Peamount United, already boasting of three league titles, secured yet another in October; two games prior to the season’s end. This victory was perhaps the most treasured of them all, as conveyed by Karen Duggan, the Irish Times journalist who led the team to this triumph, labelling it as the pinnacle of her career.
The preseason chatter mostly revolved around Shamrock Rovers re-entering the League, utilising their financial might to attract six players from Peamount, six from reigning champions Shelbourne, and Galway’s Savannah McCarthy, a senior international player. The depth and talent of Rovers’ squad seemed to suggest they were destined to succeed.
However, this presumption left not only Peamount and Shels, but also the Rovers themselves feeling slighted, as their manager Collie O’Neill pointed out that with several new additions, it would require time to mould a unified team. “Perhaps next year we’ll be competitive,” he commented.
As the commencement round of the 2024 SSE Airtricity Premier Division season approaches this Saturday, the question on everyone’s mind is whether the Rovers will be a strong contender this year, after placing seven points behind Peamount, and just one behind Shels in the previous season.
Chances seem pretty likely. Despite the exit of several players, including Jess Gargan (Shelbourne), Tiegan Ruddy (Bohemians), and Alannah McEvoy (Bohemians), most of the 2023 newcomers have been retained and no new players have been added. O’Neill now has a more stable team at his disposal, fuelling expectations of a formidable title challenge.
Peamount’s hold on the trophy won’t be relinquished without a fight. The departure of Tara O’Hanlon to Manchester City and a 3-0 defeat in the President’s Cup, at the hands of Athlone, will not give them a confident start to the new season. However, they do boast a young yet highly talented team that includes Erin McLaughlin, Ellen Dolan, Freya Healy and Jess Fitzgerald, all of whom have been called up for senior international duties. Moreover, Sadhbh Doyle, the player of the year in the previous season, remains with them whilst they’ve also managed to secure Erica Burke and Ciara Maher from Bohemians, thereby bolstering their squad.
Shelbourne, who saw their triple trophy chase ended by Peamount last term, have a new manager in place – Eoin Wearen, who was promoted from the club’s youth division to replace Noel King. The team, with a notable addition of returning player Gargan who had a stint at Rovers, has also welcomed senior internationals, Roma McLaughlin and Éabha O’Mahony to their ranks. McLaughlin comes after a stint in Denmark and O’Mahony post her scholarship completion in the US.
The upheavals of Athlone Town are noteworthy. They finished fifth last season following a runners-up finish in the previous campaign, a downturn that was largely reversed by the appointment of Ciarán Kilduff in June. Their first-ever triumph in the FAI Cup via penalty shootout against Shels was the perfect culmination to their season. The move of their lead striker, Dana Scheriff, to FC Aarau of Switzerland is significant and they’ll be relying on newcomer Casey Howe, who represents Northern Ireland on the international stage, to fill this void. Their new season prospect will be bright if they can reproduce their end-of-season form, where they secured wins in 11 of their last 13 matches.
After a noteworthy split performance in the previous season, where Bohemians won seven but only went on to win two of their final 10 matches, the team is preparing for a fresh start. Ken Kiernan, the former Athlone assistant, has assumed the managerial role and ushered in a substantial influx of new players in double figures, including notable recruits McEvoy and Ruddy. The Bohemians, similar to the Rovers last season, are likely to require adaptation time for the new team members.
In an attempt to improve upon their commendable fourth position in the preceding season, Galway United have enriched their team with Emily Kavanaugh and Kaylee Hammer, two invigorating American talents, and Lucy Jayne Grant from Athlone.
Meanwhile, with the appointment of Hugh Strong as their manager last December, Wexford Youths aspire to return to their golden era, which saw them clinch four league titles in five seasons from 2014 to 2018. They have since experienced a shortfall in triumphs, adding to their woes with a seventh-place finish last season. This season, the Youths will lean on the strength of their youthful squad.
At the same time, Laura Heffernan, the Premier Division’s only female manager, faces the challenge of improving DLR Waves’ performance following the team only managing three victories in their previous 20 matches. Similarly, ex-Athlone manager Tommy Hewitt is focused on bettering Sligo Rovers’ disappointing two victories last season.
After a devastating performance last season that saw them finish last, Cork City is set to undertake a significant transformation under the helm of Manager Danny Murphy. The team pins high hopes on new recruit Orlaith O’Mahony, formerly of Shamrock Rovers, whose presence is expected to invigorate the team’s midfield.
This season, a fascinating narrative to watch will revolve around Treaty United of Limerick, which was acquired by a Canadian investment firm last year. Consequently, Ciara McCormack, a former player for the team, has experienced a rise to prominence as the league’s inaugural female chief executive.
Eileen Gleeson has vowed to continue monitoring the league she has worked within for countless years. Her promise extends to providing call-ups to those players displaying exceptional skill. Therefore, the league’s most promising stars possess added motivation, as international opportunities could be on the horizon if they manage to impress the Republic of Ireland’s team coach.
Additionally, the league winners’ prize money has seen a significant increase this season. Compared to the €20,000 received in 2021, it’s now a hefty €110,000. While this may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of football finances, it’s a considerable sum for the clubs in question.
Predicting the victor of the 2024 League could be a fool’s errand, as drawing conclusions from last season’s events would be unwise. Regardless, it’s sure to be a thrilling contest.
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