The League of Ireland SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division kicks off this weekend with Athlone Town looking to defend their title from last year but with a host of clubs breathing down their necks.
There will be more TV games than ever before on TG4 and every other game streamed live on LOITV.
The League is doing it’s part to push and promote with a strong social media campaigns and these profiles of each of the participating clubs.
We will be watching and hopefully you will too.
Athlone Town
The toughest challenge for any team that wins the League title is trying to do it again. Yet that is the task in front of Athlone Town.
Defending the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division crown won’t be easy, especially with goalkeeper Katie Keane and captain Laurie Ryan not being in their ranks when they open the 2025 season at home to Wexford on Saturday, March 8.
The Midlanders will have Colin Fortune calling the shots following the departure of Ciarán Kilduff to Dundalk.
With Gordon Brett assisting him, Fortune will hope to bring some new energy to a squad that also has UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers to look forward to this summer.
The signing of Ireland underage international Kelly Brady could prove to be a shrewd piece of business, particularly if she can link up with Madison Gibson, who remains one of the best players in the League.
Trusting in youth will likely be the policy for Athlone, so expect to see Isabel Ryan, Danielle O’Neill, Hazel Donegan, Lucy Fitzgerald, Emma Mooney and Ciara O’Neill all clock up more first-team minutes as they look to establish themselves at this level.
If Chloe Singleton and Kerryanne Brown can make full recoveries from long-term injuries then Fortune will get getting two quality players back around the midway part of the season. But, for now, the focus will be on making a strong start to the campaign.
Bohemians
A new season brings with it new opportunities and that is what Bohemians will be hoping to embrace in 2025.
An eighth-place finish last year was not where they expected to be so new boss Alban Hysa knows that the target must be to break back into the top six in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division.
The Gypsies have retained a lot of their core players, including captain Rachael Kelly who is one of the League’s best shot-stoppers. Further up the pitch, the attacking trio of Savannah Kane, Sarah McKevitt and Katie Malone showed flashes of what they can do when in full flow.
The midfield engine room has been bulked up following the return of Mia Dodd and the arrival of Hannah Healy – both of whom join from Shelbourne. The pair should add more goals and assists, which is needed for a team that only scored 17 goals in the League last term.
Hysa, who has experience in the League with Treaty United, steps up from Bohemians’ Under-17 Team and will look to embrace the pressure that comes from working with this famous club.
One player to keep an eye out for is left-back Emma Gaughran. She has been making notable strides with the Ireland underage teams and could cement a first-team place from early on.
Cork City
There will be a familiar face in the Cork City dug-out this season as Frank Kelleher returns to the club.
The man who led The Leesiders to glory in the Sports Direct Women’s FAI Cup in 2017 takes over from Danny Murphy and he will be fully aware that improvements are needed: Cork won just five Leagues games in the 2024 season. So the report card will clearly state that better results are expected.
The good news for Kelleher is that Cork have a lot of exciting young players eager to prove that they belong in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division. He will have to promote from within to fill the squad, but everyone will accept that this is a rebuilding year so it’s a case of simply getting on with it.
If there was any solace to take from last season it was the development of Heidi Mackin, Niamh Cotter and Kiera Sena. The trio all picked up Ireland underage caps as they locked down first-team spots and improved as the campaign rolled on – often standing out even when their team struggled.
Kelleher will lean on Craig Robinson, who has been promoted from the club’s EA SPORTS WU17s to assistant coach, as well as Paul Hunt and Trish Fennelly Hunt to bring new energy and direction to a group of players keen to collectively improve. Don’t be surprised if they are successful in doing just that.
DLR Waves
Things can only get better for DLR Waves as Laura Heffernan hopes to re-energise the squad and become the dark horses of the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division.
Anything that could go wrong in 2024 did go wrong for the Dublin side: injuries to key players, surprise departures, missed opportunities, dropped points and a frustration in not being able to build up any consistency. But there were signs towards the season’s end that that tide was starting to turn.
Heffernan will be able to point to the emergence of Keelin Dodd has a two-way midfielder, the return of Neema Nygassi from a serious injury and the breakthrough of the talented Aisling Meehan as reasons to be upbeat and aiming higher up the table.
DLR can also now turn to an experienced core of players to lead them. The likes of Eve Badana, Jess Gleeson, Bronagh Kane and Rachel Doyle have been around the League long enough to know what is required to grind out results. They will be important voices in the dressing room, at training sessions and on the pitch.
In terms of freshening things up, Heffernan has brought two familiar faces back to the club in midfielder Nadine Clare and striker Michelle Doonan. Both should immediately become important players once they get up to speed with Clare’s range of passing and Doonan’s finishing being two skillsets that they desperatedly need.
Even though the mantra needs to be: win now, DLR have always kept one eye on the future and have an impressive record of giving young players a chance. Expect to see Ciara Richardson join that list as the latest potential star looking for an opportunity to shine.
Galway United
Retaining the Avenir Sports All-Island Cup and making a push for the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division title was a job well done by Galway United in 2024. Now, they will want to do even better.
Phil Trill knows it won’t be easy to replicate their success or build on it, but aiming higher has to be the mantra for his Galway squad. If they were known as the sleeping giant in the League, they are very much on their feet and ready to make strides forward.
However, the retirement of Julie-Ann Russell and the departure of Jenna Slattery to Hearts leaves The Tribeswomen with two huge attacking voids to fill. The loss of their two top goalscorers – who contributed 19 League goals last season – cannot be underestimated.
There is excitement of what Emma Doherty can do as their lead striker but the Donegal native requires consistent service in order to provide the goals needed. This is where Canadian ace Amanda Smith might come in or even veteran Lynsey McKey, who continues to be a key player.
Bringing in Niamh Farrelly is a big coup. The four-times capped WNT international has experience playing in Scotland, England and Italy, as well as several successful seasons with Peamount United. She will be a strong option in the Galway midfield.
As ever, Galway have some exciting young players breaking through from their EA SPORTS LOI Academy teams, including Ireland Women’s Under-17 internationals Heather Loomes and Ava Mullins. They could play a part in what promises to be an interesting season for the Eamonn Deacy Park outfit.
Peamount United
For regular viewers of the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division, it will feel odd not seeing James O’Callaghan on the sideline in a Peamount United tracksuit. But this is a new era in Greenogue.
Emma Donohoe is the taskmaster now. She will hope to blend old and new to stir up the right concoction that can lead them to a successful season.
Karen Duggan will still have the captain’s armband hugging her bicep, Amanda Budden takes over between the posts following Niamh Reid-Burke’s retirement, Croatia international Antea Guvo adds firepower up front and Lucy McCartan will feel like a new signing after missing a lot of game-time last season.
The two additions that stand out are those of Abby Tuthill and Sorcha Melia. The former did really well with Wexford last term, while Melia is a young player with a lot of potential who arrives at a club known for developing talent.
It should not be overlooked that Jess Fitzgerald, Ellen Dolan and Freya Healy will be a year older and wiser. The trio were all elevated to the Ireland Women’s National Team squad in recent times yet all still qualify for the Under-19s. They should be big players for The Peas once again.
As the action gets underway, Donohoe will be able to answer a lot of questions about her approach and preferred style of play. She has been there with this squad for a number of years so they should be able to provide a different dynamic for a team in need of one.
Shamrock Rovers
Firepower should be the key word for Shamrock Rovers as they go into the 2025 SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division season.
The Hoops actually finished last year as the fourth highest scorers in the League but Collie O’Neill knows that they didn’t convert as many chances as they should have. That resulted in them finishing in fifth place.
Now, they will be looking to Joy Ralph, Emily Corbet, Katie O’Reilly, Melissa O’Kane, Scarlett Herron, Jaime Thompson and Áine O’Gorman to provide the firepower required to put them firmly in the title race.
This is the club’s third season back in the League and they will be keen to make this one to remember. The loss of Lia O’Leary to Bristol City would hurt any team in the League but Rovers have added several exciting young players who can fill that void.
Ella Kelly was the breakout star in 2024. The Ireland Women’s Under-17s captain is composed in posession of the ball, able to see & deliver a pass and she is not afraid to unload shots at goal. This is a big year for her.
O’Neill has added Stephanie Zambra to his backroom team and her presence will be most welcome for the players as she starts out on her coaching journey. She might also help with that firepower issue by providing a few tips to their attacking players – considering she knew a thing or two about scoring goals.
Shelbourne
The King is gone (Noel that is) and a new Prince has taken over the throne at Tolka Park.
Eoin Wearen has been promoted from the club’s underage set-up and his attacking style of play will be implemented as The Reds aim to bounce back this season.
The return of defender Jess Gargan and midfielder Mia Dodd provide upgrades, while Roma McLaughlin could prove to be a game-changer having left full-time football in Denmark to sign for Shels for the second time.
An interesting addition is Éabha O’Mahony as she finishes up with college in the United States and looks primed to remind the League – and possibly the Ireland WNT set-up – what she can do in either defence or midfield.
Last year was a frustrating one as they finished as runners-up in both the League and the Sports Direct Women’s FAI Cup. They will be keen to bounce back and get their hands on silverware again.
Any squad that is built around serial winners like Pearl Slattery, Rachel Graham and Noelle Murray is bound to be a formidable force. Then add into that players like Maggie Pierce, Leah Doyle, Keeva Keenan, Alex Kavanagh and Megan Smyth-Lynch.
Beyond those players, Wearen has a number of exciting players in Lucy O’Rourke, Rebecca Devereux and, possibly, Hannah O’Brien who could follow in the footsteps of Hannah Healy in emerging as star players.
One of the main areas that Shels need to address is adding speed to their play. They tick most of the boxes required for a title-chasing team, so if they can move the ball quicker and get in behind their opponents then it spells real fear for the rest of the contenders.
It is a big job for Wearen to take on but an exciting one too.
Sligo Rovers
Pretty much everyone will agree that last season was Sligo Rovers’ annus horribilis since they became part of the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division.
The Bit O’Red celebrated just one League win from 20 games, scored 13 times and conceded 41 goals. By their standards, it simply wasn’t good enough. The return of Steve Feeney as manager could give them the lift that they need.
Feeney has a rebuild on his hands – not just with the squad, but their confidence. They need to believe that they can win games in this League again. Thankfully, they have captain Emma Hansberry back to lead that turnaround.
It is also important that Sligo have retained a core of players, including Katie Melly, Alice Lillie, Jessica Casey, Sarah Kiernan, Leah Kelly and Amber Hardy, who made her Ireland Women’s Under-19 debut last year.
The two players who did catch the eye last term were Keeva Flynn and Anna McDaniel. A lot might be expected of the duo despite still adapting to the demands of senior football but they are more than capable of competing at this level, which is great news for Feeney.
The Sligo boss will be keen to continue promoting from their EA SPORTS LOI Academy teams with Keela Scanlon, Cara King and Lauren Devaney being the likely candidates to earn minutes and prove that they can follow the path blazed by Flynn and McDaniel.
Treaty United
Sean Russell will undoubtedly have his own ideas on what success will look like for Treaty United this season, but simply building on last year would be a sensible approach.
Russell, who is the son of League of Ireland legend Martin, has taken over from Dominic Foley having coached within the club’s underage structure. This is a big test of his ability and will also offer an insight to his ambition for a team that achieved their best ever finish (7th) in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division last term.
With few veteran players still around – especially on the back of stalwart Esra Kangal departing – this will be a very young squad. But that is not a bad thing at all when one surveys the roster of talent available in the likes of Katie Lawlee, Cara Griffin and Hannah Saidi.
However, it is the next crop of youngsters who has those in the know really excited. Midfielder Madison McGuane (who played 20 times for the Ireland Girls’ Under-16s & Women’s Under-17s in 2024) is a special talent. The same can be said about Clare native Aibhlinn Cotter, who is an assured defender, and the lively Ciara Breslin, whose instinct in front of goal marks her out as someone who could be fast-tracked up the pecking order.
The Shannonsiders have brought in defender Clodagh Daly and winger Anna Dignam as good options, while their North American connections have once again led them to a couple of interesting signings in goalkeeper Kate Devine and forward Madelyn Robbins.
If Russell can add to the excellent work that his predecessor did then Treaty will definitely be a team to watch out for this season.
Waterford
Roll up, roll up…Waterford become the 15th different entity to join the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division as we enter into its 15th season.
The Blues are an unknown as they shape their first ever squad and it will take time for them to click as a collective unit. Learning those lessons is part of this exciting journey that they are undertaking and it is a huge positive to have a club of Waterford’s history in the League.
They have made a shrewd decision in recruiting Gary Hunt as their first Head Coach. A local man with experience in the League with Wexford, he was recently in charge of Cobh Ramblers in the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division and holds a UEFA Pro Licence. Put simply: he’s a good coach.
Over time, perhaps Waterford can lure of their local players back from other clubs as they establish themselves in the top flight of the women’s game. Firstly, though, they must give players from their EA SPORTS LOI Academy teams a chance to make the step up to senior football.
There have been some notable signings in Maeve Williams, Danielle Burke, Erin O’Brien, Olivia Gibson, Lauren Egbuloniu and Chloe Atkinson, who each have experience in the League.
One of the instructions that Hunt will surely be relaying to his players is to turn the RSC into a fortress that opposition teams don’t like playing in. Shelbourne will be the first visitors in Round 2, so they will have to set their stall out early to be tough to break down.
Nobody will be suggesting anything crazy for their first season in the League and that gives Waterford the chance to surprise people.
Wexford FC
Coming shortly…
Further Reading for Sport for Business members: TG4 Extends Coverage of SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
Hopefully there will be a continued rise in attendance at the games and a spill over from the extra attention on the Men’s League of Ireland as well as the Women’s Super league in England to maintain the momentum of the League.
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
FAI Head of Women’s and Girl’s Football is our guest on the Sport for Business Podcast next Tuesday, March 11th
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