2026 Shelbourne F.C. season (Men's)
| 2026 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO | Tomás Quinn | |||
| Head Coach | Joey O'Brien | |||
| Stadium | Tolka Park, Dublin | |||
| Premier Division | 2026 League of Ireland Premier Division | |||
| Leinster Senior Cup | 2025-26 Leinster Senior Cup | |||
| FAI Cup | Second round | |||
| UEFA Conference League | Second qualifying round | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Harry Wood 4 All: Harry Wood 4 (4) | |||
| Highest home attendance | Shamrock Rovers 5,683 9 March 2026 (Premier Division) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | Galway United 4,052 20 February 2026 (Premier Division) | |||
|
| ||||
| All statistics correct as of 29 Dec 2025. | ||||
The 2026 Shelbourne F.C. season is the club's 131st season in existence and will see the Men's Senior Team competing in the 2026 League of Ireland Premier Division.
Having finished 3rd in the 2025 League of Ireland Premier Division, the club will enter in the second qualifying round of the 2026-27 UEFA Conference League.[1][2]
On 4 November 2025, Chadwick's confirmed the extension of their partnership of Shelbourne FC for a further two years, continuing as the club's front of jersey sponsor.[3]
Following the departure of Mark Coyle to Coleraine, defender Paddy Barrett was appointed as team captain.
On 14 January 2026, Shels broke the League of Ireland record transfer fee by signing defender Odhrán Casey from Cliftonville.[4]
First team squad
Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 2026 season.
| # | Name | Nationality | Position | Date of birth (age) | Previous club | Joined | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||||
| 1 | Wessel Speel | GK | 17 October 2001 (aged 23) | Minnesota United FC | 2025 | Loan | |
| 31 | Conor Walsh | GK | 7 March 2005 (aged 21) | Sligo Rovers F.C. | 2026 | ||
| 50 | Ali Topcu | GK | 1 April 2008 (aged 17) | Youth Team | 2024 | Youth | |
| Defenders | |||||||
| 2 | Sean Gannon | DF | 11 July 1991 (aged 34) | Shamrock Rovers | 2024 | ||
| 4 | Kameron Ledwidge | DF | 7 April 2001 (aged 24) | Southampton | 2021 | ||
| 15 | Sam Bone | DF | 6 February 1998 (aged 27) | Maidstone United | 2024 | ||
| 16 | Odhran Casey | DF | 9 April 2002 (aged 23) | Cliftonville F.C. | 2026 | ||
| 17 | Daniel Kelly | DF | 21 May 1996 (aged 29) | Derry City | 2025 | ||
| 18 | James Norris | DF | 4 April 2003 (aged 21) | Liverpool F.C. | 2026 | ||
| 24 | Zeno Ibsen Rossi | DF | 28 October 2000 (aged 25) | Cambridge United F.C. | 2026 | Loan until July 2026 | |
| 25 | Milan Mbeng | DF | 6 April 2002 (aged 23) | Cork City F.C. | 2025 | ||
| 29 | Paddy Barrett | DF | 22 July 1993 (aged 32) | St Patrick's Athletic | 2023 | Captain | |
| 55 | James Roche | DF | October 2007 (aged 17) | Shamrock Rovers | 2025 | Youth | |
| Midfielders | |||||||
| 5 | Ellis Chapman | MF | 8 January 2001 (aged 25) | Sligo Rovers F.C. | 2025 | ||
| 6 | Jonathan Lunney | MF | 2 February 1998 (aged 27) | Bohemians | 2021 | ||
| 7 | Harry Wood | MF | 2 August 2002 (aged 23) | Hull City | 2024 | ||
| 14 | Ali Coote | MF | 11 June 1998 (aged 28) | Detroit City | 2024 | ||
| 21 | Jack Henry-Francis | MF | 23 September 2003 (aged 22) | Arsenal F.C. | 2025 | ||
| 22 | Sean Moore | MF | 3 August 2005 (aged 20) | West Ham United F.C. | 2025 | ||
| 23 | Kerr McInroy | MF | 31 August 2000 (aged 25) | Free Agent | 2025 | ||
| 27 | Evan Caffrey | MF | 27 February 2003 (aged 22) | UCD | 2023 | ||
| 28 | Maill Lundgren | MF | 1 June 2001 (aged 24) | Degerfors IF | 2026 | ||
| 47 | James Bailey | MF | 13 August 2007 (aged 18) | Youth Team | 2025 | Youth | |
| 52 | Alex Flynn | MF | 19 July 2008 (aged 17) | Youth Team | 2025 | Youth | |
| 60 | Cillian Ryan | MF | 5 March 2008 (aged 17) | Youth Team | 2025 | Youth | |
| Attackers | |||||||
| 9 | Seán Boyd | FW | 20 June 1998 (aged 27) | Finn Harps | 2022 | ||
| 10 | John Martin | FW | 13 March 1997 (aged 28) | Dundalk | 2024 | ||
| 11 | Mipo Odubeko | FW | 21 October 2002 (aged 23) | Fleetwood Town F.C. | 2025 | ||
| 20 | Rodrigo Freitas | FW | 28 April 2002 (aged 23) | Varzim S.C. | 2026 | ||
| 36 | Will Jarvis | FW | 17 December 2002 (aged 23) | Notts County F.C. | 2026 | ||
Transfers
Transfers in
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | Previous club | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 December 2025 | MF | Maill Lundgren | Degerfors IF | [5] | |
| 23 December 2025 | GK | Conor Walsh | Sligo Rovers | [6] | |
| 1st January 2026 | DF | James Norris | Liverpool F.C. | [7] | |
| 14 January 2026 | DF | Odhran Casey | Cliftonville F.C. | [8] | |
| 19 January 2026 | FW | Rodrigo Freitas | Varzim S.C. | [9] | |
| 5 February 2026 | FW | Will Jarvis | Notts County F.C. | [10] |
Loans In
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | Previous club | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 January 2026 | GK | Wessel Speel | Minnesota United FC | [11] | |
| 22 February 2026 | DF | Zeno Ibsen Rossi | Cambridge United F.C. | [12] |
Transfers out
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 December 2025 | MF | Ryan O'Kane | Sligo Rovers | ||
| 22 December 2025 | MF | John O'Sullivan | Contract expired | ||
| 22 December 2025 | GK | Lorcan Healy | Contract expired | ||
| 6 January 2026 | DF | Lewis Temple | Bolton Wanderers F.C. | [13] | |
| 8 January 2026 | MF | Mark Coyle | Coleraine F.C. | [14] | |
| 3 February 2026 | DF | Raymond Offor | Derby County F.C. | [15] | |
| 12 February 2026 | DF | Tyreke Wilson | Dundalk F.C. |
Loans Out
| Date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 December 2025 | MF | Aaron Maloney | Athlone Town | ||
| 1 January 2026 | GK | Conor Kearns | Dundalk | [16] | |
| 5 January 2026 | FW | Tyreik Sammy | Bray Wanderers F.C. | ||
| 11 December 2026 | DF | Derinsole Adewale | Athlone Town A.F.C. | ||
| 6 January 2026 | DF | Taylor McCarthy | Longford Town F.C. | [17] | |
| 30 January 2026 | DF | James Roche | Athlone Town | [a] | |
| 30 January 2026 | FW | Daniel Ring | Bray Wanderers F.C. |
- ^ James Roche was recalled from loan on 22 February 2026
Competitions
Matches
League of Ireland
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Shamrock Rovers | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 15 | Qualification for Conference League first qualifying round |
| 4 | Dundalk | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 11 | |
| 5 | Shelbourne | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 9 | +1 | 10 | |
| 6 | Derry City | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 9 | |
| 7 | Drogheda United | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 9 |
Updated to match(es) played on 20 March 2026. Source: League of Ireland
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.
| 6 February 2026 1 | Waterford | 1-1 | Shelbourne | Waterford |
| 19:45 IST | Lonergan 55' | Report | Martin 13' | Stadium: RSC Attendance: 3,232 Referee: Lucas Keating |
| 20 February 2026 2 | Shelbourne | 1-1 | Galway United | Drumcondra |
| 19:45 IST | Wood 64' (pen.) | Report | Twardek 62' | Stadium: Tolka Park Attendance: 4,052 Referee: Kevin O'Sullivan |
| 27 February 2026 3 | Drogheda United | 1-2 | Shelbourne | Drogheda |
| 19:45 IST | Kavanagh 5' | Report | Bone 47' Wood 64' (pen.) |
Stadium: Sullivan & Lambe Park Attendance: 2,520 Referee: Rob Harvey |
| 6 March 2026 4 | Shelbourne | 2-3 | St.Patrick's Athletic | Drumcondra |
| 19:45 IST | Wood 72', Martin 75' | Report | Edmondson 56, 61' Mata 92' | Stadium: Tolka Park Attendance: 5,090 Referee: Paul Norton |
| 9 March 2026 5 | Shelbourne | 2-2 | Shamrock Rovers | Drumcondra |
| 19:45 IST | Wood 8', Martin 13' | Report | McGovern 26', Watts 33' (pen.) | Stadium: Tolka Park Attendance: 5,683 Referee: Rob Hennessey |
| Note: Fixture was originally scheduled for 13 February, but was postponed following a pitch inspection at Tolka Park | ||||
| 13 March 2026 6 | Derry City | 1-2 | Shelbourne | Derry, Northern Ireland |
| 19:45 IST | Rylah 10' | Report | Henry-Francis 8', Kelly 34' | Stadium: Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium Attendance: 2,974 Referee: Neil Doyle |
| 13 March 2026 7 | Shelbourne | 0-0 | Bohemians | Drumcondra |
| 19:45 IST | Report | Stadium: Tolka Park Attendance: 5.650 Referee: Aaron O'Dowd |
| 21 March 2026 8 | Sligo Rovers | v | Shelbourne | Sligo |
| 19:45 IST | Stadium: The Showgrounds |
| 3 April 2026 9 | Shelbourne | v | Dundalk | Drumcondra |
| 19:45 IST | Stadium: Tolka Park |
| 6 April 2026 10 | Shamrock Rovers | v | Shelbourne | Tallaght |
| 19:45 IST | Stadium: Tallaght Stadium |
FAI Cup
UEFA Conference League
Statistics
Appearances and goals
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Premier Division | FAI Cup | European Competitions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK | NED | Wessel Speel | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | IRL | Sean Gannon | 6 | 0 | 4+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | IRL | Kameron Ledwidge | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | MF | ENG | Ellis Chapman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | IRL | Jonathan Lunney | 4 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Harry Wood | 7 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | IRL | Seán Boyd | 6 | 0 | 3+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | IRL | John Martin | 6 | 3 | 4+2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | IRL | Mipo Odubeko | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | SCO | Ali Coote | 5 | 0 | 1+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Sam Bone | 5 | 1 | 4+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | NIR | Ohran Casey | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | FW | IRL | Daniel Kelly | 7 | 1 | 3+4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | ENG | James Norris | 4 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | POR | Rodrigo Freitas | 6 | 0 | 1+5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | IRL | Jack-Henry-Francis | 5 | 1 | 4+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | IRL | Sean Moore | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | SCO | Kerr McInroy | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | FRA | Milan Mbeng | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | IRL | Evan Caffrey | 6 | 0 | 2+4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | SWE | Maill Lundgren | 6 | 0 | 4+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | DF | IRL | Paddy Barrett | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | GK | IRL | Carl Walshe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | FW | ENG | Will Jarvis | 6 | 0 | 3+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 55 | DF | IRL | James Roche | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goalscorers
| Rank | No. | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Premier Division | FAI Cup | European Competitions | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | MF | Harry Wood | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2 | 10 | FW | John Martin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3 | 15 | DF | Sam Bone | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | 21 | MF | Jack Henry-Francis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | 17 | DF | Daniel Kelly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||||
References
- ^ "Shelbourne sink Bohemians late to secure European football". 26 October 2025.
- ^ Ferris, Macdara (21 December 2025). "Crunching the numbers after conclusion of Conference League for Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers". ExtraTime.com.
- ^ "Chadwicks extend Shelbourne FC partnership for a further two years". 4 November 2025.
- ^ O'Connor, Seán (14 January 2026). "Shelbourne become first League of Ireland club to pay six-figure fee with signing of Cliftonville's Odhrán Casey". Independent.ie.
- ^ "Shelbourne FC are pleased to confirm the signing of Swedish midfielder Maill Lundgren". 23 December 2025.
- ^ "Shelbourne FC are pleased to confirm the signing of goalkeeper Conor Walsh, who joins from Sligo Rovers for an undisclosed fee". 23 December 2025.
- ^ "Norris makes move to Shels". 1 January 2026.
- ^ "Shelbourne FC is delighted to confirm the signing of 23-year-old defender Odhran Casey from Cliftonville". 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Shelbourne FC are delighted to confirm the signing of Portuguese striker Rodrigo Freitas from Varzim SC on a long-term deal". 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Will Jarvis signs for Shels". 5 February 2026.
- ^ "Shelbourne FC can confirm the signing of goalkeeper Wessel Speel on a season long loan". 10 January 2026.
- ^ "Shelbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of defender Zeno Ibsen Rossi on loan from Cambridge United, subject to international clearance". 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Bolton sign Shelbourne defender Temple". 6 January 2026.
- ^ "Mark Coyle departs the Reds". 8 January 2026.
- ^ "ACADEMY NEWS: Irish Defender Offor Joins Under-21s". 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Kearns Joins Dundalk on Loan". Dundalk FC website. 1 January 2026.
- ^ "Taylor McCarthy signs on loan for 2026!". 6 January 2026.