2025 Arrivals and Departures

**outspoken** · 04/01/2025, 8:14 PM

Originally Posted by joey B

Cole Omorehiomwan signed for Athlone

Absolutely useless

**joey B** · 04/01/2025, 9:20 PM

Chat of Declan McDaid heading to Athlone aswell�..

**yurt** · 05/01/2025, 9:24 AM

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** · 05/01/2025, 9:44 AM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 05/01/2025, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by yurt

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** · 05/01/2025, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by joey B

Chat of Declan McDaid heading to Athlone aswell�..

Confirmed now�.

**Acornvilla** · 05/01/2025, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

Originally Posted by Shearer

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** · 05/01/2025, 4:41 PM

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** · 05/01/2025, 4:55 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 06/01/2025, 12:52 AM

Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

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** · 06/01/2025, 8:54 AM

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** · 06/01/2025, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by 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

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

**desaintsno.12** · 06/01/2025, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

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** · 06/01/2025, 1:06 PM

Originally Posted by desaintsno.12

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** · 06/01/2025, 3:14 PM

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** · 06/01/2025, 3:14 PM

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

Edit: too slow

**MoydowMonty** · 06/01/2025, 4:52 PM

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** · 06/01/2025, 5:05 PM

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** · 06/01/2025, 5:36 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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 H�ry to be indicators of Sporting Fingal 2009 or Limerick 2016 First Division gal�ctico 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** · 06/01/2025, 5:45 PM

Originally Posted by Another Bohemia

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