2025 Arrivals and Departures

[Acornvilla]

I'm sure he's getting paid pretty well by Barnsley, and they're not miles off being in the Championship in 6 months, but similarly I'd have liked to see him end up somewhere else.

[Dexy]

Wtf are you on about....?
Farrugia was out of contract and made it clear at the start of last season that he was going to try a move overseas once his contract finished.
Kenny was on loan for past 2 seasons and always maintained he wanted to try break into the Celtic first team
Hoare is a bit of a loss I'll grant you,as mentioned here ,for my money he's better than Cleary.
And that's it......
None were a surprise.

I'm not arguing about the reasons, more they have to be replaced? Gaffney is gone, Farrugia is gone, Kenny is likely gone, squad players are gone, no young players coming through. What's the plan??

[EatYerGreens]

I had hoped,for his sake, he'd try the continent.
Instead he's going into the industrial,no nonsense factory floor of pro football in lower league england. I think he'll get broken up there but sincerely hope I'm wrong.

Barnsley are a fairly big club for league 1 (though the division seems to have a lot of formerly big clubs these days !). Average crowds of up to 15,000 this season, contenders for a play-off sport so far, plus Oakwell is a decent Championship-level ground.

[ger121]

Get why he went there but it is a bit of a meh move in my opinion.

[sessylU]

Tadhg Ryan leaves Derry for Glenavon.

Makes sense, with Arlo Doherty arriving.

[placid casual]

Barnsley are a fairly big club for league 1 (though the division seems to have a lot of formerly big clubs these days !). Average crowds of up to 15,000 this season, contenders for a play-off sport so far, plus Oakwell is a decent Championship-level ground.
Yeah understand all that, and it wasn't a poke at barnsley insomuch as it's a well worn path (english league 1)that hasn't worked out for +90% of LOI players who have gone to that level in recent years.
Also farrugia is not exactly a brick $hithouse to begin with ,so the unrelenting,tough nature of lower league football there could see him struggle to stay fit- I sincerely hope that's not the case,as he's a good young bloke and never acted up whilst at Rovers.

[outspoken]

Yeah understand all that, and it wasn't a poke at barnsley insomuch as it's a well worn path (english league 1)that hasn't worked out for +90% of LOI players who have gone to that level in recent years.
Also farrugia is not exactly a brick $hithouse to begin with ,so the unrelenting,tough nature of lower league football there could see him struggle to stay fit- I sincerely hope that's not the case,as he's a good young bloke and never acted up whilst at Rovers.

Farrugia is a sh*thouse but will his bode cope with the demands thats the question.

[Nesta99]

In terms of building options for the international side for a while I was hoping all developing Irish talent would go to the continent to develop better technically. Since the change of management there and we are looking back as being physical, hard to beat, kick things that move then, if up to it, a L1 schooling will be of benefit and hopefully they progress up the ranks to the more technically orientated levels and get that exposure then also. The amount of games, quick turn around and travel in the English game is mad, from EPL but very much divisions below, it hard to see how players that arent of the robust type cope.

Tbh I think Id still rather players to look beyond England/Scotland and to the mainland - is it snobbery with the players of pure class that plyed their trade in Italy eg and hoping for more? Is it actually a better enviornment for youngsers to be in, or am I totally projecting and if id had the talent and opportuniy Id be picking Italy, Spain, France, Benelux over Grimsby, Bradford, Paisley or derelict old seaside towns like Blackpool

[joey B]

Cole Omorehiomwan signed for Athlone

[RealJohn91]

Athlone putting a decent squad together. It'll be interesting to see if they can give Dundalk a run for their money in challenging for the league.

[outspoken]

Cole Omorehiomwan signed for Athlone

Absolutely useless

[joey B]

Chat of Declan McDaid heading to Athlone aswell…..

[yurt]

Dan McDonnell has mentioned a couple times before that there's a weird situation going on behind the scenes in Athlone. If I was reading between the lines correctly he was saying that the Valeo crowd in charge had no interest in getting promoted because it'd increase the cost of running the club and they are happy to be a cheap shop window for their players coming through their US academy.

But with Athlone hoovering up some of the best talent in the FD it seems like there must have been a change of approach because signing the best Irish players goes against that theory completely.

[Neish]

Dan McDonnell has mentioned a couple times before that there's a weird situation going on behind the scenes in Athlone. If I was reading between the lines correctly he was saying that the Valeo crowd in charge had no interest in getting promoted because it'd increase the cost of running the club and they are happy to be a cheap shop window for their players coming through their US academy.

But with Athlone hoovering up some of the best talent in the FD it seems like there must have been a change of approach because signing the best Irish players goes against that theory completely.

This is my fear for LOI clubs in such ownership. Clubs a lot of local people put a lot of time, money, emotion into to keep the club going for decades just being swept up by owners with little connection to the local community and being just as a device for a few years then they disappear leaving the same or similar local people to clean up the mess (if they can)

[Shearer]

Dan McDonnell has mentioned a couple times before that there's a weird situation going on behind the scenes in Athlone
He has chosen to give a nod and a wink about "certain First Division clubs" rather than actually write something which is annoying.

[joey B]

Chat of Declan McDaid heading to Athlone aswell…..

Confirmed now….

[Acornvilla]

Dan McDonnell has mentioned a couple times before that there's a weird situation going on behind the scenes in Athlone. If I was reading between the lines correctly he was saying that the Valeo crowd in charge had no interest in getting promoted because it'd increase the cost of running the club and they are happy to be a cheap shop window for their players coming through their US academy.

But with Athlone hoovering up some of the best talent in the FD it seems like there must have been a change of approach because signing the best Irish players goes against that theory completely.
They might have seen the extra few hundred thousand PD clubs are getting in solidarity money from now on and reckon that would bridge the gap.


He has chosen to give a nod and a wink about "certain First Division clubs" rather than actually write something which is annoying.


I do think a part of that is in having difficulty getting anyone from the club to speak about it? He's better off being vague if he can't stand over what he's saying tbf.

[Another Bohemia]

Seeing Bohs linked with Liam Burt, Sean Kavanagh and Conor Carty. Kavanagh and Carty are obviously targeting areas of need for Bohs with Whelan having an injury history and Bohs not having a single LB at the club but Burt is an odd one. Would take him back so no issues there but I thought he would still be under contract with Rovers? Maybe they just want rid as he doesn't fit their system, he did spend all last season on loan after all.

[2 Year Contract]

Seeing Bohs linked with Liam Burt, Sean Kavanagh and Conor Carty. Kavanagh and Carty are obviously targeting areas of need for Bohs with Whelan having an injury history and Bohs not having a single LB at the club but Burt is an odd one. Would take him back so no issues there but I thought he would still be under contract with Rovers? Maybe they just want rid as he doesn't fit their system, he did spend all last season on loan after all.

Kavanagh and Carty's own injury history isn’t much better than Whelan's tbh. Carty's one of the hardest working strikers I can think of in recent years but lacks quality in front of goal. His work rate makes him the sort of player that fans will find it easy to like/get behind him though

[Another Bohemia]

Kavanagh and Carty's own injury history isn’t much better than Whelan's tbh. Carty's one of the hardest working strikers I can think of in recent years but lacks quality in front of goal. His work rate makes him the sort of player that fans will find it easy to like/get behind him though

Wasn't aware Carty has an injury history, Kavanagh's is pretty well known now but I am suspicious of the Rovers medical/s&c team. I can't think of any team that has as many regularly occurring injuries each season. Some of it could definitely just be injury prone players but could it all be down to that?

[2 Year Contract]

Yeah Carty struggled with niggly injuries before he came to Pats. Was generally not bad injury wise in his loan season with Pats but then this time last year he went on loan to Doncaster and did his ACL after about 2 weeks with them and hasn’t kicked a ball since

[Another Bohemia]

Yeah Carty struggled with niggly injuries before he came to Pats. Was generally not bad injury wise in his loan season with Pats but then this time last year he went on loan to Doncaster and did his ACL after about 2 weeks with them and hasn’t kicked a ball since

2 strikers with ACL injury history (if Carty links prove to be true and he signs) what could possibly go wrong :D

[desaintsno.12]

Kavanagh and Carty's own injury history isn’t much better than Whelan's tbh. Carty's one of the hardest working strikers I can think of in recent years but lacks quality in front of goal. His work rate makes him the sort of player that fans will find it easy to like/get behind him though

I was such a Conor Carty fan. Really likeable player, but as mentioned, he doesnt score enough and has an injury profile. I would still take him back though.

[TonyD]

I was such a Conor Carty fan. Really likeable player, but as mentioned, he doesnt score enough and has an injury profile. I would still take him back though.

Same here. If he was a bit more clinical in front of goal I think he’d do pretty well in England. His hold up and general play is good, and as has been said he has a great work ethic.

[2 Year Contract]

Waterford have signed Tommy Lonergan on loan (12 months later than expected!). Hasn’t worked out for him over there so far, 1 goal in 20 appearances so far. The move back here will be good for him

[Longfordian]

Tommy Lonergan signs for Waterford. Who could have predicted that?

Edit: too slow

[MoydowMonty]

Dylan Barnett signs back for Bray. Been missing for 2 years since he was at Longford where he was extremely good. Being out of LOI that long isn't ideal, but I'm sure Bray fans will see the signing as a net positive

[placid casual]

Kavo could certainly do a job for a team like boez,and I can't imagine any animosity from Rovers fans for him moving to wherever it is boez end up playing their football.
Rovers aren't signing anyone I'm told. Saving our pennies to give to our owners,if you want to pass that rumour around:)

[total hoofball]

Dan McDonnell has mentioned a couple times before that there's a weird situation going on behind the scenes in Athlone. If I was reading between the lines correctly he was saying that the Valeo crowd in charge had no interest in getting promoted because it'd increase the cost of running the club and they are happy to be a cheap shop window for their players coming through their US academy.

But with Athlone hoovering up some of the best talent in the FD it seems like there must have been a change of approach because signing the best Irish players goes against that theory completely.
I've read online conflicting claims that Valeo are no longer involved with Athlone and claims they are still involved does anyone know the exact status? I see they have re-signed a number of their US players and also US players for the WNL team which suggests nothing has changed...

Whatever Athlone are spending this season I'd hardly call the likes of Declan McDaid, JR Wilson and Bastien Héry to be indicators of Sporting Fingal 2009 or Limerick 2016 First Division galáctico squads! They are more likely positioning themselves as the top paying LOI club for players who want to be part-time coming from the Dublin region to put up some type of challenge to Dundalk. Of the other part-time First Division clubs with mostly Dublin based squads Bray, Wexford and Longford look to be zombie clubs at the moment content to finish 5th and UCD are always going to be UCD with their squad of kids

[total hoofball]

Seeing Bohs linked with Liam Burt
I think most Rovers and Shels fans are scratching their heads at the stat that Burt scored 17 goals in two seasons for Bohs it may be the only good move for him in the LOI on that spell

[Another Bohemia]

I think most Rovers and Shels fans are scratching their heads at the stat that Burt scored 17 goals in two seasons for Bohs it may be the only good move for him in the LOI on that spell

Id say rovers fans are more curious about how he managed to play so many minutes for Shels (over 1900 compared to 600 odd in his season at rovers). It's hard to score goals for a team if you're never fit for them.

[placid casual]

Well he won league titles with both so he must be doing something right. Maybe he'll get the hat trick with bohs?

[2 Year Contract]

Will Jarvis has signed for League Two Notts County on a permanent basis. A blow for Shels who I believe hoped to bring him back to the club this month

[Jack B]

Was quite disappointed by Lonergan in the end at Pat's. A lot of natural ability and physical attributes there but his general play was often so unrefined that he never got to show the good parts to his game. Can be improved with time in fairness and if nothing else will be a good option for Waterford, only surprise is that it took him this long to end up there.

Saw elsewhere that Shane Griffin (the defender) has signed for Cobh, which is quite the coup for them. They've got a nucleus of maybe 4-5 starting players there that are quite formidable for a First Division side. On a related note it puts more of a microscope on what Cork are doing for me, still have a bit of work to do and between Griffin and some of the released players there's a few not there you'd have expected to be that would have fleshed the squad out. Relying on the UK/international market can be hit and miss to say the very least but it seems that'll be the route they have to go.

[joey B]

Shane Griffin signed for Cobh

[Shinkicker]

Seeing Bohs linked with Liam Burt, Sean Kavanagh and Conor Carty. Kavanagh and Carty are obviously targeting areas of need for Bohs with Whelan having an injury history and Bohs not having a single LB at the club but Burt is an odd one. Would take him back so no issues there but I thought he would still be under contract with Rovers? Maybe they just want rid as he doesn't fit their system, he did spend all last season on loan after all.
I was happy at how quickly Bohs emptied the dead wood at the end of the season, but disappointed at the number of new signings. Buckley will be like a new signing as will Cornwall and I would guess they are in the plans to play sooner rather than later. We can't do what we did last year and the year before, play players out of their natural position. If you have lots of injuries during the sesson then it's ok, but at the start you need every position covered. We need to see some quality signings soon. Burt didn't want to play for Bohs at the end and that was obvious from his demeanor and he moved on, that's fine, but I don't think he's a solution to Bohs scoring more goals. I can see every team has been busy signing players except Sligo, Bohs and Rovers.
Could these be the bottom three? I hope not for Bohs, I couldn't take another year like last year.

[Nesta99]

Shane Griffin signed for Cobh

Fook off Cobh with yer fancy signings!! With a really strong club definitely being relegated for next season it could become quite a cut throat division over the next few seasons. It could end up being a need to be promoted season 2025 or 2026/27 you have so called smaller clubs with a number of years development under the belts with 2 or 3 traditionally big clubs + UCD in the mix.

[2 Year Contract]

Shane Griffin signed for Cobh

Now there’s a signing to make you think wow, they’ve done well to get him. Would’ve thought he’d have been a good signing for Cork, Waterford or Sligo

[EalingGreen]

Now there’s a signing to make you think wow, they’ve done well to get him. Would’ve thought he’d have been a good signing for Cork, Waterford or Sligo
If his time at Glentoran is anything to go by, Mad Mick's management qualifications are as follows:
1. An almost supernatural ability to persuade owners to give him a job;
2. The same again to persuade them to get his mates in as well;
3. Ditto persuading them to give him money to splash out on players;
4. Er, that's it.

My prediction is that Cobh will start the season with a bang, before fading away to mediocrity as the players realise he hasn't a clue. Meanwhile, Mick will blame everyone around him bar himself.

On the bright side, Cobh didn't appoint his next successor-but-one at Glentoran, Warren Feeney, who if anything was even worse!

[Another Bohemia]

I was happy at how quickly Bohs emptied the dead wood at the end of the season, but disappointed at the number of new signings. Buckley will be like a new signing as will Cornwall and I would guess they are in the plans to play sooner rather than later. We can't do what we did last year and the year before, play players out of their natural position. If you have lots of injuries during the sesson then it's ok, but at the start you need every position covered. We need to see some quality signings soon. Burt didn't want to play for Bohs at the end and that was obvious from his demeanor and he moved on, that's fine, but I don't think he's a solution to Bohs scoring more goals. I can see every team has been busy signing players except Sligo, Bohs and Rovers.
Could these be the bottom three? I hope not for Bohs, I couldn't take another year like last year.

This time last year Bohs had 2 CBS, no strikers, no right backs and a frankly awful midfield with Flores pretty much a nailed on starter. Now they need a starting left back and depth signings. The squad is in a much better place.

On paper I reckon the starting 11 for the first game of the season will probably be something like this

---------Chorazka--------
Smith--Kavanagh--Cornwall--Mountney
-----Devoy--Morahan-----
---------Tierney---------
Meekison-Whelan-Rooney

That leaves players like Cian Byrne, Bucko,Flores (who some rate), McDonnell & Clarke on the bench. There's a need for depth but it's a much better team than this time last year.

[Bohtastic]

I wouldn't be surprised if McDonnell was played at left back... in fact Reynolds may have decided that Flores and McDonnell offer enough cover. Not 100% convinced myself.

[Shinkicker]

This time last year Bohs had 2 CBS, no strikers, no right backs and a frankly awful midfield with Flores pretty much a nailed on starter. Now they need a starting left back and depth signings. The squad is in a much better place.

On paper I reckon the starting 11 for the first game of the season will probably be something like this

---------Chorazka--------
Smith--Kavanagh--Cornwall--Mountney
-----Devoy--Morahan-----
---------Tierney---------
Meekison-Whelan-Rooney

That leaves players like Cian Byrne, Bucko,Flores (who some rate), McDonnell & Clarke on the bench. There's a need for depth but it's a much better team than this time last year.
Afolabi was signed this time last year and I see you put Smith in at LB is that his natural position? and is Cornwall ready/fit to play?

[Another Bohemia]

Afolabi was signed this time last year and I see you put Smith in at LB is that his natural position? and is Cornwall ready/fit to play?

Afolabi was very obviously out the door. It was a matter of when not if. Smith would be right back and mountney left back but either way left back is the big hole I see at the minute. Should Cornwall not be fit you have Cian Byrne who would be next in line and Divin Ishmala, who had a fine season playing for Wexford on loan and scoring some goals coming onto the bench. Numbers are needed for sure but I have more confidence in this squad than I did last season.

[2 Year Contract]

Afolabi was signed this time last year and I see you put Smith in at LB is that his natural position? and is Cornwall ready/fit to play?
He was announced as a Kortrijk player in December 2023

[joey B]

Niall Brookwell signs for Kerry,last at Cork City…

[Shinkicker]

Afolabi was very obviously out the door. It was a matter of when not if. Smith would be right back and mountney left back but either way left back is the big hole I see at the minute. Should Cornwall not be fit you have Cian Byrne who would be next in line and Divin Ishmala, who had a fine season playing for Wexford on loan and scoring some goals coming onto the bench. Numbers are needed for sure but I have more confidence in this squad than I did last season.

You are correct, I meant Akintunde.

[Shinkicker]

Afolabi was very obviously out the door. It was a matter of when not if. Smith would be right back and mountney left back but either way left back is the big hole I see at the minute. Should Cornwall not be fit you have Cian Byrne who would be next in line and Divin Ishmala, who had a fine season playing for Wexford on loan and scoring some goals coming onto the bench. Numbers are needed for sure but I have more confidence in this squad than I did last season.

You are correct, I meant Akintunde.

[ashbournebohs]

I see Flores as our starting LB (Unfortunately)with possibly a loan deal to offer cover together with Mountney as cover RB .I don't see any other reason why Flores was kept on as he will definitely not feature in Midfield

[joey B]

Jack Keaney, Aaron McNally, Emre Topcu, Killian Cailloce and James Byrne all departing Drogheda.

Sligo would seem like an obvious destination for Keaney even if in my opinion he’s not good enough for the Premier Division…

[outspoken]

Aaron McNally a great wee player