A few things you don't need to know about the League of Ireland

Shelbourne defender Shane Griffin

Shelbourne defender Shane Griffin Credit: Paul Dolan (ETPhotos)

Shelbourne’s first and last substitution of the season involved Shane Griffin. In the opening game of the season he was replaced after 12 minutes by Kameron Ledwidge. In the final game, Griffin himself replaced John Martin.

In 2013, Seán Gannon and Greg Bolger won the Premier Division title with Pat's. Every year since then, either Gannon or Bolger have lifted the Premier Division title. This year, Bolger won the First Division and Gannon Premier Division.

Pádraig Amond was the only Premier Division player to score in nine of the ten months he played. July was the only month he didn't score. The last time he scored a competitive goal in July was 2010 against Drogheda United. Incredibly, he only missed 10 regulation minutes in the league - being replaced with 9 minutes to go against Dundalk and his side 4-1 up and a minute to go earlier in the season against Drogheda United when Waterford were also 4-1 in the lead.

Mayowa Animasahun and Daryl Horgan were the only Dundalk players to start both the first and last league games of the season. Horgan was one of four No 7s in the Premier Division to make the starting lineup on Matchday 1 and 36. Michael Duffy, Stephen Walsh and Darragh Markey were the others.

Since losing on his second debut for St Patrick's Athletic, against Waterford, goalkeeper Joseph Anang hasn't tasted defeat in the league. Ten wins, one draw and four clean sheets in eleven league encounters. Pat's were the only team to record a clean sheet in the first and last league game of the season.

Conor Kearns, 26, is the youngest No 1 to win the Premier Division title since Brendan Clarke (then aged 28) lifted the trophy in 2013 for St Patrick's Athletic.

Kearns was one of three keepers not to have missed a minute of league action in 2024- Brian Maher of Derry City and Galway United’s Brendan Clarke the others, while Sligo Rovers’ Ed McGinty started every league game and was withdrawn once, with nine minutes to play, due to injury.

In terms of goalkeepers used throughout the league- Dundalk had 4 (George Shelvey, Ross Munro, Felix Goddard and Sean Molloy), Drogheda had three (Andrew Wogan, Jethren Barr and Luke Dennison) along with St Patrick's Athletic (Marcelo Pitaluga, Danny Rogers and Anang).

In the opening game of the season, Aodh Dervin of Galway United faced Jon Daly's St Patrick's Athletic while both men ended the season relegated with Dundalk.

David Hurley, Ed McCarthy, Grant Horton, Daryl Horgan, Brian Maher, Paul McMullan, Brenan Clarke, Kearns, Padraig Amond, Reece Hutchinson, Ed McGinty and Chris Forrester all played a part in every league game.



Darragh Burns and Connor Malley are the only two players to be booked on the opening and closing weekends. Rob Harvey showed the yellow card to Bit O’Red man Malley on both occasions.

About Tom O'Connor

Dundalk based reporter following the league since Monaghan United’s goalless draw against Athlone Town in 1996. Special interest in education and underage football. Shortlisted for the 2018 FAI Communications Award for series on Life beyond … View Full Profile