Letterkenny Rovers F.C.
 | |||
| Full name | Letterkenny Rovers Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Rovers | ||
| Founded | 1936 (1936)(as Letterkenny Crusaders) | ||
| Ground | Leckview Park | ||
| Chairman | Eamon McConigley | ||
| Manager | Stephen McConnell[1] | ||
| League | FAI National League(starting 2026)Donegal League Premier Division | ||
| 2024–25 | 1st | ||
| Website | www | ||
Letterkenny Rovers Football Club (Irish: An Cumann Peile Leitir Ceanainn) is an association football club based in Letterkenny, County Donegal. Their senior men's team competes in the Donegal Junior League's Premier Division and plays their home games at Leckview Park.
The club won a historic treble in the 2024–25 season, winning the Donegal League Premier Division, the Brian McCormick Sports Cup, and Ulster Cup without a single defeat.
History
The club was formed in 1936 as Letterkenny Crusaders before being given its current name in 1954. Sources differ on the exact date with May 1957 and 1962 also cited as formation years.[2][3][4] However, the official club website states that the club was renamed Letterkenny Rovers in 1962.[5]
The club won back-to-back Donegal League titles in the 1980–81 and 1981–82 seasons before going on to become one of the founding members of the Ulster Senior League (USL) in 1986.[5]
Rovers won the USL on two occasions, with their first title coming in 2004–05.[4]
At the end of 2006, the club began preparation for an application for a semi-professional license to compete in the new A Championship but the Championship was cancelled at the end of the 2011 season. However, in 2010, the club erected a new 200 seater stand at Leckview Park in phase one of the re-development of the venue.[6]
The 2015–2016 season saw Rovers, under the guidance of manager Eamon McConigley,[7] achieve two notable firsts.[8][9] Despite losing out to Cockhill Celtic for the USL and the Ulster Senior Cup (known as the Knockalla Caravans Cup for sponsorship reasons), Letterkenny Rovers reached the final of the FAI Intermediate Cup for the first time.[9] Although Rovers would lose the final at the Aviva Stadium, going down 5–0 to Crumlin United, the club reached the second round of the FAI Cup for the first time, beating Portmarnock 2–1 at Leckview Park.[4][8]
The 2021/22 season saw Rovers win the Donegal League Division Two at the first attempt upon its re-entry to the Donegal Junior League under the guidance of Stephen McConnell.
Following the disbandment of the Ulster Senior League (USL) at the end of the 2022–23 season, the club’s senior men's team returned to junior football. Letterkenny Rovers were the only club to have participated in every season of the USL.[5]
The 2023/24 season, saw Rovers win the Donegal League First Division and the Brian McCormick Sports Cup.
The 2024/25 season saw the club achieve a historic treble by winning the Donegal Junior League Premier Division, the Brian McCormick Sports Cup, and Ulster Junior Cup without a single defeat.[1][10]
In December 2025, they were announced to be a founding team of the FAI National League and is expected to compete in the truncated season beginning in Autumn 2026.[11]
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
- Source:[12]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Stephen McConnell |
| Assistant Manager/Coach | Anthony Gorman |
Management
Managers | Assistant Managers
|
Colours and badge
Letterkenny Rovers home kit is white jersey, black shorts, black socks. The away kit are blue jersey, blue shorts and blue socks.
The club crest is divided into four panels which feature St Eunan's Cathedral, Conwal Parish Church, the Oldtown bridge that crosses the River Swilly, and a salmon, which is a common symbol associated with the town. There is a football in the centre of the crest.
Honours
- Ulster Senior League
- Winners: 2004–05, 2009: 2
- FAI Intermediate Cup
- Runners-up: 2015–16: 1
References
- ^ abFoley, Alan (3 May 2025). "Draw with Fanad confirms Letterkenny Rovers' invincible Premier Division season". www.letterkennylive.ie. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^"ON THIS DAY: 20th April 1895 LETTERKENNY FOOTBALL TEAM IN FIRST CUP FINAL – Letterkenny Historical Society". www.letterkennyhistory.com. 20 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 May 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
- ^"The Cricket Meadow - Letterkenny History". www.facebook.com. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ^ abc"Letterkenny Rovers complete FAI Club Mark Entry Level | Football Association of Ireland". www.fai.ie. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ^ abc"Club History | Letterkenny Rovers FC". www.letterkennyroversfc.ie. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
- ^"Letterkenny Rovers". www.uslfootball.com. Ulster Senior League. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
- ^"FOUR LANTERNS USL: ROVERS CLOSE GAP WITH 3-1 WIN OVER FANAD UNITED". Donegal Daily. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ abKelly, Oisin (24 April 2016). "Letterkenny Rovers make history with FAI Senior Cup win". Highland Radio - Latest Donegal News and Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^ abFerry, Ryan (26 May 2016). "Cockhill want treble, Rovers want a cup". Donegal News. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ^Bonnar, Daire (28 August 2025). "Letterkenny Rovers begin Brian McCormick Cup title defence this weekend". www.donegallive.ie. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^"FAI National League to feature at least 15 clubs". RTÉ. 19 December 2025. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ^ abcdef"Danny McConnell takes over at Letterkenny Rovers". Highland Radio. 27 August 2020.
External links
