Gerard Lawlor, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Football League, has said "we should never close the door on exploring more opportunities" after comments on all-island football from the Irish Taoiseach.

Irish prime minister Micheal Martin said on Tuesday that he would "like to see opportunities" to grow football on an all-island basis.

Currently, the Football Association of Ireland govern the sport in the Republic of Ireland while the Irish FA and NIFL run the game in Northern Ireland.

The Taoiseach's comments came after Derry City, who play in the League of Ireland but are based in Northern Ireland, beat Waterford to win the FAI Cup on Sunday.

Posting on X, Lawlor said the comments by the Taoiseach were "interesting" and said more collaboration is "certainly a conversation we should always be open to having and never fear".

Lawlor noted that the Martin mentioned the Shared Ireland Unit and potential funding for a cross-border competition, and referenced the long-delayed Northern Ireland Football Fund [TNIFF] from the NI Executive, which is set to improve stadia and facilities across after a 15-year delay.

"I am always open to ideas, ambition and opportunities that can help our game grow and prosper," said Lawlor.

"Interesting he mentioned Shared Island funding and I've often felt this could be a partnership and work alongside TNIFF."

'Potential to explore'

The Setanta Cup is the most recent example of a sustained cross-border competition, which comprised of teams from both the Irish Premiership and League of Ireland from 2005 until 2014.

A Champions Cup was launched in 2019 for a match between the respective league champions either side of the Irish border, but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic the following year and was never relaunched.

In 2019, an Irish businessman Kieran Lucid proposed plans to develop an all-island league with clubs from the Irish Premiership and League of Ireland.

However, the Irish FA said it did not support the formation of a new league and momentum in favour of the project stopped in 2020.

In the case of Derry City, the men's team play in the League of Ireland but the women's team play in the Women's Premiership in Northern Ireland, which falls under NIFL's jurisdiction.

Irish Taoiseach Martin was speaking at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin on Tuesday, and he said while he would like to see cross-border growth of the sport, he added that "traditions and various competitions" would have to be respected.

"I'd like to see opportunities to grow football on an all-island basis, but to do it in an agreed way through work between the two associations, whilst they retain their traditions and their various competitions," he said.

"There must be opportunities to develop this more effectively.

"I think there is potential for us to explore competitions or some development of football on an all-island basis, and the Shared Island Unit stands ready to support any initiatives of that kind."

Lawlor said that NIFL has "an excellent relationship" with its counterparts in the Republic of Ireland and added "there is a "strong foundation or mutual respect and collaboration".

"Any future developments must be built on an agreed approach, with a clear understanding of the benefits, sustainability and commercial realities for all involved," said Lawlor.

"The question is, is there more we could achieve together? Are there opportunities to build on the excellent relationships that already exist, grow the game, create new revenue streams and deliver lasting benefits for clubs, players and supporters across the island?

"It is certainly a conversation we should always be open to having and never fear."