BAR 1 Betting Appoints Alan Cawley as New League of Ireland Ambassador
BAR 1 Betting is delighted to announce the appointment of Alan Cawley as its new League of Ireland ambassador ahead of the 2026 domestic season.
Cawley enjoyed a distinguished 13-year playing career with some of Ireland’s biggest clubs, including Dundalk, St Patrick’s Athletic, and Shelbourne. He was part of one of the greatest Irish club sides of the modern era, winning the League of Ireland Premier Division with Shelbourne in 2004. His career also included spells in England with Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday, while he represented Ireland at underage international level.
Since hanging up his boots, Cawley has established himself as one of the most respected voices in Irish football punditry. He is a familiar face on RTÉ’s live League of Ireland broadcasts and a regular contributor to RTÉ Radio’s daily sports programme Game On.
As part of his new role with BAR 1 Betting, Cawley will front a brand-new weekly show, LOI Lowdown, which will feature across BAR 1 Betting’s social channels, YouTube, and Spotify. The show will drill down into the latest talking points from around the league, preview upcoming fixtures, and analyse results. Alan will also guide punters throughout the 2026 League of Ireland season with weekly best bet selections and a weekly ACCA.
Speaking ahead of the new campaign, which gets underway on Friday, February 6, Cawley said:
“I’m delighted to have signed up with BAR 1 Betting for the 2026 League of Ireland season. The league is booming right now, with attendance figures skyrocketing alongside increased TV and radio audiences and growing media interest. The more eyes on our league the better, and hopefully we can pick out a few winners along the way too.”
As part of BAR 1 Betting’s expanded League of Ireland coverage, the company is also pleased to announce its sponsorship of the long-running Between the Stripes LOI Podcast. Hosted by BAR 1 Betting’s own Kieran Burke alongside fellow Longford Town FC supporter Gary Reilly, the sponsorship will support a new weekly charity bet segment on the show.
Speaking about both the podcast sponsorship and Alan Cawley’s appointment, BAR 1 Betting Head of Media Kieran Burke said:
“I’d like to thank Barney O’Hare and the marketing team at BAR 1 Betting for their support of the Between the Stripes LOI Podcast. 2026 marks our 10th season, and we’re delighted to have BAR 1 Betting on board as we look to raise money for charity.”
Burke also welcomed the addition of Cawley as League of Ireland ambassador:
“As someone who has followed the league for over 20 years, there has never been a greater buzz around the League of Ireland than right now. The league is going mainstream, and the more conversation we can generate around our domestic game the better. I’m really looking forward to working with Alan on the new weekly LOI Lowdown show, which will be available across BAR 1 Betting’s social channels.”
Tune into Series 10 Episode 1 of Between the Stripes LOI podcast above. You can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts from. For the latest LOI news, follow Between the Stripes on X.
To mark the start of the new League of Ireland season, BAR 1 Betting will be giving away a free €5 ACCA to all new & existing online customers to use on the opening round of matches in the new LOI season. This will go live on the site & app on Friday morning.
Kieran Burke is a professional sports broadcaster and freelance sports commentator.
Among his career highlights is commentating on Chelsea v Flamengo at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup to a live TV audience of over 1,000,000 viewers.
Kieran is also well known in Irish football circles as the host and founder of Between the Stripes LOI podcast.
