The inaugural FAI National League season gets underway this Saturday. For Mervue United and Salthill Devon it signifies the beginning of an exciting new era.
It will be run on a truncated basis and comprises 15 clubs from across the country with teams in three groups of five. Teams play each other both home and away. Each will play eight group games, with the three group winners and the best-placed runner-up entering the semi-finals before November’s final.
From 2027 onwards, promotion and relegation will be introduced, with the National League winners to face the bottom First Division side in a play-off for a place in the following season’s second-tier.
Mervue United have been drawn in Group 1 along with Donegal teams Bonagee United and Cockhill Celtic and Dublin clubs Home Farm DCU and Lucan United, while Salthill Devon are in Group 2 with neighbours Mayo FC, Donegal's Letterkenny Rovers, and Dublin sides TUD and St Francis.
Both Galway sides get their campaigns underway with home fixtures. Mervue United host Cockhill Celtic at Fahy Field with kick-off at 3pm. Salthill Devon welcome Letterkenny Rovers to NFP Park at 3pm also.
Mervue United
Mervue United will be led by Brendan O'Connor for the upcoming campaign. Ollie Neary and Paul Sinnott make up the club’s coaching team.
All three bring a wealth of experience, having played at the highest level in the League of Ireland. Each have represented Galway United in their careers with over 600 appearances between them.
The trio are also deeply connected to the history and development of Mervue United. O’Connor was part of the club’s League of Ireland First Division set-up and also has experience coaching Galway United’s U19 outfit. His recent successes include guiding the Galway League to Oscar Traynor Cup success this year and Maree/Oranmore to a Michael Byrne Cup victory.
Neary has played and coached at every level within Mervue United. He played a key role in securing FAI Youth Cup and FAI U17 National Championship titles in 2019 and 2020. Sinnott captained Mervue United to the club’s first national title win when he lifted the Barry Cup at U16 level in 2003. He later coached alongside O’Connor with Galway United’s U19’s and most recently worked with the Galway United Women’s senior League of Ireland team.
Salthill Devon
Salthill Devon announced the appointment of former Irish international Greg Cunningham as manager for the FAI National League season in June.
Cunningham's decision to take the reins in Salthill follows his retirement at the end of the 2025 season. This is Cunningham's first venture into management.
The former Manchester City, Cardiff City, and Preston North End defender has amassed a wealth of experience at the highest level of the professional game, having forged his career as a youth player in Galway with Cregmore/Claregalway FC and Mervue United FC.
In total, Greg made over 350 appearances in England’s top three divisions as a player before returning to his hometown club, Galway United, during the 2024 season. At international level, the Carnmore native earned four caps for the Republic of Ireland senior team, having represented his country extensively at underage level.
Cunningham inherits a squad that has clinched county and provincial silverware in the past number of years. Salthill Devon has won the Galway League Premier Division in four of the past five seasons, as well as trophies including both the Connacht Senior and Junior Cups.
Speaking at the launch of the FAI National League at the National Sports Campus, Interim FAI National Competitions Lead, Garret Higgins said that the new league format will offer a "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," added Higgins.
"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."
