Pots confirmed as Irish sides await European draws

League of Ireland sides will learn their fate in European qualifying draws on Tuesday, with potential opposition now narrowed down by UEFA.

Four Irish sides will enter competitions this year, all dreaming of lucrative rewards and possible group stage qualification.

Shamrock Rovers will compete in the Champions League, while St Patrick's Athletic, Shelbourne and Derry City will be in the Conference League.

Pat's are the only Irish side which will not feature in Tuesday’s draw as they enter at the second round stage thanks to being the 2023 FAI Cup winner.

Shamrock Rovers are seeded, as they were last season, and will be determined to take advantage after the earliest possible exit last season.

Derry City will also be seeded in the first round, benefitting from their good performance in last year's competition.

It's no coincidence that the league winner is the most likely side to enjoy a sustained run in Europe.

The Hoops are on UEFA's 'champions’ route and are guaranteed a second chance if they were to lose their first round tie.

Having won their opening game in 2022, they exited in the next round but then dropped to the Europa League third round play-off.

They won that tie to guarantee Conference League group stage which they went on to feature in after missing out on the Europa.

It seems complex - the easy way to say it is one victory will put them on the brink of qualifying.

Group stage football will be the ultimate aim this year after missing out in 2023.

After this morning's pot were decided, the five sides they can meet are:

The potential all-Irish tie is likely to appeal to Shamrock Rovers.

League champions Larne were narrowly beaten by HJK Helsinki at this stage last year. A local tie would allow the Hoops to avoid a long