Home Farm DCU has completed a significant week of announcements ahead of its return to senior national football, unveiling INTERSPORT Elverys as front-of-shirt sponsor and confirming a series of senior appointments across its commercial and football structures.

The partnership was formally launched at the INTERSPORT Elverys store in Swords, with Umbro also joining as official kit supplier for Home Farm DCU’s inaugural season in the new FAI National League.

The agreement gives the club a strong commercial foundation as it seeks to combine Home Farm’s long-established player-development tradition with the educational, sporting, and high-performance resources of Dublin City University.

Home Farm DCU CEO Nicola Brannigan described the involvement of INTERSPORT Elverys and Umbro as a major vote of confidence in the project.

The wider ambition is to create a sustainable pathway through which players can remain with Home Farm, compete at senior national level and potentially combine their football development with third-level education at DCU.

The sponsorship announcement was accompanied by confirmation that former Republic of Ireland and Liverpool midfielder Ronnie Whelan has become the club’s first Global Ambassador.

Whelan’s relationship with Home Farm stretches across several generations of his family. He played for the club before joining Liverpool, while his father Ronnie senior, brother Paul, nephew Gavin and other family members have also been involved.

“This is a historic day for Home Farm and DCU,” Whelan said at the launch, describing his return to the club in an official role as particularly special.

His brother Paul Whelan has been appointed Chief Football Officer and will work alongside first-team manager Gavin Peers to establish the football structures for the new National League side.

Peers brings considerable domestic experience to the role. His playing career included spells with Blackburn Rovers, Mansfield Town, St Patrick’s Athletic, Derry City, Glentoran and Sligo Rovers, where he won a League of Ireland title and three FAI Cups.

Brannigan, a former long-serving FAI executive, will lead the strategic, commercial and operational development of Home Farm DCU.

She said the combination of Home Farm’s football heritage and DCU’s educational and high-performance capabilities could create a meaningful pathway for players both on and off the pitch.

The governance structure behind the project has also been outlined. Former Home Farm and League of Ireland players Brian Honan, Gavin Whelan and Jim McKeever have joined Chicago-based financial services executive Eoin Callery as directors and shareholders. Home Farm and Dublin City University will also be represented on the board.

Home Farm chairman Brendan Menton has stressed that the new senior entity has been structured separately and will not create a financial burden for the club’s existing schoolboy and schoolgirl operations.

That separation will be important as Home Farm seeks to retain its community identity while creating a pathway into senior national football.

The club is not currently part of the League of Ireland academy system, but the new National League team gives players an opportunity to remain within Home Farm’s structure for longer rather than moving elsewhere at an early age.

DCU’s involvement adds the potential for scholarships, academic support, sports science and access to high-performance facilities.

“DCU are delighted to partner with Home Farm FC in this exciting initiative,” said DCU Head of Sport James Galvin.

“This new model will be built on education, sport and community and will offer structured third-level education opportunities and scholarships for elite players, ensuring they can pursue both their football and academic ambitions at DCU. Home Farm are our neighbours in the community, and a household name in Irish football; we look forward to working together to make this a reality for students and a successful partnership.”

Home Farm DCU will compete in Group One of the inaugural FAI National League alongside Bonagee United, Cockhill Celtic, Lucan United and Mervue United.

The campaign begins away to Bonagee United on Saturday, August 29, with the first home fixture against Mervue United at Whitehall Stadium on Saturday, September 12.

There will be no promotion during the shortened 2026 competition. From 2027, however, the National League winner will be eligible for promotion to the League of Ireland First Division, subject to licensing requirements.

 

Sport for Business Perspective

The combination of a national retail sponsor, an established kit supplier, experienced football leadership and the educational strength of DCU makes Home Farm one of the most commercially interesting entrants into the new National League.

INTERSPORT Elverys gains visibility at the launch of a new tier in Irish football, while Home Farm gains the credibility, reach and activation potential of a recognised national sports retailer.

The appointment of Ronnie Whelan also gives the project a prominent figure capable of connecting Home Farm’s history with its future.

The challenge now will be to turn those individual elements into a sustainable, long-term model. This week’s announcements suggest Home Farm DCU is approaching that task with a structure extending well beyond simply putting a team on the pitch.

 

 

 

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Image Credit: Home Farm DCU

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