2015 League of Ireland Premier Division
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| Season | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Dundalk (11th title) |
| Relegated | Limerick Drogheda United |
| Champions League | Dundalk |
| Europa League | Cork City St. Patrick's Athletic Shamrock Rovers |
| Matches played | 198 |
| Goals scored | 546 (2.76 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Richie Towell: 25 (Dundalk)[1] |
| Biggest home win | Dundalk 8-1 Bray Wanderers (4 May 2015) |
| Biggest away win | Bray Wanderers 0-5 Galway United (25 April 2015) |
| Highest scoring | Dundalk 8-1 Bray Wanderers (4 May 2015) |
| Highest attendance | 6,900[2] |
| Total attendance | 324,332[3][note 1] |
| Average attendance | 1,638 |
← 2014 2016 → | |
The 2015 League of Ireland Premier Division was the 31st season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. Dundalk were champions and Cork City finished as runners-up.
Teams[edit]
Stadia and locations[edit]
Dublin
Locations of Premier Division teams
Locations of Dublin Premier Division teams
Personnel and kits[edit]
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. |
Overview[edit]
The 2015 Premier Division consisted of 12 teams. Each team played each other three times for a total of 33 games. The season began on 6 March and concluded on 30 October.[4] On 9 October, with three games still remaining, Dundalk retained the title after a 1–1 draw with Shamrock Rovers.[5][6][7]
Final table[edit]
| 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.[8]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.[8]
(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.
Results[edit]
Matches 1–22[edit]
Matches 23–33[edit]
Top scorers[edit]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richie Towell | Dundalk | 25 |
| 2 | Karl Sheppard | Cork City | 13 |
| 3 | Vinny Faherty | Limerick | 12 |
 Jake Keegan | Galway United | ||
| Enda Curran | Galway United | ||
| Michael Drennan | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| David McMillan | Dundalk | ||
| Daniel Corcoran | Sligo Rovers | ||
| 9 | Christopher Forrester | St Patrick's Athletic | 11 |
| Brandon Miele | Shamrock Rovers |
Awards[edit]
Team of the Year[edit]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Micheál Schlingermann | Drogheda United | ||
| 2 | DF | Seán Gannon | Dundalk | ||
| 3 | DF | Brian Gartland | Dundalk | ||
| 4 | DF | Andy Boyle | Dundalk | ||
| 5 | DF | Dane Massey | Dundalk | ||
| 6 | MF | Richie Towell | Dundalk | ||
| 7 | MF | James Chambers | St Patrick's Athletic | ||
| 8 | MF | Stephen O'Donnell | Dundalk | ||
| 9 | FW | Brandon Miele | Shamrock Rovers | ||
| 10 | FW | Mark O'Sullivan | Cork City | ||
| 11 | FW | Daryl Horgan | Dundalk |
Promotion/relegation playoff[edit]
Limerick, the eleventh placed team from the Premier Division played off against Finn Harps, the winner of the 2015 First Division play off, to decide who would play in the 2016 Premier Division.[4]
| 2 November 2015 | Limerick | 1–0 | Finn Harps | Markets Field |
Kelly  34' | Report | Referee: Rob Rogers |
| 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 were promoted to 2016 Premier Division. Limerick are relegated to the 2016 First Division.
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Total attendance figures based upon reported 9.8% increase from the 2014 season https://www.newstalk.com/sport/league-of-ireland-match-attendances-show-encouraging-rise-for-2015-627173
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Ireland - List of Topscorers". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ "League Report: Cork City 1 - 2 Dundalk". extra time. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ "League of Ireland Attendances 2016 - A complete breakdown (Updated)". extra time. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Ireland 2015". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
- ^ "Dundalk crowned champions with draw in Tallaght". www.rte.ie. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ "We now have a Premier Division champion and the relegation battle is really hotting up". www.the42.ie. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ "CHAMPIONS - Dundalk retain their title in Tallaght". www.independent.ie. 10 October 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ "PREMIER DIVISION 2015 - Season rules". Scoresway. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
- ^ "2015 SSE Airtricity League Premier Division". inform.fai.ie. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2016.