League of Ireland sides have traditionally struggled to reach the group stages of European competitions, but things could be changing. Last season, Shamrock Rovers stunned by not only making it to the league phase of the Conference League, but actually giving a good account of themselves, all things considered.
Finishing 11th in the league phase, after going undefeated until the final matchday against eventual winners Chelsea. They were subsequently knocked out in the play-off round by Molde on penalties, but nonetheless made a good impression.
This year, Irish football fans hope to see something similar happen. Three teams qualify for European qualifiers through the Irish Premier Division. This season, three Irish clubs are competing in UEFA qualifiers: Shelbourne in the Champions League, with Shamrock Rovers and St. Patrick’s Athletic in the Conference League.
The first rounds have now been played, where do the Irish teams stand?
Shelbourne: strong start amid managerial turmoil
Shelbourne took on Linfield in an all-island derby for the first qualifying round of the Champions League. The first leg was held in Shels’ own ground, Tolka Park. Shelbourne.
Even though Shelbourne won the Irish Premier Division last year, they were in a bad spot with the departure of manager Damien Duff just a week before the first leg.
Despite this, they managed to hold on to a 1-0 win to take to Belfast after a strike at the edge of the box by Ademipo Odubeko found the bottom right corner of the net in the 58th minute.
The second leg in Belfast one week later saw more chances for both sides.
Ali Coote found the net for Shels in the 25th minute but it was equalised through a penalty by Chris Shields in the dying minutes of stoppage time in the first half. Linfield looked like they were going to find a way to equalise the tie but a red card for Ben Hall after a last-man-foul ensured that Shelbourne stayed on top.
Shelbourne will now face Azerbaijani side Qarabağ in the second round of qualifying next week.
Qarabeg are favourites heading into next week’s tie but if Shelbourne can manage to get past them they’ll have a free trip to the Conference League even if everything goes badly from then on. They’ll have the chance to bag Champions League or even Europa League qualification.
If Shelbourne lose their next tie they will face another losing team in the third stage of the Europa league qualifiers.
St. Patrick’s Athletic: Mason Melia shines
Pat’s faced Lithuanian side FC Hegelmann in the first round of the Conference League qualifiers.
The first round at Richmond Park, Dublin saw Pats win 1-0, thanks to a penalty by Aidan Keena in the 81st minute. The second leg saw them travel to Lithuania, where they took a convincing 2-0 win to take themselves to the next round.
17-year-old Mason Melia opened the scoring with a goal in the 6th minute, assisting teammate Kian Leavy with the second goal in the 56th minute to seal any doubts. Mason Melia is set to join Tottenham Hotspur in January 2026.
St Pat’s manager Stephen Kenny said in an interview post-match that it was “such an important victory” for his team. Pats are set to face Estonian side Kalju next week after they squeezed past Armenian side FK Partizani with a goal in the 104th minute to win 1-0.
St Pat’s must win every qualifying tie to make the league phase of the Conference League, there are no safety nets here. This will be a big ask for the squad.
Shamrock Rovers: aiming for another group stage
Rovers are yet to play a European qualifier.
They are set to play Gibraltar’s St. Joseph’s next week for the second round of Conference League qualifiers.
St. Joseph’s saw off Northern Irish side Cliftonville after an exciting 3-2 win after extra time on Thursday night.
Rovers currently sit top of the Irish Premier Division and look like heavy favourites going into next Thursday’s match when they will travel to Gibraltar to take on the Saints.
Good for the league
European participation is vital for the growth of Irish football, both financially and in terms of visibility. The prize money from these qualifiers alone could be enough for a club to grow massively in comparison to the prize money for the Irish Premier
