Sports Editor, Bill Schmitz, takes a look at the past, present and future of League of Ireland clubs in European competitions and what it means for the growth of Irish football.
When Shamrock Rovers stepped out at Old Trafford in 1957 to face Manchester United in the European Cup, little did they know that it was the beginning of a long, complicated relationship between Irish clubs and continental competition. That preliminary round tie, a 9-2 defeat on aggregate, marked the League of Ireland’s first appearance in Europe. In the decades since, Irish clubs have continued to be the underdogs, occasionally breaking through. Yet, over the past few years the Irish presence in UEFA competitions has become a more regular sight.
Rovers’ pioneering appearance in the European Cup was the beginning, with Drumcondra playing Atletico Madrid the next year. Throughout the 1950s, just the league champions got a place in the European Cup. However, that began to change with the introduction of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1960, which the winner of the FAI Cup got a place in. In 1971, the UEFA Cup, the precursor to the Europa League, was introduced. With that, Ireland got a third qualifying spot in Europe for the second place finisher in the league.
Recently, with the restructuring of UEFA competitions and the introduction of the Europa Conference League, Ireland now has 4 places. The league champions enter the Champions League Qualifiers. Second and third get into the Conference League Qualifiers. The FAI Cup winners secure a Conference League spot, or Europa League, depending on the league’s coefficient, with the chance to compete passing down the table if the winner is already qualified with their league spot.
On the women’s side, progress has been significant. Women’s clubs first entered UEFA competitions in 2001, in the old UEFA Women’s Cup. Since then, Peamount United and Wexford Youths have both represented Ireland on the European stage.
Athlone Town have been the showcase side for the Irish women in Europe. Just four years after entering the Women’s National League, they claimed their first league title in 2024. This secured them a spot in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Wins over Cardiff City and Agram impressed the nation, before a defeat to the Icelandic Breiðablik dropped them down a level into the Women’s Europa Cup play-off. Their famous victory against Red Star Belgrade qualified them for the first round of the tournament, before they were knocked out by Glasgow City.
The 2025 season has already marked a turning point for the men as well. Shamrock Rovers returned to Europe and booked themselves a spot in the Conference League league phase, defeating Portuguese side Santa Clara. Shelbourne joined them after a dramatic 3-1 aggregate win over Linfield. This means for the first time in history two Irish men's clubs are competing in a European group stage in the same season. An impressive campaign by both men and women this year, that is still an unfolding story.
For League of Ireland clubs, European qualification is about much more than prestige, it's about financial security and survival. The prize funds on offer for UEFA competitions dwarf anything domestically. In total, the prize fund across the entire League of Ireland across all divisions was €765,000. Whereas one club entering the Europa Conference League league phase is guaranteed at least €3.17 million. On top of that, every win brings in another €400,000 and every draw €133,000.
For smaller clubs, a single European win can be worth as much as their annual wage bill. However, with money comes pressure. In 2016, Dundalk’s campaign into the Europa League group stages brought in €7 million. €2.2 million was delayed for nearly a year by the FAI, causing serious cashflow issues. That, compounded with poor ownership, resulted in financial turmoil for Dundalk in the following years. The effects of which can still be felt around the club that were relegated last season.
European results don’t just benefit the individual clubs, they also boost Ireland’s position in UEFA’s coefficient rankings. Each win and draw in Europe adds points to the national total, which is then divided by the number of Irish teams competing that season. Those points, accumulated over a rolling five-year cycle, determine Ireland’s rank in the coefficient table and the league’s access to European qualifying places.
This means that each win or draw Shamrock Rovers or Shelbourne get in their campaigns, strengthens the pathway for every Irish team that follows. If the coefficient continues to rise, Irish clubs could enter European competitions at later qualifying rounds.
Irish clubs also benefit heavily from the advent of the qualifying phase of European competition’s “parachute” system. A club beginning in the Champions League qualifiers isn’t knocked out completely if they lose. Instead, they drop down into Europa League qualifying, and if eliminated there, they fall again into the Europa Conference League.
This safety net essentially means that if the League of Ireland champions win their opening Champions League qualifier, they are guaranteed at least a place in the Conference League play-offs. For a league with limited financial resources, this parachute effect tilts the odds in Ireland’s favour. It is much more likely nowadays that the once-in-a-generation dream of your local LOI club reaching a European group stage could become a reality.
For LOI fans, these campaigns are more than money or coefficient rankings. European nights define a season. Stadiums are transformed into fortresses, while away trips create lifelong memories. These are moments when fans get to see the true calibre of their club, as they get to measure themselves against the wider football world.
Yet challenges remain. Budgets are tight and facilities are small. Success often brings problems of its own, especially with unregulated ownership. Dundalk’s story should be a cautionary tale. Meanwhile, the stars of Irish clubs in Europe are usually poached soon after by English and Scottish clubs. Currently, it is just not possible for LOI clubs to match the attractiveness of a career in football abroad.
Still, the direction is clear. With the introduction of the Europa Conference League, Irish clubs are sure to establish a clearer and more consistent presence in UEFA competitions. The question is not whether we will see another Irish club in the league phase, but how often and how far can they go?