2015 League of Ireland Premier Division
| Season | 2015 |
|---|---|
← 2014 2016 → | |
The 2015 League of Ireland was the 95th season of the League of Ireland, the highest football league of the Republic of Ireland. The league began on 6 March 2015.[1] Dundalk were the defending champions.
On 9 October, Dundalk retained the title after a 1–1 draw with Shamrock Rovers.[2][3][4]
Premier Division
The Premier Division consists of 12 teams. Each team will play each other three times, a total of 33 matches in the season.
Longford Town, the 2014 First Division champion, returns to the top level after seven years. Galway promoted after winning the promotion/relegation playoffs.
Teams
Stadia and locations
Dublin
Locations of Premier Division teams
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians | Dublin (Phibsborough) | Dalymount Park | 10,000 |
| Bray Wanderers | Bray | Carlisle Grounds | 7,000 |
| Cork City | Cork | Turners Cross | 7,485 |
| Derry City | Derry | Brandywell | 7,700 |
| Drogheda United | Drogheda | United Park | 2,000 |
| Dundalk | Dundalk | Oriel Park | 4,500 |
| Galway United | Galway | Eamonn Deacy Park | 5,000 |
| Limerick | Limerick | Markets Field | 5,000 |
| Longford Town | Longford | City Calling Stadium | 6,850 |
| Shamrock Rovers | Dublin (Tallaght) | Tallaght Stadium | 5,947 |
| Sligo Rovers | Sligo | The Showgrounds | 5,500 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Dublin (Inchicore) | Richmond Park | 5,340 |
Personnel and kits
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 |  Keith Long
|
Derek Pender
|
Hummel | Mr Green |
| Bray Wanderers | Alan Mathews Maciej Tarnogrodzki David Cassidy Trevor Croly David Cassidy Mick Cooke
|
David Cassidy
|
Nike | Royal Hotel |
| Cork City | John Caulfield
|
John Dunleavy
|
Nike | Clonakilty Sausages |
| Derry City |  Peter Hutton Paul Hegarty
|
Ryan McBride
|
Umbro | Diamond Corrugated |
| Drogheda United | John McDonnell Mark Kinsella
|
Michael Daly
|
Nike | Scotch Hall Shopping Center |
| Dundalk | Stephen Kenny
|
Stephen O'Donnell
|
Umbro | Fyffes |
| Galway United | Tommy Dunne
|
Paul Sinnott
|
Macron | Comer Property Management |
| Limerick | Martin Russell
|
Shane Duggan
|
Macron | Galtee Fuels |
| Longford Town | Tony Cousins
|
Mark Salmon
|
Macron | City Calling |
| Shamrock Rovers | Pat Fenlon
|
Conor Kenna
|
Warrior | Pepper |
| Sligo Rovers | Owen Heary Joseph N'Do & Gavin Dykes Micky Adams
|
Gavin Peers
|
Umbro | Volkswagen |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Liam Buckley
|
Ger O'Brien
|
Umbro | Clune Construction Company L.P. |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dundalk (C) | 33 | 23 | 9 | 1 | 78 | 23 | +55 | 78 | Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round[a] |
| 2 | Cork City | 33 | 19 | 10 | 4 | 57 | 25 | +32 | 67 | Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Shamrock Rovers | 33 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 56 | 27 | +29 | 65 | |
| 4 | St Patrick's Athletic | 33 | 18 | 4 | 11 | 52 | 34 | +18 | 58 | |
| 5 | Bohemians | 33 | 15 | 8 | 10 | 49 | 42 | +7 | 53 | |
| 6 | Longford Town | 33 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 41 | 53 | −12 | 39 | |
| 7 | Derry City | 33 | 9 | 8 | 16 | 32 | 42 | −10 | 35 | |
| 8 | Bray Wanderers | 33 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 27 | 51 | −24 | 33 | |
| 9 | Sligo Rovers | 33 | 7 | 10 | 16 | 39 | 55 | −16 | 31 | |
| 10 | Galway United | 33 | 9 | 4 | 20 | 39 | 61 | −22 | 31 | |
| 11 | Limerick (R) | 33 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 46 | 73 | −27 | 29 | Qualification to Relegation play-offs |
| 12 | Drogheda United (R) | 33 | 7 | 7 | 19 | 32 | 62 | −30 | 28 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
Source: League of Ireland, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.[5]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.[5]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Dundalk qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2015 FAI Cup. However, since they already qualified for European competition based on their league position, the spot awarded to the cup winners was passed down the league.
Fixture table
Matches 1–22
Teams play each other twice (once at home, once away) Template:Fb r header
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Matches 23–33
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Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richie Towell
|
Dundalk F.C. | 25 |
| 2 | Karl Sheppard
|
Cork City F.C. | 13 |
| 3 | Vinny Faherty
|
Limerick F.C. | 12 |
 Jake Keegan
|
Galway United | ||
| Enda Curran
|
Galway United | ||
| Michael Drennan
|
Shamrock Rovers | ||
| David McMillan
|
Dundalk F.C. | ||
| Daniel Corcoran
|
Sligo Rovers F.C. | ||
| 9 | Christopher Forrester
|
St. Patrick's Athletic F.C. | 11 |
| Brandon Miele
|
Shamrock Rovers |
LOI Premier Division Team Of The Year
| Year | Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Micheál Schlingermann, Drogheda United
|
Sean Gannon, Dundalk FC Brian Gartland, Dundalk FC Andy Boyle, Dundalk FC Dane Massey, Dundalk FC
|
Richie Towell, Dundalk FC James Chambers, St Pats Stephen O'Donnell, Dundalk FC
|
Brandon Miele, Shamrock Rovers Mark O'Sullivan, Cork City Daryl Horgan, Dundalk FC
|
First Division
The First Division has 8 teams. Each team will play each other four times, twice at home and twice away, for a total of 28 matches in the season.
Teams
Dublin
Locations of the First Division teams
Stadia and locations
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athlone Town | Athlone | Athlone Town Stadium | 5,000 (2,500 Seated) |
| Cabinteely | Dublin (Blackrock) | Stradbrook Road | 1,300 |
| Cobh Ramblers | Cobh | St. Colman's Park | 5,000 |
| Finn Harps | Ballybofey | Finn Park | 6,000 |
| Shelbourne | Dublin (Drumcondra) | Tolka Park | 9,600 |
| UCD | Dublin (Belfield) | UCD Bowl | 3,000 |
| Waterford United | Waterford | Regional Sports Centre | 5,500 |
| Wexford Youths | Crossabeg | Ferrycarrig Park | 2,500 |
Personnel and kits
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlone Town | Eddie Wallace Alan Mathews
|
Brian Shortall [7]
|
Nike | Nitro Sports |
| Cabinteely | Eddie Gormley
|
Umbro | ||
| Cobh Ramblers | Martin Cambridge Stephen Henderson
|
Nike | Eirgrid | |
| Finn Harps | Ollie Horgan
|
Kevin McHugh
|
Legea | McGettigan Group |
| Shelbourne | Kevin Doherty
|
Macron | ||
| UCD | Collie O'Neill
|
Robbie Benson
|
O'Neills | O'Neills |
| Waterford United | Tommy Griffin Roddy Collins
|
Vinny Sullivan
|
Macron | SportsWorld |
| Wexford Youths | Shane Keegan
|
Graham Doyle
|
O'Neills | Galenisys |
League table
Template:2015 League of Ireland First Division table
Fixture table
Matches 1–14
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Matches 15–28
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- ^ Cabinteely were found to have played an ineligible player, Dean Ebbe, in their SSE Airtricity League First Division match against UCD on July 31, 2015, which they lost 1-3. In accordance with FAI Rules 88.1 and 127, Cabinteely forfeit the fixture 0-3 with immediate effect and have received a fine of €2,500. [8]
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[9] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Furlong
|
Wexford Youths | 30 |
| 2 | Ryan Swan
|
UCD A.F.C. | 12 |
| 3 | Philip Gorman
|
Athlone Town | 10 |
| 4 | Kevin McHugh
|
Finn Harps | 9 |
| 5 | Stephen Kenny
|
Cobh Ramblers, | 7 |
| Philip Hughes
|
Shelbourne F.C. | ||
| Robert Benson
|
UCD A.F.C. | ||
| Aidan Keenan
|
Wexford Youths | ||
| Gareth Coughlan
|
Shelbourne F.C. | ||
| Daniel Purdy
|
Athlone Town |
Promotion/relegation playoffs
Semi-final
1st Leg
| 23 October 2015 | UCD | 0–1 | Finn Harps | UCD Bowl |
| 19:45 | Coll  1' |
2nd Leg
| 30 October 2015 | Finn Harps | 2–1 | UCD | Finn Park |
| 19:45 | Boyle 76' Mailey 89' |
O'Connor 59' |
- Finn Harps won 3–1 on aggregate and proceed to the final of the Promotion/Relegation Playoff.
Final
1st Leg
| 2 November 2015 | Limerick | 1–0 | Finn Harps | Markets Field |
| Kelly 34' |
Report | Referee: Rob Rogers |
2nd Leg
| 6 November 2015 | Finn Harps | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | Limerick | Finn Park |
| Funston 38' Banda 117' |
Attendance: 3,200 Referee: Derek Tomney |
- Finn Harps won 2–1 on aggregate and are promoted to the Premier Division for the 2016 season. Limerick are relegated to the First Division.
League of Ireland clubs in Europe 2015–16
UEFA Champions League
Second qualifying round
One Republic of Ireland club will enter in this round.
- Dundalk (winners of the 2014 League of Ireland)
UEFA Europa League
First qualifying round
Four Republic of Ireland clubs will enter in this round.
- St Patrick's Athletic (winners of the 2014 FAI Cup)
- Cork City (second place in the 2014 League of Ireland)
- Shamrock Rovers (fourth place in the 2014 League of Ireland)
- UCD (Fair Play spot)[12][13]
References
- ^ http://www.stpatsfc.com/news.php?id=6559#.VHXGuojfWrV
- ^ "Dundalk crowned champions with draw in Tallaght". RTE Sport. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ "We now have a Premier Division champion and the relegation battle is really hotting up". The 42. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ "CHAMPIONS - Dundalk retain their title in Tallaght". Irish Independent. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ "PREMIER DIVISION 2015 - Season rules". Scoresway. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- ^ "SSE Airtricity Premier Leaue division". SSE Airtricity League. 15 January 2015.
- ^ http://athlonetownfc.ie/teams/first-team-squad/
- ^ "FOOTBALL:Cabinteely sanctioned for fielding ineligible player". 4 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- ^ "SSE Airtricity First Division". SSE Airtricity League. 8 August 2015.
- ^ http://www.sseairtricityleague.ie/images/2015_Season_SSE_Airtricity_League_First_Division_Fixture_List_29-01-15.pdf
- ^ http://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/sse-airtricity-league-promotionrelegation-play-off-dates
- ^ "Ireland leading UEFA Fair Play League". SSE Airtricity League. 15 January 2015.
- ^ "UCD set for Europa League after topping Fair Play standings". Irish Times. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.