The FAI National League officially launched its 2026 inaugural season at the National Sports Campus as the first week of the season gets set for action on Saturday, August 29.

The 15 founding members were at the National Indoor Arena for the launch all with an eye on lifting the first-ever FAI National League title.
 

This weekend will see five games take place with Mervue United facing Cockhill Celtic and Bonagee United hosting Home Farm DCU in Group 1. In Group 2 Salthill Devon take on Letterkenny Rovers with Mayo facing St. Francis in Castlebar. The solitary fixture in Group 3 sees the return of football in Carlow and Kilkenny as CK United host Newbridge Town.

Speaking at the launch Interim FAI National Competitions Lead, Garret Higgins said: “The expansion of the football pyramid is huge for the game here in Ireland. It offers a new highly-competitive competition that will give a new standard for footballers to compete in.
 

“There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of intrigue about the upcoming season but having Carlow, Kilkenny, Kildare, Mayo represented in addition to more clubs in Kerry, Galway, Donegal, Waterford, Cork and Dublin only serves to emphasise the passion for football throughout the country

"This will be a season of learning but with that comes a great opportunity for these clubs to grow and establish themselves even more. These are the first 15 clubs to step into the National League but we’ve every hope to expand that in the coming years.”
    

Round 1 
Saturday, August 29th
 

Group 1 | Mervue United v Cockhill Celtic | Fahy’s Field | KO 15:00 

Group 1 | Bonagee United v Home Farm DCU | Dry Arch Park | KO 17:00 

Group 2 | Salthill Devon v Letterkenny Rovers | NFP Park | KO 15:00 

Group 2 | Mayo v St. Francis | Umbro Park | KO 17:00 

Group 3 | CK United v Newbridge Town | SETU Carlow Sports Campus | KO 14:00