EA Sports 5-a-Side

The EA Sports Primary Schools 5 aside competition is the biggest competition in primary schools soccer. The programme, involved 914 schools in 2008 and over 15,000 children each year.  
Competitions begin in March with a competition in every county. Winners progress to their respective Provincial Finals and then to the Nationals Finals in May.

Futsal

A schools pilot programme was held in Munster and Leinster in 2008. 213 schools took part in the county events and over 2,700 children played games locally. County winners progress to provincial finals. County events will take place in all provinces in 2009.

Coaching Sessions

FAI staff provides coaching sessions for schools in areas where community football programmes are part of their work with local authorities. More details can be had from contacting the schools section.

Transition Year Courses

The soccer leaders award is a twenty hour coach education course for students in Transition Year. Students must complete coaching sessions and run a mini soccer tournament. This course can also provide FETAC credits. FAI also provides volunteer and referee education courses.  For more information contact the schools section or your local development officer.

First Year Futsal

A national Futsal competition took place from October to February and had 267 schools and over 3,000 boys and girls taking part. This competition started at local level and moved to county and provincial finals with a National Final in the Dublin.

Teacher Training Courses

Buntús, Kick Start One and Two courses are provided for students teachers. More information can by provided by contacting the schools section.

FAI Schools

FAI Schools was established in 1968 as the Irish Secondary Schools Football Association. However, football had been played for 13 years prior to that with the Leinster Schools Easter Vacation League having just two official schools entering, though there were a number of "unofficial" members, given the external influences that prevailed at the time! By the mid sixties, this league had grown to over forty teams representing schools in the Dublin area while a similar organisation was being established in the West. Indeed, in 1966 & 1967 the winners of the Connacht Schools' Cup played the Leinster champions for the Irish Schools' Senior Cup. Following some moves to co-ordinate the running of schools football with the ISSFA, the first ever Football Association of Irish Schools was formed in 1970. Nearly forty years later, the Association now boasts a membership of over 500 second level schools as well as 900 primary schools. Each year, the FAI Schools organises football for more than 80,000 students throughout the country.

FAI Schools established its first International Under 18s Boys' team in 1988 while it fielded its first International Girls' team at Under 15 level in 2002.

Primary Schools

Football in primary schools has been played for many years but it's only in recent years that it has begun to develop rapidly. Primary schools were active in major urban centres, Kildare and Donegal but the advent of a National 5 a side competition saw significant growth in participation throughout the country. While there is now football at primary level in each of the 26 counties, there remains major scope for development and expansion.

Primary schools also have equal representation at Branch Executive and National Executive level and primary school teachers are now active at all levels of the Association.

Secondary Schools

Football in second level schools has been organised along competitive lines since the late 1960s. Initially a handful of Dublin schools were involved but over time participation has grown to the current level where schools from every county in the country are involved. Nowadays two out of every three secondary schools take part at some level in FAI Schools Cup competitions. There are now ten Cup competitions from first year through to senior Boys and Girls that provide All Ireland winners. There are long established representative competitions at Interprovincial and International level for both boys and girls.

Current Status

Schools football in Ireland is currently overseen by FAI Schools. Some of the programmes of activity that take place are as follows:

Competitions

The Association is responsible for ten National Cups at second level while there are in excess of thirty other competitions held throughout the four branches. Meanwhile at Primary level, the ever popular Five a Side event attracts over 14,000 competitors across the country while there are also local competitions in Donegal, Dublin as well as Cork and Waterford.

The FAI Schools organises an annual Interprovincial representative tournament for Boys Under 18 and Girls Under 15 and both competitions are the key recruiting process for underage International squads.

International Football

Boys Under 18

Irish Schools International games have been played since 1988. In 1988 the Irish Schools team played in the Celtic Cup with Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. They have won the competition every year since 1998 except 2000 (holders retain trophy if teams are equal on points).

The Irish Schools now also compete in the Centenary Shield since 2003, with Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. They were winners of this competition in 2003 and 2004 (joint winners in 2005 with Northern Ireland) and 2008.

Girls Under 15

The FAI Schools under 15 Girls Development Squad have been playing since 2002 in the Celtic Nations Trophy with Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. They have won the competition four times.

Structure

FAI Schools is an affiliate to the FAI.

The Association is governed by an National Executive and it is divided into Provincial Branches as follows:

Leinster

Ulster

Munster

Connacht

Each Branch is then subdivided into three Sections as follows:

a) A Primary Section

b) A Post-primary Girls Section

c) A Post-primary Boys Section

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