The 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division, known as the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division for sponsorship reasons,[1] is the 40th season of the League of Ireland Premier Division, the top Irish league for association football clubs since its establishment in 1985.
| Season | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 16 February 2024 – 1 November 2024 |
| Matches played | 34 |
| Goals scored | 73 (2.15 per match) |
| Top goalscorer |  Patrick Hoban(Derry City) Aaron Greene(Shamrock Rovers (6 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Derry City 3–0 Waterford (8 March) |
| Biggest away win | Dundalk 0–5 Sligo Rovers (4 March) |
| Highest scoring | Drogheda United 1–4 Waterford (23 February) Dundalk 0–5 Sligo Rovers (4 March) |
| Longest winning run | Shelbourne (6 games) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Shelbourne (9 games) |
| Longest winless run | Dundalk (11 games) |
| Longest losing run | Dundalk St. Patrick's Athletic (3 games each) |
| Highest attendance | |
| Lowest attendance | |
← 2023 2025 → | |
The competition began on 16 February 2024 and will conclude on 1 November 2024.[2][3][4][5]
Teams edit
The league consisted of ten teams – the top eight teams from the previous season and two teams promoted from the First Division. The promoted teams were the 2023 League of Ireland First Division winners Galway United (after a top flight absence of six years)[6] and play-off winners Waterford (after being absent from the top flight for two years).[7] They replaced UCD (relegated after two consecutive seasons in the top flight) and Cork City (who spent just one season back in the top flight before being relegated following their loss to Waterford).[7] Shamrock Rovers entered the season as defending champions after winning their twenty-first title during the previous season.[8]
Stadiums and locations edit
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Dublin (Phibsborough) | Dalymount Park | 4,500 |
| Derry City | Derry | Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium | 3,700 |
| Drogheda United | Drogheda | Weavers Park | 3,500 |
| Dundalk | Dundalk | Oriel Park | 4,500 |
| Galway United | Galway | Eamonn Deacy Park | 4,300 |
| Shamrock Rovers | Dublin (Tallaght) | Tallaght Stadium | 10,500 |
| Shelbourne | Dublin (Drumcondra) | Tolka Park | 4,450 |
| Sligo Rovers | Sligo | The Showgrounds | 3,873 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Dublin (Inchicore) | Richmond Park | 5,340 |
| Waterford | Waterford | RSC | 5,160 |
Personnel and kits edit
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Alan Reynolds
|
Keith Buckley
|
O'Neills | Des Kelly Interiors |
| Derry City |  Ruaidhrí Higgins
|
Patrick McEleney
|
O'Neills | Diamond Corrugated |
| Drogheda United | Kevin Doherty
|
Gary Deegan
|
Erreà | Drogheda Credit Union |
| Dundalk | Noel King
|
John Mountney
|
Playr-Fit | 888casino |
| Galway United | John Caulfield
|
Conor McCormack
|
O'Neills | Comer Property Management |
| Shamrock Rovers | Stephen Bradley
|
 Roberto Lopes
|
Umbro | MASCOT Workwear |
| Shelbourne | Damien Duff
|
Mark Coyle
|
O'Neills | Realtor Global (home) - One Coat Roof Seal (away/third) |
| Sligo Rovers | John Russell
|
Niall Morahan
|
Joma | Avant Money |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Jon Daly
|
Joe Redmond
|
Umbro | Manguard Plus |
| Waterford | Keith Long
|
Barry Baggley
|
New Balance | DG Foods |
Managerial changes edit
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Declan Devine
|
Sacked | 10 March 2024 | 7th | Derek Pender (interim)
|
10 March 2024 |
| Bohemians | Derek Pender (interim)
|
End of interim spell | 26 March 2024 | 6th | Alan Reynolds
|
26 March 2024 |
| Dundalk | Stephen O'Donnell
|
Sacked | 8 April 2024 | 10th | Liam Burns (interim)
|
8 April 2024 |
| Dundalk | Liam Burns (interim)
|
End of interim spell | 20 April 2024 | 10th | Noel King
|
20 April 2024 |
League table edit
Standings edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelbourne | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 9 | +6 | 25 | Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Shamrock Rovers | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 22 | 11 | +11 | 23 | Qualification to Conference League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Derry City | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 14 | +8 | 22 | |
| 4 | Bohemians | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 14 | −1 | 19 | |
| 5 | Galway United | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 16 | |
| 6 | St Patrick's Athletic | 13 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 15 | |
| 7 | Sligo Rovers | 12 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 14 | −1 | 14 | |
| 8 | Waterford | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 13 | |
| 9 | Drogheda United | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 20 | −8 | 11 | Qualification to League of Ireland Premier Division play-off final |
| 10 | Dundalk | 12 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | −11 | 8 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.[9]
Results edit
Teams play each other four times (twice at home and twice away).
League of Ireland Premier Division play-off edit
The ninth-placed team qualify for a play-off alongside the second, third, fourth, and fifth-placed teams from the 2024 League of Ireland First Division.
The First Division teams contest the quarter and semi-finals. The quarter-finals will be held over two legs, with the second-placed team facing the fifth-placed team and the third-placed team facing the fourth-placed team. The quarter-final winners then contest the semi-finals, with the winners ultimately facing the ninth-placed League of Ireland Premier Division team for the final place in the 2025 League of Ireland Premier Division.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "League of Ireland prize money increased by 17% with 48 live games to be shown". Irish Independent. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "2024 League of Ireland fixtures released". League of Ireland. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "2024 SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division Fixture List" (PDF). League of Ireland. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "RTÉ confirm quartet of LOI clashes to be screened live". RTÉ. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ "League of Ireland Premier Division: Club-by-club guide to new squads". RTE Sport. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Murt (22 September 2023). "Galway United gain promotion to the top flight in style". Irish Examiner.
- ^ a b Fenton, James (10 November 2023). "LOI play-off final: Waterford 2 Cork City 1 - recap" – via www.rte.ie.
- ^ "Shamrock Rovers crowned league champions for fourth season in a row after St Pat's win". The Irish Times.
- ^ a b "PREMIER DIVISION". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 12 February 2024.