & District League:
Premier Division-10 teams
Division 1-10 teams
Division 2-15 teams
*had a third division up until last year
http://www.northtippsoccerleague.com/

Tipperary Southern and District League:
Premier Division-9 teams
Division one-9 teams
Division two-8 teams
Division 3-8 teams
Division 4-8 teams

http://www.tsdl.ie/tables/

[gufcfan]

Cheers Big Ears :D and Couch Potato, info noted. Will add it in soon.

EDIT: Incorrect link to the IFA Premiership is corrected now, thanks.

[gufcfan]

As the Connacht section of the "pyramid" is fairly straightforward, I'm completing that first.

If anyone has any info on the old Connacht Senior League I would be grateful, i.e. if there was a second division to it. I seem to remember there being one, but I can't be sure.

[Raheen]

As the Connacht section of the "pyramid" is fairly straightforward, I'm completing that first.

If anyone has any info on the old Connacht Senior League I would be grateful, i.e. if there was a second division to it. I seem to remember there being one, but I can't be sure.

Please note that the leagues are not like the GAA where strict geographic boundaries apply. For example, a large portion of teams in the Roscommon and District leagues are from north and east Galway and who choose to play there due to it's proximity. (Although, this is hardly true in the case of Moylough, for example).

[Buzzer]

Please note that the leagues are not like the GAA where strict geographic boundaries apply. For example, a large portion of teams in the Roscommon and District leagues are from north and east Galway and who choose to play there due to it's proximity. (Although, this is hardly true in the case of Moylough, for example).

ditto for limerick...we have teams from clare(shannon to be precise),and also north cork in the shape of charleville.also for that reason of proximity.
in limerick there are eight divisions of junior fooball.
no interest whatsoever though of any of the "big" clubs going munster senior league,even though most of them would be more then capable of competing.
too much travel and expense involved!!!!!
some of the clubs,who have qualified to enter the munster senior cup don't even bother entering.just see it as a distraction from their main goals of league,mun.junior cup and FAI cup.

[casilles]

Cork AUL:
Premier 10 teams. 2 go down
Premier A 10 teams. 2 up 3 down
Division 1,1a,1b 10 teams. 1 from each up 2 down
Division 2,2a,2b 10 teams. 2 from each up 2 down
Division 3,3a 11/12 teams. 2 from each up

Divisions 1.1a.1b.2.2a.2b.3 and 3a are all goegraphically coordinatted. north cork teams / east cork and so on

a few clubs have "b" and "c" teams but not many.
Standard is high in the premier with most teams i think able to gve 1st division senior a good crack.
basicly if i start a team it will take me 4 years to get to the premier.

also there is no promotion to the Munster senior league that is a totally different affiliation. if you win the aul premier you are invited into the Muster Senior Cup as are all the champs from the district leagues in munster.

[casilles]

Senior section
Premier 10 teams 2 down
1st division 10 teams 2 up 2 down
2nd division 9 teams 2 up

Junior section
Premier 12 teams 2 down
1st division 14 teams 2 up

there is no promotion from Junior to Senior

Over 35 league 12 teams

All teams come from Cork!! From what i hear its the cost of travelling thats the problem. teams like Carrick Utd{waterford} St Micheals{Tipperary} Tralee Dynomos Killarney Celtic {kerry} Fairview, Pike Rvs{limerick} would all hold ther own up there no worries.

Facilities are excellent all clubs have good pitchs and clubhouses. pitchs are fenced off too. theses are all mandorty for joining

[casilles]

Premier 9 teams
!st Division 9 teams

Standard is not great maybe Aul 1/2 division. Most clubs are as in the league name drom companies as in Novartis,Ucc,County Council and Cork airport to name but a few. Teams tend to rent pitchs off either aul or msl teams