NIFL Premiership
FIFA Region
UEFA
Season
2023-2024
Location
Northern Ireland
Abbreviation
NIR1

Summary

The NIFL Premiership (NIR1), or Dankse Bank Premiership, is the top division in Northern Ireland's football system. At the end of the 2023-2024 NIR1 season, the NIR1 teams listed below qualify for the following non-league play:

  • 2024-2025 UEFA Champions League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 1st place 2023-2024 NIR1 Championhsip Group team
  • 2024-2025 UEFA Europa Conference League - 1st Qualifying Round:
    • 2nd place 2023-2024 NIR1 team
    • 2023-2024 NIR1 UEFA Europa Conference League Playoffs winner

The winner of the 2023-2024 Irish Football Association Challenge Cup (Irish Cup), typically a NIR1 team, also receives a berth in the 1st Qualifying Round of the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa Conference League.

Leagues Pyramid - Northern Ireland

Abbrev League # of Teams
NIR1 Dankse Bank Premiership 12
NIR2 NIFL Championship 12
NIR3 NIFL Premier Intermediate League 14

Competition Structure

Season

# of Teams

Regular
4 Aug 2022 - 23 Mar 2024		Champ/Releg Rounds
1 Apr 2024 - 29 Apr 2024		UEFAECL Playoffs
2 May 2024 - 15 Jun 2024		12: NIR1 (10 minimum), NIR2 (2 maximum)

Season Format

The 2023-2024 NIR1 season consists of 2 stages. In the first stage, each NIR1 team plays the other 11 NIR1 teams 3 times for a total of 33 league matches. In each 3 match series one team hosts 2 home matches and the other team hosts 1 home match. In the second stage, the top six teams (Championship Group) play each other a 4th time (5 more matches) to determine final rankings for UEFA Champions League and Europa League placements, and the bottom six teams (Relegation Group) play each other a 4th time (5 more matches) to determine the relegation placements. Total points are for all 38 matches. Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) head-to-head points, (4) head-to-head goal difference, then (5) a drawing.

Playoffs

At the end of the 2023-2024 NIR1 season, the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place NIR1 Championship Group teams and the 1st place NIR1 Relegation Group team enter into the UEFAECL playoffs (knockout format). The winner of this playoff receives a berth in the 2024-2025 UEFA Europa Conference League - 1st Qualifying Round.

Relegation

At the end of the 2023-2024 NIR1 season, the 6th place NIR1 Relegation Group team will be relegated to the NIR2, and the 5th place NIR1 Relegation Group team enters into a Home-Away highest aggregate score playoff with the 2nd place NIR2 team. The playoff winner and the 1st place NIR2 team play in the 2024-2025 NIR1, and the playoff loser plays in the 2024-2025 NIR2.


More Info...


2nd Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
Championship
1Larne FC 3725 -10-285-8022581915 -3-1485413411810 -7-13726917
2Linfield FC 3726 -6-584-8139421813 -3-2425019311913 -3-342312011
3Cliftonville 3723 -5-974-7942371812 -3-3394214281911 -2-63537289
4Crusaders FC 3719 -7-1164-613922187 -4-725262061912 -3-439351916
5Glentoran FC 3716 -10-1158-714328199 -6-433502129187 -4-7252122-1
6Coleraine FC 3712 -10-1546-4764-17207 -6-7272729-2175 -4-8192035-15
Relegation
1Carrick Rangers FC 3714 -5-1847-5271-19186 -1-11191928-9198 -4-7283343-10
2Dungannon Swifts FC 3712 -8-1744-6169-8197 -3-92434331185 -5-8202736-9
3Loughgall FC 3712 -6-1942-5667-11195 -3-11183136-5187 -3-8242531-6
4Glenavon FC 3711 -4-2237-4468-24176 -3-8211923-4205 -1-14162545-20
5Ballymena United FC 378 -4-2528-2967-38194 -2-13141830-12184 -2-12141137-26
6Newry City AFC 374 -5-2817-2595-70180 -3-153842-34194 -2-13141753-36
2024-2025 UEFACL
UEFAECL Playoffs
2024-2025 UEFAECL
Relegation Playoffs
Relegation to NIR2

1st Stage

 LeagueHomeRoad
POSMPW - D - LPTSCPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGDMPW - D - LPTSGFGAGD
1Larne FC 3324 -8-180-6917521714 -3-0454611351610 -5-13523617
2Linfield FC 3325 -3-578-7635411613 -1-2404716311712 -2-338291910
3Cliftonville 3322 -4-770-7330431711 -3-3364014261611 -1-434331617
4Glentoran FC 3316 -8-956-683731179 -4-431481929167 -4-52520182
5Crusaders FC 3316 -7-1055-553619166 -4-622231761710 -3-433321913
6Coleraine FC 3311 -8-1441-4157-16176 -5-6232324-1165 -3-8181833-15
7Loughgall FC 3311 -6-1639-5059-9174 -3-10152632-6167 -3-6242427-3
8Carrick Rangers FC 3311 -5-1738-4365-22164 -1-11131526-11177 -4-6252839-11
9Glenavon FC 3310 -4-1934-4060-20165 -3-8181621-5175 -1-11162439-15
10Dungannon Swifts FC 338 -8-1732-5267-15164 -3-9152731-4174 -5-8172536-11
11Ballymena United FC 335 -4-2419-2063-43172 -2-1381330-17163 -2-1111733-26
12Newry City AFC 334 -5-2417-2283-61160 -3-133737-30174 -2-11141546-31
Championship Group
Relegation Group

Fixtures

Sat - 27 Apr 2024
 Glentoran FC   Crusaders FCBetMcLean Oval
 Larne FC   Coleraine FCInver Park
 Linfield FC   CliftonvilleWindsor Park (Belfast)
 Newry City AFC   Loughgall FCThe Showgrounds (Sligo)
 Glenavon FC   Carrick Rangers FCMourneview Park

Results

Mon - 22 Apr 2024
 Linfield FC 11 Larne FCWindsor Park (Belfast)
Sat - 20 Apr 2024
 Carrick Rangers FC 21 Loughgall FCLoughview Leisure Arena
 Ballymena United FC 40 Newry City AFCThe Showgrounds (Sligo)
 Coleraine FC 02 Crusaders FCThe Showgrounds (Sligo)
 Cliftonville 20 Glentoran FCSolitude (Belfast)
Tue - 16 Apr 2024
 Newry City AFC 13 Carrick Rangers FCThe Showgrounds (Sligo)
 Ballymena United FC 10 Glenavon FCThe Showgrounds (Sligo)
 Linfield FC 22 Coleraine FCWindsor Park (Belfast)
 Glentoran FC 22 Larne FCBetMcLean Oval
 Crusaders FC 21 CliftonvilleSeaview (Belfast)
Sat - 13 Apr 2024
 Larne FC 81 CliftonvilleInver Park
 Carrick Rangers FC 21 Ballymena United FCLoughview Leisure Arena
 Newry City AFC 02 Dungannon Swifts FCThe Showgrounds (Sligo)
 Loughgall FC 31 Glenavon FCLakeview Park (Loughgall)
 Coleraine FC 21 Glentoran FCThe Showgrounds (Sligo)
Fri - 12 Apr 2024
 Crusaders FC 12 Linfield FCSeaview (Belfast)
Sat - 6 Apr 2024
 Glentoran FC 00 Linfield FCBetMcLean Oval
 Loughgall FC 23 Ballymena United FCLakeview Park (Loughgall)