Season | 2018 |
---|---|
Dates | 16 February – 26 October 2018 |
Champions | Dundalk (13th title) |
Relegated | Limerick Bray Wanderers |
Champions League | Dundalk |
Europa League | Cork City Shamrock Rovers Waterford |
Matches played | 180 |
Goals scored | 501 (2.78 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Patrick Hoban (29 Goals) |
Biggest home win | Dundalk 8-0 Limerick |
Biggest away win | Bray Wanderers 0-5 Bohemians |
Highest scoring | Waterford 3-6 Limerick |
Highest attendance | 6,672[1] Cork City 1–0 Dundalk F.C. |
Total attendance | 384,520 |
Average attendance | 2,136[2] |
← 2017 2019 →
All statistics correct as of 2 November 2018. |
The 2018 League of Ireland Premier Division was the 34th season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. The league began on 16 February 2018 and concluded on 26 October 2018.[3]
On 5 October, Dundalk won the title after a 1–1 draw with St Patrick's Athletic.[4][5]
The Premier Division consists of 10 teams. Each team plays each other four times for a total of 36 matches in the season.
Waterford, the 2017 First Division champion, were promoted to the league for the first time since 2007.
On 22 December 2016, the Football Association of Ireland announced that the league would be restructured into two 10-team divisions from the 2018 season onwards, one of the recommendations made in the 2015 Conroy Report.[6]
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 | ![]() |
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Hummel | Mr Green Sport |
Bray Wanderers | ![]() |
![]() |
Nike | O Driscoll O Neil Insurance |
Cork City | ![]() |
![]() |
Adidas | University College Cork |
Derry City | ![]() |
![]() |
Adidas | Diamond Corrugated |
Dundalk | ![]() |
![]() |
CX+ Sport | Fyffes |
Limerick | ![]() |
![]() |
Umbro | Betsat.com |
St Patrick's Athletic | ![]() |
![]() |
Umbro | MIG Insurance Brokers |
Shamrock Rovers | ![]() |
![]() |
New Balance | Pepper Money |
Sligo Rovers | ![]() |
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Joma | Volkswagen |
Waterford | ![]() |
![]() |
Umbro | 21 Bet |
Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Limerick | ![]() |
Signed by Scunthorpe United | 4 January 2018[7] | Pre-season | ![]() |
14 January 2018[8] |
Bray Wanderers | ![]() |
Resigned | 8 April 2018[9] | 10th | ![]() |
10 April 2018[10] |
Bray Wanderers | ![]() |
End of caretaker spell | 8 July 2018 | 10th | ![]() |
8 July 2018[11] |
Derry City | ![]() |
Sacked | 27 October 2018 [12] | 8th | ![]() |
16 November 2018 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dundalk (C) | 36 | 27 | 6 | 3 | 85 | 20 | +65 | 87 | Qualification to Champions League first qualifying round |
2 | Cork City | 36 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 71 | 27 | +44 | 77 | Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round[a] |
3 | Shamrock Rovers | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 57 | 27 | +30 | 62 | |
4 | Waterford | 36 | 18 | 5 | 13 | 52 | 44 | +8 | 59 | |
5 | St Patrick's Athletic | 36 | 15 | 5 | 16 | 51 | 47 | +4 | 50 | Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round[a] |
6 | Bohemians | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 52 | 45 | +7 | 48 | |
7 | Sligo Rovers | 36 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 38 | 50 | −12 | 42 | |
8 | Derry City | 36 | 13 | 3 | 20 | 47 | 70 | −23 | 42 | |
9 | Limerick (R) | 36 | 7 | 6 | 23 | 25 | 75 | −50 | 27 | Qualification to Relegation play-offs |
10 | Bray Wanderers (R) | 36 | 5 | 3 | 28 | 23 | 96 | −73 | 18 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
Teams played each other twice (once at home, once away).
Teams will play each other twice (once home, once away).
Limerick, the ninth-placed team from the Premier Division took part in a two-legged play-off against Finn Harps, the winners of the 2018 First Division play-off, to decide who will play in the 2019 Premier Division.
29 October 2018 | Finn Harps | 1–0 | Limerick | Finn Park |
19:45 GMT | McCourt ![]() |
Report | Attendance: 2,379 Referee: Robert Harvey |
2 November 2018 | Limerick | 0–2 | Finn Harps | Markets Field |
19:45 GMT | Report | Timlin ![]() Boyle ![]() |
Referee: Graham Kelly |
Finn Harps won 3–0 on aggregate and were promoted to 2019 Premier Division. Limerick were relegated to the 2019 First Division.
Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Dundalk | 29 |
2 | ![]() |
Cork City | 16 |
3 | ![]() |
Cork City | 15 |
4 | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers | 13 |
![]() |
Dundalk | 13 | |
6 | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers | 11 |
![]() |
Bohemians | 11 | |
8 | ![]() |
Waterford | 10 |
![]() |
Derry City | 10 | |
10 | ![]() |
Dundalk | 9 |
Last updated: 2 November 2018.
Source: SSEAirtricity League
Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Bohemians | Bray Wanderers | 5–0 (A) | 19 October 2018 | [14] |
![]() |
Cork City | Sligo Rovers | 4–1 (A) | 24 February 2018 | [14] |
![]() |
Shamrock Rovers | Derry City | 6-1 (H) | 9 March 2018 | [15] |
![]() |
Derry City | Limerick | 5–0 (H) | 12 March 2018 | [16] |
![]() |
Dundalk | Limerick | 4–0 (H) | 8 June 2018 | [17] |
Month | Player | Club | References |
---|---|---|---|
February | ![]() |
Cork City | [19] |
March | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers | [20] |
April | ![]() |
Dundalk | [21] |
May | ![]() |
Dundalk | [22] |
June | ![]() |
Dundalk | [23] |
July | ![]() |
Shamrock Rovers | [24] |
August | ![]() |
Dundalk | [25] |
September | ![]() |
Dundalk | [26] |
October/November | ![]() |
Dundalk | [27] |
Player | Club | Reference |
---|---|---|
![]() |
Dundalk | [28] |
Player | Club | Reference |
---|---|---|
![]() |
Bohemians | [29] |