IRELAND 2019 www.liberoguide.com IRELAND 2019 www.liberoguide.com IN T R O connections to surrounding towns. Direct Tallaght Stadium services from Dublin Airport also run to most cities and main towns. With 2018 champions Dundalk losing features four clubs from the capital. Since pitch. Local support is equally passionate State-owned Bus Éireann has the manager Stephen Kenny after the most the days of the A Division in 1921-22, in Sligo, though major silverware has not most comprehensive and competitively successful period in the club’s history, Shamrock Rovers are record champions been won since the last-gasp FAI Cup win priced public-transport network around Cork City keen to wrest back the title and – but last won the title in 2011. of 2013. Ireland, reaching areas bereft of any rail Waterford FC revived under ambitious connection. Tickets can be purchased in owner Lee Power, the League of Ireland Fellow Southsiders St Patrick’s Athletic For the intrepid groundhopper, Ireland is advance, online. Premier Division is perfectly poised for hired Rovers legend Harry Kenny as the perfect destination, with affordable, 2019. coach to get the Inchicore side back in pay-on-the-day admission, bars at many Seven grounds, including Waterford Sister company Dublin Bus covers the Europe. While the redevelopment saga grounds and an easy-going atmosphere and Dublin’s Tallaght and UCD Bowl, capital, complemented by the Luas light The domination of the domestic game by of venerable Dalymount Park drags on, at most matches. And while some will be hosting the Euro Under-17 rail and DART coastal train, operated by Dublin clubs has been consigned to the Bohemians remain mired in mid-table. facilities may need improving, the game Championships in May 2019, a total of state-owned Irish Rail, Iarnród Éireann. past. Since Ireland’s switch to summer here isn’t a sanitised product played out 32 games, including qualification for the soccer in 2003, almost as many provincial Renamed after influential club captain for the profit of some offshore oligarch. Under-17 World Cup in October. Rail travel is generally dearer and less sides have been crowned champions. Ryan McBride, who passed away This is football at its most raw and, extensive around Ireland, though this is suddenly in 2017, Derry City’s Brandywell possibly, romantic – what other reason Station to stadium changing. The journey between Dublin With the promotion of University College Stadium is now redeveloped, with an could there be to visit Ballybofey, home of There are half-a-dozen airports in Ireland and Cork is now a comfortable experience Dublin in 2018, the ten-team top division impressive main stand and a 3G artificial the once mighty Finn Harps? with links to the UK and regular bus and online ticket deals can be attractive. liberoguide.com 1 IRELAND 2019 www.liberoguide.com IN T DERRY R ballYBOFEY O UCD SLIGO rounds. The 20 League of Ireland clubs DUNdalK enter at the Second Round stage, plus four teams from Ireland’s lower leagues, given a bye as the draw is made. DUBLIN The three main regional leagues of Cork City Leinster, Munster and Ulster form a de facto third tier but there is no direct promotion or relegation with Motorways connect Dublin with all major penalties decide if aggregate scores are the League of Ireland, whose reserve towns. Distances are given in kilometres level. sides compete at this level. The Ulster and toll charges are paid in cash. Senior League mainly features sides Clubs play each other four times in a from County Donegal. Teams from these Tables & trophies 36-game season. three regional leagues compete in their The League of Ireland consists of two WaterfORD own knock-out tournament, the FAI divisions, Premier and First, of ten clubs The 2019 Premier Division champions Intermediate Cup, previously known as in each. gain access to the first qualifying round the FAI Qualifying Cup. of the Champions League 2020-21. CORK Alongside, the LoI runs four youth Teams finishing second and third enter The 16 that reached the Fourth Round in divisions, at U19, U17, U15 and, as of the first qualifying round of the Europa the previous season’s competition go into 2019, U13 levels. League for the same season. the First Round of the senior FAI Cup. decided by yet another meeting of raising President’s Cup a week before They are joined by the four semi-finalists At senior level, at the end of the season, The winners of the FAI Cup join them goal Cork City and Dundalk in front of the regular league season. from the FAI Junior Cup, a wide-reaching the team bottom of the Premier swaps – or the fourth-placed side nips in if a 30,000-plus crowd at Dublin’s Aviva amateur tournament involving some 600 places with the winners of the First. the trophy goes to a team finishing Stadium. The FAI Cup is decided over one-leg ties, teams. Runners-up play off with ninth-placed above it. Ireland’s main knock-out including the semi-finals, with replays finishers from the Premier over two tournament, currently sponsored by FAI Cup holders and LoI champions from the quarter-final stage onwards, Of these 20 clubs, four receive byes to legs, home and away. Extra-time and the Irish Daily Mail, was most recently traditionally meet at the curtain- extra time and penalties in earlier the Second Round of the FAI Cup. liberoguide.com 2 IRELAND 2019 www.liberoguide.com Shamrock Rovers IN T R O Au Celtique Aviva Stadium CONTENTS supporters usually have their own 4-6 Dublin turnstile and area of the ground. 7 Aviva Stadium The final of the FAI Intermediate Cup and 2003. The 2019 season kicked off on Saturday night fixture. Longford Town 8 Bohemians FAI Junior Cup are now both played at Friday, February 15 and runs until the prefer 7.30pm, Cobh Ramblers 7pm. Welcome to liberoguide.com! 9 St Patrick’s Athletic the Aviva Stadium. end of October, bookended by the FAI The digital travel guide for football 10 Shamrock Rovers Cup final on November 3. Entry level fans, liberoguide.com is the most 11 UCD There is one more knock-out trophy, At most grounds, admission is cash-only up-to-date resource, city-by-city, club- 12 Ballybofey involving the 20 senior teams and There’s a short mid-summer break the at the turnstiles, prices around €15, €10 by-club, to the game across Europe. 13 Finn Harps four invited from the lower leagues. weekend of June 21-22. for seniors and students, €5 for children. Using only original photos and first- 14 Cork The League of Ireland Cup, aka EA hand research, taken and undertaken 15 Cork City Sports Cup, with its four-pool regional Friday night football is now firmly Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick’s Athletic, over five seasons, liberoguide.com 16 Derry structure earlier on, is decided over a established, games usually kicking off Dundalk, Cork, Derry and Waterford offer has been put together to enhance 17 Derry City one-leg final. The winners do not qualify at 7.45pm. One evening fixture is often advance sales for individual matches, every football weekend and Euro 18 Dundalk for Europe. Current holders Derry City reserved for Saturday while Monday can either online or from the ticket office/ night experience. From airport to 19 Dundalk FC are far and away record winners. be used for midweek rounds. club shop. arena, downtown sports bar to hotel, 20 Sligo liberoguide.com helps you get the best 21 Sligo Rovers Season’s dealings Kick-off times in the First Division are Availability is rarely a problem and out of your visit to football’s furthest 22 Waterford Ireland introduced summer football in also Friday 7.45pm, with the occasional pay-on-the-day is the norm. Visiting corners and showcase stadiums. 23 Waterford FC liberoguide.com 3 IRELAND 2019 Dublin www.liberoguide.com/dublin Blooms Hotel D UBLIN the Dublin monopoly on the domestic a new stadium in Tallaght, south-west league from the 1930s onwards, the Dublin, stalled. national side has only played four home games outside Dublin since the first in Making up Dublin’s Big Four, St 1924. Patrick’s Athletic share southside loyalties with Shamrock Rovers. Irish In a seminal decision, temporary champions in 2013, FAI Cup winners permission was granted for soccer to in 2014, never-relegated St Pat’s are be played at Gaelic football stronghold based at Richmond Park, Inchicore, Croke Park. in south-west Dublin, bringing tifo colour and choreography to Dublin Across town, another stadium saga had derby games. These same fans were The Back Page long been unfolding in south Dublin. the first to protest when a potential While the Bohs had been formed groundshare with Shamrock Rovers at near the North Circular Road in 1890, Tallaght was mooted in 1996. popularity of England’s Premier League internationals after the national side Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers Dublin and dominance of Gaelic football. It had gained mass support from the late hailed from southside Ringsend. This Construction started on Tallaght wasn’t until 1971 that Ireland’s national 1980s onwards, the Dalymount was simple north v south dynamic was Stadium in 2008. Set near the Dublin is where 50,000 gather to roar team started to share Lansdowne Road abandoned to its remit of hosting the skewed when the former Ringsend terminus of the light rail line from on Ireland’s national side in a modern with its rugby counterparts. Bohs. residents were forced to groundshare town (and direct from St Pat’s, arena chosen to co-host Euro 2020.