The 2025 League of Ireland Premier Division, known as the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division for sponsorship reasons, was the 41st 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 14 February 2025 and concluded on 1 November 2025. As part of the opening weekend of fixtures, the derby between arch-rivals Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers took place at the Aviva Stadium, the national football stadium of the Republic of Ireland where a record Premier Division crowd of 33,208 was present. The 2025 season became the first year that the league is entirely made up of full-time professional clubs and players.
On 27 January 2025, it was announced that Virgin Media Television (Ireland) would become the "sole and exclusive free to air broadcaster of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division" for the next four years, pledging to show one live game from each round of the division. A new radio deal for broadcasting on Newstalk was announced just before the season started.
On 13 October, Cork City's relegation, their third of the decade, was confirmed following a 1-2 home defeat to Shelbourne in front of the division's lowest crowd of the season.
On 29 October, Shamrock Rovers won the title after a 1-0 victory over Galway United. It was their 22nd Premier Division title and their fifth in the last six seasons.
Teams The league consists of ten teams – the top nine teams from the previous season and one team promoted as champions from the First Division, Cork City. They replaced Dundalk, who were relegated after 16 consecutive seasons in the top flight.
Stadiums and locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Bohemians Dublin Dalymount Park 4,500 Cork City Cork Turners Cross 7,485 Derry City Derry Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium 6,242 Drogheda United Drogheda Sullivan and Lambe Park 3,500 Galway United Galway Eamonn Deacy Park 5,000 Shamrock Rovers Dublin Tallaght Stadium 10,500 Shelbourne Dublin Tolka Park 5,750 Sligo Rovers Sligo The Showgrounds 3,873 St Patrick's Athletic Dublin Richmond Park 5,500 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 InteriorsCork City Gerard Nash Sean MaguireRebel ArmyZeus PackagingDerry City Tiernan Lynch Mark ConnollyO'NeillsDiamond CorrugatedDrogheda United Kevin Doherty Ryan BrennanMacronNoFo Brew CoGalway United John Caulfield Conor McCormackO'NeillsComer Property ManagementShamrock Rovers Stephen Bradley Roberto LopesMacronMASCOT WorkwearShelbourne Joey O'Brien Mark CoyleO'NeillsChadwicksSligo Rovers John Russell John MahonUmbroAvant MoneySt Patrick's Athletic Stephen Kenny Joe RedmondUmbroManguard PlusWaterford Jon Daly Pádraig AmondPumaDG Foods
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentDerry City Ruaidhrí HigginsMutual consent15 November 2024Pre-season Tiernan Lynch18 November 2024Waterford Keith LongSacked19 April 20258th Matt Lawlor (interim)20 April 2025 Matt Lawlor (interim)End of interim spell6 May 2025 John Coleman3 May 2025Cork City Tim ClancyResigned9 May 20259th Liam Kearney & Greg Yelverton (interim)14 May 2025 Liam Kearney & Greg Yelverton (interim)End of interim spell15 May 2025 Gerard Nash15 May 2025Shelbourne Damien DuffResigned22 June 20256th Joey O'BrienO'Brien was initially named as interim head coach, before being appointed on a permanent basis on 3 July 2025.22 June 2025Waterford John ColemanSacked28 September 20259th Matt Lawlor (interim)28 September 2025https://waterfordfc.ie/2025/09/28/matt-lawlor-named-interim-head-coach/
League table
</onlyinclude> Results Teams play each other four times (twice at home and twice away).
Promotion/relegation play-offs The ninth-placed team (Waterford F.C.) from the 2025 League of Ireland Premier Division qualified for a play-off alongside the second, third, fourth, and fifth-placed teams from the 2025 League of Ireland First Division (Cobh Ramblers, Bray Wanderers, UCD, and Treaty United).
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 2026 League of Ireland Premier Division.
Bracket
Semi-finals
Bray Wanderers won 4–2 on aggregate
Treaty United won 2–1 on aggregate
Final
Promotion/relegation play-off
Positions by round
Season statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Pádraig AmondWaterford142 Mason MeliaSt Patrick's Athletic133 Michael DuffyDerry City12 Owen EldingSligo Rovers5 Moses DyerGalway United106 Rory GaffneyShamrock Rovers9 Tommy LonerganWaterford Harry WoodShelbourne9 Liam BoyceDerry City8 Graham BurkeShamrock Rovers James ClarkeBohemians Mipo OdubekoShelbourne
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result DateRef. Colm WhelanBohemiansWaterford3–0 (A)7 March 2025 John MartinShelbourneSligo Rovers3–2 (H)23 May 2025 Liam BoyceDerry CityWaterford7–2 (H)4 July 2025
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Joseph AnangSt Patrick's Athletic 182 Luke DennisonDrogheda United143 Brian MaherDerry City124 Kacper ChorążkaBohemians115 Edward McGintyShamrock Rovers106 Sam SargeantSligo Rovers77 Stephen McMullanWaterford5 Conor KearnsShelbourne 9 Wessel Speel410 Conor BrannCork City3 Evan WattsGalway United
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards: 15 Adam O'Reilly (Derry City)
Most red cards: 1 32 players (Various)
Club Most yellow cards: 114 Derry City
Most red cards: 7 Derry City
Awards Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the MonthGoal of the MonthReferencesPlayerClubPlayerClubFebruary Aidan KeenaSt Patrick's Athletic Aidan KeenaSt Patrick's AthleticMarch Darragh MarkeyDrogheda United Moses DyerGalway UnitedApril Moses DyerGalway United Gavin WhyteDerry CityMay Graham BurkeShamrock Rovers Owen EldingSligo RoversJune Michael DuffyDerry City David HurleyGalway UnitedJuly Pádraig AmondWaterfordN/AAugust Harry WoodShelbourne Douglas James-TaylorBohemiansSeptember Matt HealyShamrock Rovers Alex NolanCork CityOctober Kerr McInroyShelbourne Kerr McInroyShelbourneNovember Rory GaffneyShamrock RoversN/A
Annual awards AwardWinnerClubPFAI Manager of the Year Stephen BradleyShamrock RoversPFAI Player of the Year Michael DuffyDerry CityPFAI Young Player of the Year Owen EldingSligo RoversSSE Airtricity/SWI Men’s Personality of the Year Roberto LopesShamrock RoversSSE Airtricity/SWI Goalkeeper of the Year Edward McGintyShamrock RoversGoal of the Season Owen EldingSligo Rovers
PFAI Team of the YearGoalkeeper Luke Dennison(Drogheda United)Defenders Paddy Barrett(Shelbourne) Roberto Lopes(Shamrock Rovers) Conor Keeley(Drogheda United) Josh Honohan(Shamrock Rovers)Midfielders Dawson Devoy(Bohemians) Matt Healy(Shamrock Rovers) Graham Burke(Shamrock Rovers)Forwards Michael Duffy(Derry City) Pádraig Amond(Waterford) Owen Elding(Sligo Rovers)
Attendances No. Club Average attendancehttps://www.leagueofireland.ie/game_centre Change Highest 1 Shamrock Rovers 5,996 -1,2% 9,522 2 Bohemians 5,860 38,2% 33,208 3 Shelbourne 4,556 6,7% 5,633 4 St Patrick's Athletic 4,342 -1,4% 5,374 5 Derry City 3,466 20,7% 4,327 6 Cork City 3,053 15,8% 5,034 7 Sligo Rovers 2,814 -1,5% 4,023 8 Galway United 2,785 -7,6% 4,323 9 Waterford 2,608 -4,4% 3,488 10 Drogheda United 2,295 13,5% 2,596
See also 2025 League of Ireland First Division 2025 League of Ireland Women's Premier Division 2025 FAI Cup
Notes
References