Just two rounds remain in the 2026 League of Ireland Premier Division, and the run-in still has plenty riding on it. Shamrock Rovers lead by three points, Sligo Rovers are already relegated, and Waterford and Drogheda United are level on points in the fight to avoid ninth.
This guide covers the format, the latest table, the remaining fixtures, the stories of the season and the betting markets that suit a ten-team league. The final round will be played on Friday 30 October.
League of Ireland Premier Division 2026: Format and Season Dates
The season kicked off on Friday 6 February and ends on Friday 30 October. Ten clubs play each other four times, twice at home and twice away, for 36 games each. SSE Airtricity sponsors the division, though most supporters simply call it the League of Ireland, and some overseas sites list it as the Irish Premier League.
Finishing bottom means dropping straight into the League of Ireland First Division. Ninth place goes into a play-off against a First Division side, under a play-off format where second plays fifth and third plays fourth in the First Division semi-finals. The winners meet for the right to face the Premier Division club.
Winning the title brings a place in Champions League qualifying, while second, third and the FAI Cup winners take Ireland’s other European places. Fourth place only earns a spot when the Cup winners also finish in the top three.
Virgin Media Television shows a live game from every round free-to-air under a four-year broadcast deal that began in 2025, and LOITV, the league’s official streaming service, sells a season pass.
Airtricity League Tables: Where All Ten Clubs Stand
This table was updated on 20 October 2026.
| Pos | Club | P | W-D-L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Shamrock Rovers | 34 | 19-8-7 | +19 | 65 |
| 2 | Bohemians | 34 | 18-8-8 | +19 | 62 |
| 3 | St Patrick’s Athletic | 34 | 17-8-9 | +25 | 59 |
| 4 | Shelbourne | 34 | 11-13-10 | +2 | 46 |
| 5 | Derry City | 34 | 10-14-10 | +2 | 44 |
| 6 | Dundalk | 34 | 10-12-12 | -5 | 42 |
| 7 | Galway United | 34 | 10-11-13 | -5 | 41 |
| 8 | Waterford | 34 | 8-13-13 | -10 | 37 |
| 9 | Drogheda United | 34 | 9-10-15 | -13 | 37 |
| 10 | Sligo Rovers | 34 | 5-9-20 | -34 | 24 |
Title: Shamrock Rovers, the defending champions, are three points clear of Bohemians. A Rovers win at home to Sligo on 23 October, combined with Bohemians failing to beat Shelbourne, would seal it. Bohemians need two wins and a Rovers slip, while St Pat’s need Rovers to lose twice just to draw level on points.
Europe: The top three are already settled, because Shelbourne, on 46 points, are too far back to reach 59. Bohemians have the best attack in the division with 60 goals, St Pat’s the meanest defence with 28 conceded, and the two meet at Richmond Park on the final night with second place on the line.
Mid-table: Shelbourne, champions in 2024, sit fourth and Derry City fifth, both safe. Derry play Waterford in the FAI Cup final on Sunday 8 November at the Aviva Stadium, and as neither finalist can reach the top three, fourth place will not bring a European spot this year.
Play-off and relegation: Dundalk, back in the top flight after winning the First Division in 2025, are sixth on 42, one point above Galway United. Neither is safe yet, because Waterford and Drogheda each have a maximum of 43. Waterford beat Galway 3-2 at the RSC on Monday to draw level with Drogheda, sit eighth on goal difference and host Drogheda on 23 October in a straight fight over ninth.
Sligo Rovers had their relegation confirmed by a 5-1 defeat at Shelbourne on 9 October.
Ireland Premier Division Fixtures: What Is Left in the Run-In
These are the last League of Ireland fixtures in the Premier Division by 20 October 2026. All kick-off times are Irish time.
| Date | Fixture | Kick-off |
| Fri 23 October | Bohemians v Shelbourne | 7:45 pm |
| Fri 23 October | Derry City v Dundalk | 7:45 pm |
| Fri 23 October | Galway United v St Patrick’s Athletic | 7:45 pm |
| Fri 23 October | Waterford v Drogheda United | 7:45 pm |
| Fri 23 October | Shamrock Rovers v Sligo Rovers | 8:00 pm |
| Fri 30 October | Drogheda United v Galway United | 7:45 pm |
| Fri 30 October | Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers | 7:45 pm |
| Fri 30 October | Shelbourne v Waterford | 7:45 pm |
| Fri 30 October | Sligo Rovers v Derry City | 7:45 pm |
| Fri 30 October | St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemians | 7:45 pm |
Four games stand out. On 23 October, Shamrock Rovers v Sligo Rovers could settle the title, while Waterford v Drogheda United could shape the battle for ninth. Depending on earlier results, St Pat’s v Bohemians could decide second place on 30 October, when Rovers visit Dundalk at Oriel Park.
How the 2026 Season Has Gone
Rovers started the year as champions after a fifth title in six seasons and a first league and cup double since 1987. They took a giant step on 12 October, beating Bohemians 2-1 in front of a record crowd of 10,208 for a competitive game at Tallaght. Four days later they lost 2-0 at Galway, the Tribesmen’s first win over Rovers in 20 years.
Three clubs changed manager mid-season. Waterford appointed Graham Coughlan on 6 May. Shelbourne, fifth and 14 points off the top, parted ways with Joey O’Brien on 25 June and hired John Russell from Sligo Rovers on 13 July. Shels have since climbed to fourth.
Derry City parted company with Tiernan Lynch on 5 August, with director of football Mark Connolly taking interim charge, and Derry are now heading to a cup final.
St Pat’s were the closest challengers in mid-October but dropped points at home to Shelbourne on 16 October and suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Brandywell three days later.
The leading league scorers on 20 October 2026:
Here are the top scorers in the League of Ireland Premier Division.
| Player | Club | Goals |
| Tommy Lonergan | Waterford | 15 |
| Colm Whelan | Bohemians | 13 |
| Pádraig Amond | Waterford | 13 |
| Daryl Horgan | Dundalk | 11 |
League of Ireland Betting Markets: What Suits the Premier Division
With ten clubs meeting four times, every side has faced every opponent at least three times by now, so there is plenty of form to work with. TonyBet Ireland lists League of Ireland games with match result and goals markets; its bet builders combine those selections, and both teams to score is on the sportsbook too.
Match result and draw no bet: Draws are the biggest factor. 53 of the 170 games played so far have finished level, close to one in three, based on the Sky Sports table. Derry City (14 draws), Shelbourne and Waterford (13 each) have drawn the most, which is where draw no bet comes in: your stake comes back if the game ends level. Our guide explains how it works.
Goals markets: The same 170 games have produced 474 goals, an average of 2.79 per game, according to the Sky Sports table. The spread between clubs is wide. Bohemians have scored 60, the most in the division, while Sligo Rovers have managed 26 and St Pat’s have conceded only 28. That gap makes over/under lines and both teams to score worth checking against each club’s own record rather than the league average.
Final-night factors: Motivation counts as much as form in the last two rounds. Waterford host Drogheda and then visit Shelbourne, while Drogheda finish at home to Galway, so the fight for ninth plays out across three games. Shelbourne and Derry have little left to play for in the league, and the latter has a cup final on 8 November, so check team news and what each side needs before you bet.
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