A full breakdown of League of Ireland First Division attendances after 7 gameweeks, comparing 2026 figures to 2025 across every club.
Early season attendance figures often provide one of the clearest indicators of where interest in the First Division lies both on and off the pitch and after seven gameweeks of the 2026 campaign, total attendances have risen slightly compared to 2025, but the underlying trends tell a more different story.
After seven gameweeks of the 2025 season, total attendances stood at 34,003, a figure that has risen to 35,127 at the same stage in 2026, representing a 3.3% increase.
While Cork City have immediately set a new benchmark at the top end of the division, several clubs across the division have recorded significant declines in crowd numbers since last year.
Cork City Effect
The most significant shift in 2026 comes with Cork City’s returning to the First Division following their relegation from the Premier Division in 2025.
Averaging 2,862 across their opening home 4 home fixtures, The Rebel Army have by far the highest average attendance in the league. When comparing to the 2025 First Division Champions Dundalk, Cork City average is over 600 higher to Dundalk’s (2,205).
Clubs On The Rise
Athlone Town have seen one of the biggest increases in attendances in the First Division, rising from an average of 597 in 2025 to 815 in 2026. This represents a 36.5% increase in 12 months.
Wexford have also seen a rise in their attendances when compared to figures in 2025. In the opening 7 games of 2025, Wexford had 4 games with an average attendance of 628. Their attendance for 2026 has seen a 30% increase with an average attendance of 817 so far this season.
UCD have also recorded a rise in their attendances in 2026 with an average attendance of 354 so far this season compared to 300 in 2025 (An 18% increase).
Crowds Falling Across the Grounds
Some of the worrying trends from analysis of attendances in the last 12 months is the fall off in numbers attending games at a number of clubs where gate receipts are a source of the clubs primary income.
Treaty United is the club that has seen the largest drop in attendances since this in 2025 with their 2025 average attendance going from 1,357 to 818 in 2026, representing a 39.7% decrease.
Fellow Munster side Kerry FC have also seen a drop off in their home attendances when compared to last year falling from falling from 821 in 2025 to 561 (-31.7%), while Longford Town (-23.4%) and Finn Harps (-19.7%) have both recorded high decreases in attendances.
Bray Wanderers average attendance of 1,074 in 2026 is down from 1,272 in 2025 (-15.6%). However, Bray played just two home games in the opening seven rounds of 2025 due to pitch redevelopment, compared to four home fixtures in 2026.
Cobh Ramblers numbers are the only ones to remain largely consistent, dropping slightly from 1,076 to 1,027 (-4.6%)
Early attendance figures suggest the First Division is becoming more divided. At the top end, Cork City’s arrival has boosted crowds significantly, playing a massive part in the overall increase of attendances between 2026 and 2025. Athlone Town and Wexford have also shown increases in attendances in 2026 but this trend is not being seen across the country.
Several clubs are seeing a decline in their attendances at home games with notable declines for Treaty United, Kerry FC, and Longford Town. Results are what gets supporters into the grounds each week and if the team’s aren’t performing well then supporters won’t come to support their sides.
The key question now is whether these trends will stabilise, or whether the gap between the division’s strongest and weakest drawing clubs will continue to widen over the course of the 2026 season.
| Club | 2026 | 2025 | Increase/Decrease |
| Athlone Town | 815 | 597 | 36.50% |
| Bray Wanderers | 1,074 | 1,272 | -15.60% |
| Cork City | 2,862 | ||
| Cobh Ramblers | 1,027 | 1,076 | -4.60% |
| Dundalk | – | 2,205 | |
| Finn Harps | 934 | 1,163 | -19.70% |
| Kerry FC | 561 | 821 | -31.70% |
| Longford Town | 530 | 692 | -23.40% |
| Treaty United | 818 | 1,357 | -39.70% |
| UCD | 331 | 300 | 18% |
| Wexford | 613 | 628 | 30% |
*All figures found from FAI Connect App