The business model for every club in the League of Ireland, from champions Shamrock Rovers to newly-promoted Dundalk, is designed to turn a profit in the January and June transfer windows.
This has turned player recruitment into an art form.
The departure of the league’s most bankable teenagers – after St Patrick’s Athletic sold Mason Melia to Tottenham Hotspur and Sligo Rovers’ outstanding striker Owen Elding moved to Hibernian – leaves a void that can begin to be filled at Tallaght Stadium on Friday night.
Not so long ago, Shamrock Rovers versus Dundalk was an unmissable, title-deciding fixture. Ciarán Kilduff has made some astute acquisitions over the winter to ensure that last season’s First Division champions are competitive despite daunting opening trips to Tallaght and Derry.
“People are talking about relegation for Dundalk, but I don’t see that whatsoever,” said Rovers manager Stephen Bradley. “They’ve real danger at wide centre forward and a clear identity in what they are doing, so we know it’s going to be a tough game.”
The “wide centre forward” sounds like a reference to the evergreen Daryl Horgan and Eoin Kenny, the son of St Pat’s manager Stephen Kenny, who netted 10 goals last season.
Kilduff signed the hugely promising Ronan Teahan from Kerry, but the impact of Keith Buckley’s arrival from Bohemians is best outlined by his former manager Alan Reynolds.
Dundalk have signed Ronan Teahan (right) from Kerry FC. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
“When Keith was here, I didn’t have any leadership group because he was the leadership group,” said Reynolds. “That’s how important he was and how good he was.”
Another boon for Dundalk is keeping Vinnie Leonard until the summer. The Leaving Cert student has a host of English clubs chasing him, having featured at centre half in each of the Republic of Ireland’s fixtures at the recent Under-17 World Cup. The same goes for Rovers centre forward Michael Noonan.
Rovers’ investment in their academy is set to pay off with two more Ireland under-17s, Victor Ozhianvuna and Max Kovalevskis, looking a cut above the standard during last Saturday’s President’s Cup defeat to Derry City.
Kovalevskis and Rory Gaffney are currently injured.
Judging by Derry’s activity in the transfer market, if any team can knock Rovers off their perch it’s Tiernan Lynch’s outfit. With Michael Duffy to continue attacking off the left, James McClean is being reshaped into a holding midfielder as James Clarke and Darragh Markey are encouraged to drive through the middle.
Shamrock Rovers’ Victor Ozhianvuna and Derry City’s Darragh Markey during last weekend President’s Cup game at Tallaght Stadium. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
If Lynch manages to gel his new crop, Sligo Rovers will struggle to contain them at the Brandywell. Not that Sligo manager John Russell has taken the loss of Elding to Hibs lying down, as Maï Traoré – a 26-year-old Guinean centre forward – is charged with filling the 16-goal void.
A revamped Waterford side hosting Shelbourne is a fascinating first outing for Jon Daly, the club’s 14th manager since 2020. The wonder is whether Pádraig Amond, who turns 38 in April, can top the scoring charts for a third successive season. Fourteen goals did the trick in 2024 and 2025.
There is a similar expectation on Mipo Odubeko to deliver for Shels after the former Ireland under-21 striker only scored eight times in his first season leading the line at Tolka Park.
John Caulfield must work the oracle to keep Galway United in the Premier Division after the departure of 12 players. First out, Kevin Doherty’s Drogheda United visit Eamonn Deacy Park with a squad containing six Americans and former St Pat’s attacker Brandon Kavanagh.
Bohemians expect 20,000 at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the Dublin derby against St Patrick’s Athletic.
“We relied too much on [Melia] last season,” said Kenny, “so now he has gone, everyone else is going to have to step up and show their collective quality.”
Premier Division weekend fixtures
Friday
Shamrock Rovers v Dundalk, Tallaght Stadium, 8pm – Live on Virgin Media 2
Derry City v Sligo Rovers, Brandywell, 7.45pm
Waterford v Shelbourne, RSC, 7.45pm
Galway United v Drogheda United, Eamonn Deacy Park, 7.45pm
Sunday
Bohemians v St Patrick’s Athletic, Aviva Stadium, 2pm – Live on Virgin Media 2