Shelbourne will welcome FA Cup winners Crystal Palace to Dublin and will also face an away trip to play Troy Parrott's AZ Alkmaar after the draw for the Conference League was made this afternoon.
Stephen Bradley's Shamrock Rovers, who reached the knockout phase of the competition last season, have been handed a relatively tough draw, with a home tie against Shakhtar Donetsk and an away game against Sparta Prague awaiting them.
It was the first time ever that two League of Ireland clubs were involved in the draw for the league/group phase of a European competition, following a historic night in which Shels saw off Linfield and Shamrock Rovers overcame Portuguese side Santa Clara 2-1 on aggregate.
The 2024 Premier Division champions Shels, participating in the group phase for the first time ever, were handed a home tie against Palace, the Premier League's only participant who were contentiously demoted from the Europa League after being in breach of UEFA's multi-club ownership regulations.
Shels stiffest away test is against Pot 1 side AZ Alkmaar, the Dutch club for whom Parrott has been in a rich vein of form in 2025.
Otherwise, they will host Football Superleague of Kosovo side FC Drita and Swedish outfit Hacken. Their remaining away trips are to Slovenian outfit NK Celje - who have also once again drawn Shamrock Rovers - and North Macedonian champions Shkendija.
Shamrock Rovers, entering the Conference League league/group phase for the third time, will face testing away trips to Sparta Prague, AEK Athens and old foes Breidablik, who eliminated them from the 2023-24 Champions League qualifiers.
At home, they will take on Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as Celje, who they defeated in last year's qualifiers, and Maltese outfit Hamrun Spartans.
28 August 2025; Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty celebrates after his side's victory in the UEFA Conference League Play-off Round second leg match between Shamrock Rovers and CD Santa Clara at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Shamrock Rovers keeper Ed McGinty celebrates after last night's game
The format is the same as last year, with the top eight teams of the 36 after six games progressing directly to the last 16, while those placed between ninth and 24th proceed to the knockout phase play-off.
After winning three and drawing two of their six league phase games last year - only losing away to eventual winners Chelsea - Shamrock Rovers progressed in 10th place overall, subsequently losing out in the knockout phase to Molde on penalties.
Conference League draw
Shelbourne: Crystal Palace (H), AZ Alkmaar (A), Drita (H), Celje (A), Hacken (H), Shkendija (A)
Shamrock Rovers: Shakhtar Donetsk (H), Sparta Prague (A), Celje (H), AEK Athens (A), Hamrun Spartans (H) and Breidablik (A)