Irlande - Leinster Senior League

Irlande - Leinster Senior League

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The Leinster Senior League is an association football league organised by the Leinster Football Association. In 2015–16 the Leinster Senior League operated twenty divisions. It also organises various cup competitions. Its Senior Division is a third level division in the Republic of Ireland football league system. Leinster Senior League teams also compete in the Leinster Senior Cup, the FAI Cup, the FAI Intermediate Cup and the FAI Junior Cup. In recent seasons the winners of the Senior Division have also qualified to play in the League of Ireland Cup. The vast majority of its member clubs are based in the Greater Dublin Area.

History

Foundation

Within a few seasons of the Leinster Football Association having been formed in 1892, the Leinster Senior League was established. Ciarán Priestley highlights a printed notice in the 4 September 2010 edition of The Irish Times. Under the headline "Leinster Football League" there is a report of "a general meeting of the league... held the other evening at 27 D'Olier Street". Priestley also lists Bohemians, Britannia, Dublin University, Leinster Nomads, Phoenix and Montpelier as participants in the first season. The Leinster Senior League website states it was established in 1896. However other sources suggest the league started a little later and was first played for in 1897–98 and that an unidentified British Army regimental team were the inaugural winners while Shelbourne were runners up.

**Irlande - Leinster Senior League**

La Leinster Senior League est une ligue de football irlandaise comprenant des clubs des comtés de Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath et Wicklow. Elle a été fondée en 1921 et constitue le deuxième échelon du football irlandais, après la League of Ireland First Division.

La ligue est divisée en deux divisions : la Premier Division et la Senior Division. La Premier Division est composée de 12 clubs, tandis que la Senior Division compte 14 clubs. Les deux meilleures équipes de la Premier Division sont promues en League of Ireland First Division, tandis que les deux dernières équipes de la Premier Division sont reléguées en Senior Division.

Les clubs les plus titrés de la Leinster Senior League sont le St Patrick's Athletic FC (11 titres) et le Shamrock Rovers FC (9 titres). Le St Patrick's Athletic FC a également remporté la FAI Cup, la principale compétition de coupe irlandaise, à trois reprises.

La Leinster Senior League est un tremplin important pour les jeunes joueurs irlandais. De nombreux joueurs ont débuté leur carrière dans la ligue avant de passer au niveau supérieur. Parmi les joueurs les plus célèbres à avoir joué dans la Leinster Senior League, citons Robbie Keane, Damien Duff et Shay Given.