2024 Season, Arrivals and Departures

[joey B]

Cian Kavanagh departed Derry
Coll and Harkin resigned on 1 year deals.

[joey B]

Conor Kane left Shels,was on loan at Drogheda so you’d imagine he’ll just sign there permanently…

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Gaffney staying in Tallaght

[brendy_éire]

Cian Kavanagh departed Derry
Coll and Harkin resigned on 1 year deals.

Kavanagh was solid, but just wasn't going to get the game time. Probably will be remembered for the winning goal at home to KuPS, and the miss at the death in Tallaght against Tobol. Not a bad signing for someone to consider.

Harkin basically hasn't played for the last two seasons after doing both ACLs back to back, but happy to see him get another year.
Coll has been solid when he's needed, so fine with that too.

[placid casual]

Supposedly pat's are throwing a rake of money at Jack Byrne to sign. We won the league pretty much without him this season, and his "injury profile" could make any prospective suitors nervous,but he is far and above the most talented player in the league and he would vastly improve that pat's midfield

[TonyD]

Supposedly pat's are throwing a rake of money at Jack Byrne to sign. We won the league pretty much without him this season, and his "injury profile" could make any prospective suitors nervous,but he is far and above the most talented player in the league and he would vastly improve that pat's midfield

Not sure I’d be that excited about getting Byrne tbh. Would he fit in the same midfield as Forrestor? As you say, with his injury record he’d be a risky one to be throwing big money at.

I’d much rather spend money on a proven striker if we’re splashing the cash. Carty and Lonergan are good young players but not really prolific in front of goal.

[2 Year Contract]

Pats have tied Mason Melia down to a contract until the end of the 2026 season when he'll be 19 years old. Great business, if he continues to develop as he has been there could potentially be a big fee up for grabs as he'll still be in contract while he's 18

[Nesta99]

Pats getting stuck in nice and early, usually clubs wait 'til after a cup final!

[Jack B]

Supposedly pat's are throwing a rake of money at Jack Byrne to sign. We won the league pretty much without him this season, and his "injury profile" could make any prospective suitors nervous,but he is far and above the most talented player in the league and he would vastly improve that pat's midfield

Have heard this too. Feels a weird one to me for several reasons, but ultimately I can't see it happening. Just smells of leveraging us for better terms elsewhere.

Re: Melia it feels daft that signing a 16 year old feels like such a big deal but that's how much he's coveted. That extra year could prove massive if he lives up to the potential.

[2 Year Contract]

Pats getting stuck in nice and early, usually clubs wait 'til after a cup final!

Quite helpful when your manager isn’t lining up players to bring to another club next week isn’t it? :)

[D24Saint]

Have heard this too. Feels a weird one to me for several reasons, but ultimately I can't see it happening. Just smells of leveraging us for better terms elsewhere.

Re: Melia it feels daft that signing a 16 year old feels like such a big deal but that's how much he's coveted. That extra year could prove massive if he lives up to the potential.

Defo the extra year is the part that caught my attention. He recently signed a deal with Adidas in London so he on the radar over in the UK.

[ger121]

Gaffney staying in Tallaght

Can add Pohls to that list.

[Longfordian]

Defo the extra year is the part that caught my attention. He recently signed a deal with Adidas in London so he on the radar over in the UK.

Yeah he seems to be firmly on the radar of the biggest clubs over there. Man City strongly linked recently I think. Not that they're a big club..

[yurt]

The Melia contract is so interesting. You'd have to assume that he's been fairly well taken care of for him to commit that much of his future.

I don't know a whole lot about what the wages would be but I'd blindly speculate he'd need to be guaranteed 100-150k over a 3 year period to get him to commit well past his 18th birthday.

By the time he turns 18 I think we'll know a lot more about where the LOI is heading. We could be the first of a new generation of teenagers who will be subject (pending clauses) to proper transfer fees.

Not that unrealistic to predict he could be top scorer in the LOI half way through the 2025 season and be valued 500k+ in the likes are Man Cort still rate him.

Am I right in thinking that before he signed this deal he could have went to the continent for compensation only this winter?

[joey B]

David Cawley gone from Sligo,club captain so a big rebuild there in the offseason….

[2 Year Contract]

David Cawley gone from Sligo,club captain so a big rebuild there in the offseason….

I’ve seen a few Sligo fans on twitter giving out about the decision to let him go which is surprising really because Cawley has been muck nearly every time I’ve seen him play for years now

[Jack B]

You'd imagine there's no way Keating stays with Cork now. Him and Hoban on the move in the one window is an interesting one.

[joey B]

You'd imagine there's no way Keating stays with Cork now. Him and Hoban on the move in the one window is an interesting one.

I suppose it will depend on the offers that come in for Keating,he signed a new contract in July just and it would be wrong to discount the emotional side of what he’s gone through this last few months,he might have an attachment to the people and club and if he does stay that would make them favourites to go straight back up I’d say….

[SeanDrog]

Conor Kane left Shels,was on loan at Drogheda so you’d imagine he’ll just sign there permanently…

Could be wrong but I thought he signed for use rather than be on loan from shels

[Bunny Kelly]

Could be wrong but I thought he signed for use rather than be on loan from shels


How was Kane at Drogs? Looked a very promising player before the injury, the fact he couldnt get a look in after at Shels would suggest he isn't the player he was

[Shinkicker]

I see Duff has signed a contract extension

[2 Year Contract]

Rovers signing Josh Honohan off Cork for €20k compensation fee and also Lee Steacy from Cobh as backup to Pohls. Those are ehh very un-rovers signings shall we say

[total hoofball]

Indo reporting a number of other rumours along with calling Honohan and Steacy to Shamrock Rovers



https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/loi-transfer-news-shamrock-rovers-swoop-for-cork-city-defender/a988817792.html

[total hoofball]

How was Kane at Drogs? Looked a very promising player before the injury, the fact he couldnt get a look in after at Shels would suggest he isn't the player he was
Kane got his injury towards end of last season just before when he was due to be out of contract with Shels and the club gave him a new contract despite knowing he would be missing at least the first half of the season, many other clubs in this league would not have done the same thing. He made one substitute appearance for Shels this season against UCD in July but with Tyreke Wilson and Kameron Ledwidge there at left back and Gavin Molloy moving to central defence the back line was overstocked Kane just was never going to get much game time again at Shels to get back to full fitness and match shape so the loan to Drogheda made sense for him but probably meant he was very unlikely to be signed back by Shels. I think he is a decent defender but not a natural wing back with him struggling for end product in the final third in Duff's system during the 2022 season

[Jd2793]

honohan and stacy to shams is a poor start to any rebuild. jaysis. great that we'll get 20k compo for honohan though.

[ontheotherhand]

honohan and stacy to shams is a poor start to any rebuild. jaysis. great that we'll get 20k compo for honohan though.

Steacy is a backup. Honohan must have something about him if he made the Irish 21s at one point. But cant say I noticed him. Only Keating and Bolger stood out for Cork for me. You don't rate him?

[outspoken]

Steacy is a backup. Honohan must have something about him if he made the Irish 21s at one point. But cant say I noticed him. Only Keating and Bolger stood out for Cork for me. You don't rate him?

They must be adamant Pohls is good enough if their signing a FD keeper a backup.

[nigel-harps1954]

God help Rovers if Pohls gets injured.

[Dermobohs]

Rovers signing Josh Honohan off Cork for €20k compensation fee and also Lee Steacy from Cobh as backup to Pohls. Those are ehh very un-rovers signings shall we say
You can say that again! Lee is a staunch bohs man, or rather was?

[pineapple stu]

Have Rovers not got an academy keeper coming through they could turn to?

[ontheotherhand]

Have Rovers not got an academy keeper coming through they could turn to?

Tom Leitis is next in line. He was on the bench as backup to Pohls this season.

Steacy is best mates with Pico as far as I know.

[joey B]

Aaron Bolger rumoured to be heading to Shels…

[Jd2793]

Steacy is a backup. Honohan must have something about him if he made the Irish 21s at one point. But cant say I noticed him. Only Keating and Bolger stood out for Cork for me. You don't rate him?

honohan didnt stand out much in either division for us. look he might improve in a better team and better coaching but i really dont think he'll make a big leap to be a capable option for rovers in europe. i remember leaving city games before thinking how the f... do we have sean mcloughlin playing for us . never had a thought like that with honohan. hes still young infairness so could make me look like a fool

[Bunny Kelly]

Not so much about Honohan the player but it is the type of signing Rovers should be making, they have the ability to hoover up all the best young talent & then turn them over for a nice profit, Mandriou, Lyons, O'Neill, Scales & Farugia are the template they have drifted away from.

[cláirseach]

He was very, very poor last night. A black hole for the football, awful decision maker and weak one on one defender. However I have seen him play just fine several times before. The playoffs is a highly pressured situation.

[cláirseach]

Steacy is an option on the bench for Rovers, and probably someone who is tired of travelling to Cobh, as iirc he hadn't moved down. It was likely Cobh or the LSL (or worse, Braybinteely), last year so this isn't a bad outcome for him. What is he working at?

[joey B]

Jack Byrne agreed new long term contract at Shamrock Rovers…..

[Dermobohs]

Jack Byrne agreed new long term contract at Shamrock Rovers…..
On his day brilliant but on his wage with his games played record? Risky.

[Nesta99]

Better deal for the player than the club at the moment but get him fit and he is the playr to build around.

[sbgawa]

JAck played 39 games in 2022 for us and 24 in 2023 so he isnt exactly contributing nothing but i take your point.
If he recovers over the winter and is ready to go happy days,
But you are right its a gamble to a certain degree, one worth taking imo as on his day he can win games on his own

[ontheotherhand]

honohan didnt stand out much in either division for us. look he might improve in a better team and better coaching but i really dont think he'll make a big leap to be a capable option for rovers in europe. i remember leaving city games before thinking how the f... do we have sean mcloughlin playing for us . never had a thought like that with honohan. hes still young infairness so could make me look like a fool

Thanks. As others have said, it's the age profile we need but that report doesn't fill me with confidence. Bradley did talk recently about the market being very difficult, particularly for a team at the top. The better young players are being snapped up by english L1/L2 teams and players from other countries can't be targeted because it's hard to house them in Dublin. If we really had the pulling power people think, we'd have Murphy and Leavy from Pats signing, not Honohan from Cork. It is what it is. Hopefully one of Razi, Noonan and Cruise kick on.

Steacy is going full time with us so might improve but at his age who knows.

Burns as a rumour is exciting.

Byrne is very exciting. If the knee specialist thinks he can get back fully fit then we've done great business if it's a 3 year deal. But....I've said this before, he seems to have struggled since the back injury to stay at the fitness levels he needs to be at.

[Kingswood Rover]

Thanks. As others have said, it's the age profile we need but that report doesn't fill me with confidence. Bradley did talk recently about the market being very difficult, particularly for a team at the top. The better young players are being snapped up by english L1/L2 teams and players from other countries can't be targeted because it's hard to house them in Dublin. If we really had the pulling power people think, we'd have Murphy and Leavy from Pats signing, not Honohan from Cork. It is what it is. Hopefully one of Razi, Noonan and Cruise kick on.

Steacy is going full time with us so might improve but at his age who knows.

Burns as a rumour is exciting.

Byrne is very exciting. If the knee specialist thinks he can get back fully fit then we've done great business if it's a 3 year deal. But....I've said this before, he seems to have struggled since the back injury to stay at the fitness levels he needs to be at.
I think the fact that Jack now knows where his bed is for the next couple of seasons, him having not having played much in the last few months and then a full preseason will hopefully see him back at his best with his game-face on.

[Longfordian]

Steacy is a decent enough back up keeper. Played well for us for a good few years. Doubt he's costing the earth either.

[outspoken]

Steacy is an option on the bench for Rovers, and probably someone who is tired of travelling to Cobh, as iirc he hadn't moved down. It was likely Cobh or the LSL (or worse, Braybinteely), last year so this isn't a bad outcome for him. What is he working at?

Was a taxi driver not sure if still at it

[joey B]

I think he’s a teacher if my memory serves me correctly,think I heard him on LOI Central talking about it….

[2 Year Contract]

Youre both right, he said on LOI Central that he was a part time teacher, part time taxi driver AND part time footballer

[DCWA]

Dan Kelly has signedi in all but offical channels for Derry, as has Alan Reynolds again as assistant a man we are over the moon to have back.

[Martinho II]

Dan Kelly has signedi in all but offical channels for Derry, as has Alan Reynolds again as assistant a man we are over the moon to have back.

thats a surprise that Alan Reynolds is back with derry!

[Bunny Kelly]

Would Trevor Croly re join Long?

[cláirseach]

Not if they're training in the morning.