There are four Provinces in Ireland, each of which has or had its own Softball League, beginning with the Leinster Softball League which started in 1989, following on from the Dublin Softball League which played from 1982 to 1989. The Ulster Softball League started in 2009 and is still playing. The Munster Softball League played from 2011-2014, growing out of the Cork-Galway Friendlies, and the Galway Softball League (Connacht) started in 2020, growing out of the Galway Softball Trophy which played in the 2010s.

Softball Leinster

The Leinster Softball League is a Coed Slowpitch Softball League in Leinster Province, Ireland. It is currently at a 5:5 Male:Female Ratio although in its early days it was 9:1 Male:Female. There was a Female Slowpitch League from 1997-2002 which was League for Competitive Females from the top Divisions in the Leinster Softball League.

The most successful clubs over the entire history of the League have been Dodder Dynamoes (the oldest Softball team in Ireland) and Marlay Martyrs (both based in South Dublin suburbs – Marlay in Marlay Park, Rathfarnham (D14) and Dodder Dynamoes originally from Dodder Park, Dartry and now nomadic.

The League is Coed, originally 8:2 Ratio of Men:Women, until it levelled to 5:5 twice – in the late-1990s and in 2017.

Softball Leinster Roll of Honour

This is a look at the Champions of each of the Levels of the Leinster Softball League with the winning record (W-L-Pts) for each year of the League Champions.

Female Slowpitch League

The Female Slowpitch League lasted five years from 1997 to 2002 (one year – 2001 – there was no league). After the League ended in 2002 two Fastpitch Teams were created although there is no evidence of any Fastpitch competitions or teams playing until the Fastpitch Ireland programme was started in 2015

Leinster Softball League Level 1

Leinster Softball League History 1982-1989

The League started in 1982 as the Dublin Softball League with 5 teams – teams from the US Embassy Marines,  Japanese Embassy Skinny Rats, the Fat Cats (American Businessmen), the Misfits (American Students, Irish Computer Workers and American Businessmen), and one from the Druid’s Chair, Killiney.

Leinster Softball League Level 2

Leinster Softball League History 1990-1999

In 1990 the first Irish Softball Association was formed, which in 1992 became the Irish Baseball & Softball Association, adding a Second Division. A third Division was added in 1994, and a Fourth in 1996. In 1997 the Female Slowpitch League for Competitive Females was added.In 1998 the IBSA was renamed the Irish Baseball & Softball Federation.

Leinster Softball League Level 3

Leinster Softball League History 2000-2004

In 2000 a split occurred between the Baseball & Softball Federations, and The Irish Softball Association took over the running of Softball in Ireland. A fifth Coed Division was added that year and in 2001 a Seventh Level, the Men’s Non-Competitive League was added. 2002 was the last year of the Women’s Slowpitch League.

Leinster Softball League Levels 4-7

Leinster Softball History 2012-Present

Softball Leinster was reformed in 2011 for the purposes of running the League from 2012 onwards, with the League dropping to three levels.(Softball Leinster 2011-Present)

Leinster Softball Cups

Aside from the Leinster Softball League there has also been Leinster Softball Knockout (elimination) Cups, such as the Leinster Championship in the early 1990s and the 5:5 Pennant in the late 1990s. 

Leinster Softball Teams

Dodder Dynamoes are the oldest (and original) Softball team in Ireland, dating right back to the 1980s and the Dublin Softball League prior to the founding of the Irish Softball Association.

Softball Ulster

Connacht Munster Softball

Galway Softball is represented by Galway Tribes and Galway Hookers, and there was once a Connacht Softball Association in 2002 which included Longford Triads. In 2021 a new four team Galway Softball League started with teams carrying sponsors names from local businesses. The Galway Softball League replaced the Munster Softball League which ran from 2010 to 2011 including teams from Cork, Limerick, West Clare and Galway. From 2006 to 2009 Cork, Galway and Kerry teams played friendlies amongst themselves and Galway’s two teams the Tribes (named after famous Galway Merchant Families) and the Hookers (named after famous Galway Boats) played friendlies amonst themselves and in Blitzes from approximately 2014 to 2018.

Softball Stock Image