The 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division, known as the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division for sponsorship reasons, was the 40th season of the League of Ireland Premier Division, the top Irish league for association football clubs since its establishment in 1985.
The competition began on 16 February 2024 and concluded on 1 November 2024.
On 1 November, Shelbourne won the title for the first time since 2006 after a 1–0 win against Derry City at the Brandywell on the final day of the season. That match attracted a record TV audience for a League of Ireland game.
Teams 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) and play-off winners Waterford (after being absent from the top flight for two years). 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). Shamrock Rovers entered the season as defending champions after winning their twenty-first title during the previous season.
Stadiums and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Bohemians Dublin 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 5,000 Shamrock Rovers Dublin Tallaght Stadium 10,500 Shelbourne Dublin Tolka Park 5,700 Sligo Rovers Sligo The Showgrounds 3,873 St Patrick's Athletic Dublin Richmond Park 5,340 Waterford Waterford RSC 5,160
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 sponsorBohemians Alan Reynolds Keith BuckleyO'NeillsDes Kelly InteriorsDerry City Ruaidhrí Higgins Patrick McEleneyO'NeillsDiamond CorrugatedDrogheda United Kevin Doherty Gary DeeganErreàDrogheda Credit UnionDundalk Jon Daly John MountneyPlayr-Fit888casinoGalway United John Caulfield Conor McCormackO'NeillsComer Property ManagementShamrock Rovers Stephen Bradley Roberto LopesUmbroMASCOT WorkwearShelbourne Damien Duff Mark CoyleO'NeillsRealtor Global (home) - One Coat Roof Seal (away/third)Sligo Rovers John Russell Niall MorahanJomaAvant MoneySt Patrick's Athletic Stephen Kenny Joe RedmondUmbroManguard PlusWaterford Keith Long Barry BaggleyNew BalanceDG Foods
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner ofdepartureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate ofappointmentBohemians Declan DevineSacked10 March 20247th Derek Pender (interim)10 March 2024 Derek Pender (interim)End of interim spell26 March 20246th Alan Reynolds26 March 2024Dundalk Stephen O'DonnellSacked8 April 202410th Liam Burns & Brian Gartland (interim)8 April 2024 Liam Burns & Brian Gartland (interim)End of interim spell20 April 2024 Noel King20 April 2024St Patrick's Athletic Jon DalySacked7 May 20247th Seán O'Connor (interim)7 May 2024Dundalk Noel KingResigned15 May 202410th Liam Burns (interim)15 May 2024St Patrick's Athletic Seán O'Connor (interim)End of interim spell16 May 20247th Stephen Kenny16 May 2024Dundalk Liam Burns (interim)23 May 202410th Jon Daly23 May 2024
League table Standings
Results Teams play each other four times (twice at home and twice away).
League of Ireland promotion/relegation play-off The ninth-placed team (Drogheda United) from the 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division qualified for a play-off alongside the second, third, fourth, and fifth-placed teams from the 2024 League of Ireland First Division (Athlone Town, Bray Wanderers, UCD, and Wexford).
The First Division teams contest the semi-finals and final. The semi-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 semi-final winners then contest the First Division final, 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.
Bracket
Semi-finals First leg
Second leg Athlone Town won 1–0 on aggregate. Bray Wanderers won 2–1 on aggregate.
Final
Promotion/relegation play-off
Awards
League of Ireland Player of the Month MonthPlayerClubFebruary Mark CoyleShelbourneMarch Will JarvisShelbourneApril Aaron GreeneShamrock RoversMay Pádraig AmondWaterfordJune Will JarvisShelbourneJuly Wilson WaweruSligo RoversAugust Patrick HickeyGalway UnitedSeptember Jake MulraneySt Patrick's AthleticOctober Seán BoydShelbourneNovember Darragh MarkeyDrogheda United Annual awards Award Winner Club PFAI Players' Player of the Year Dylan Watts Shamrock Rovers PFAI Young Player of the Year Mason Melia St Patrick's Athletic PFAI Men's Premier Division Manager of the Year Damien Duff Shelbourne
PFAI Team of the Year Goalkeeper Brendan Clarke(Galway United) Defence Joe Redmond(St Patrick's Athletic) Paddy Barrett(Shelbourne) Mark Connolly(Derry City) Josh Honohan(Shamrock Rovers) Midfield Dylan Watts(Shamrock Rovers) Mark Coyle(Shelbourne) Michael Duffy(Derry City) Attack Johnny Kenny(Shamrock Rovers) Patrick Hoban(Derry City) Pádraig Amond(Waterford)
Attendances
Source: European Football Statistics
See also 2024 President of Ireland's Cup 2024 League of Ireland First Division 2024 FAI Cup
References