Ins and Outs

Bohemians

The arrival of Barry Ferguson and return of Jason McGuinness, and Thomas Heary's recovery from long-term injury should help at the back where the Dubliners were a little too accommodating last season.

Up front, it will be interesting to see whether Vinny Arkins still has what it takes to make a major impact in this league.

In between the team is as good as anybody's but the squad still looks a little too thin to sustain a title challenge.

In: Vinny Arkins (Portadown), Barry Ferguson (Longford Town), Jason McGuinness (Shamrock Rovers), Stephen O'Brien (Longford Town), Mark Sheridan (Huddersfield Town).

Out: Ken Oman (Derry City), James Keddy (Drogheda United), Sean Cooney (Finn Harps, on loan), Derek Swan (Shelbourne), Jimmy Hussey (UCD), Seamas Kelly (Longford Town).

Bray Wanderers

The limitations of Pat Devlin's defence were exposed more than once last season and the team ended up with the worst goal difference of any side bar the two that were relegated.

The arrival of Robbie Doyle will help at the other end, though, while the likes of Eamon Zayed, Colm Tresson and, when fit, Jody Lynch, give the team enough between them to suggest they can manage another mid-table finish.

In: Robbie Doyle (St Patrick's Athletic), Ali Farahmand (Garda), Robert Manley (Shamrock Rovers), Terry Masterson (Millwall), David Tyrrell (Shelbourne, on loan).

Out: Conor Sinnott (Reading), Robbie Dunne (Dundalk), Lloyd Colfer (Waterford United), Hugh Davey (Dublin City).

Cork City

With everyone fit, City were comfortably the best side in the country last year, something they underlined on the last day of the season when Damien Richardson's side clinched the title in thrilling fashion against Derry City.

Having lost Greg O'Halloran and Liam Kearney, though, the squad looks thinner than ever and it mightn't take much at all on the injury front to seriously undermine the club's title defence.

In: Bryan McCarthy (Kilkenny City), Paul Connell (Manly United, Australia).

Out: Willie Bruton (Cobh Ramblers), Kevin Murray (Cobh Ramblers), Liam Kearney (Shelbourne), Greg O'Halloran (Shelbourne).

Derry City

There's been a fair bit of movement up at the Brandywell with Damien Brennan and Alan Murphy departing on the basis of their preference for living in Dublin and Galway respectively, while Kevin McHugh is the pick of the new recruits having finally decided it was time to leave Finn Park. The striker scored 13 goals in a poor team last season having missed a chunk of the season through injury.

That alone could be enough to push Derry up one place if Cork are less consistent than last time around.

In: Kevin McHugh (Finn Harps), Ken Oman (Bohemians).

Out: Gerry Gill (Institute), Paddy McLoughlin (Institute), Damien Brennan (Dublin City), Marc Mokendi (Finn Harp, on loan), Alan Murphy (Galway United).

Drogheda United

Paul Doolin finished the season on a high with the club winning the FAI Cup for the first time and suggesting that it was well placed to move on to bigger things.

The plan was to recruit two leading strikers and, after a one or two declined offers, a couple have arrived although whether they are of the required calibre for the team to force its way into the top three remains to be seen.

In: Shane Barrett (Longford Town), Glen Fitzpatrick (Shelbourne), James Keddy (Bohemians), Brian Shelley (Shamrock Rovers), Charlie Treacy (Oldham Athletic).

Out: David Freeman (Dublin City), Stuart Malcolm (Dublin City), Gary Rogers (Dublin City), Mark Rooney (Dublin City), Jermaine Sandvliet (Leonidas).

 Dublin City

Having won promotion via the play-offs Dermot Keely has seriously strengthened his squad with Damien Brennan, Stuart Malcolm and Gary Rodgers amongst some good looking signings.

A great many new arrivals need to settle in, though, and so avoiding the bottom two will still present a challenge.

In: Damien Brennan (Derry City), David Conroy (Ballymun United), Paul Crowley (Waterford United), Keith Doyle (Shamrock Rovers), Hugh Davey (Bray Wanderers), Stuart Malcolm (Drogheda United), Ger McCarthy (Dundalk), Gavin McDonnell (Shamrock Rovers), Mick O'Donnell (UCD), Gary Rogers (Drogheda United), Mark Rooney (Drogheda United).

Out: Kevin Williamson (Athlone Town), Aidan Lynch (Dundalk), Trevor Vaughan (Dundalk), Brendan Kennedy (Kildare County), Stephen McCrossan (Kildare County), Alan Mulcahy (Kildare County), David O'Meara (Kildare County, on loan), Eddie Smith (Kilkenny City), Ray Scully (Shamrock Rovers).

Longford Town

With substantially the same squad as last year, Alan Mathews will primarily be looking for a little more consistency and a few more goals as his team look to improve on last season and earn a return to Europe.

A few decent players have left but, with the style of play unlikely to change, Longford will remain hard to beat.

That, though, just might not be enough.

In: Kevin Doherty (Shelbourne), Robbie Martin (UCD), Alan Murphy (Newry City), Séamus Kelly (Bohemians).

Out: Barry Ferguson (Bohemians), Stephen O'Brien (Bohemians), Shane Barrett (Drogheda United), Eric Lavine (Galway United), Paul Keegan (St Patrick's Athletic), Seán Dillon (Shelbourne).

St Patrick's Athletic

Having come through a difficult time last season, John McDonnell has shaken things up at Richmond Park, where the fans will be now hoping to witness a substantial improvement. The return of Trevor Molloy and Paul Keegan will add know-how but not necessarily goals up front, while David Mulcahy, Anthony Murphy and Mark Rutherford will add quality. Robbie Doyle still might be missed, though.

In: Trevor Molloy (Shamrock Rovers), Paul Keegan (Longford Town), David Mulcahy (Waterford United), Anthony Murphy (UCD), Mark Quigley (Shamrock Rovers), Mark Rutherford (Shamrock Rovers), Lee Roche (Shamrock Rovers).

Out: Robbie Doyle (Bray Wanderers), Christy Doran (Dundalk), Conor McMahon (Dundalk), David Bell (Finn Harps), Peter Darcy (Kilkenny City), Eoghan O'Shea (Monaghan United), Robert Smith (Monaghan United), Ian Maher (Shamrock Rovers, on loan), David O'Connor (Shamrock Rovers), Philip Sheppard (Shamrock Rovers), Keith Dunne, Barry Prenderville and Paul Donnelly (all released).

Shelbourne

With Wes Hoolahan the only real regular from last season to depart, Shelbourne look stronger for the season ahead when they will be looking to overhaul both Cork and Derry to reclaim the title they were widely expected to win last year.

Injuries and a temporary slump cost them dearly last time but if Glen Crowe and Jason Byrne really click this time around and the defence tightens up even a little they will be hard to stop.

In: Seán Dillon (Longford Town), Daniel Ennis (Belvedere), Liam Kearney (Cork City), Greg O'Halloran (Cork City), Derek Swan (Bohemians).

Out: Wes Hoolahan (Livingston), Gerard Rowe (Ballymena United), David Tyrrell (Bray Wanderers, on loan), Glen Fitzpatrick (Drogheda United), Derek Pender (Dublin City), Barry Clancy (Kildare County), Seán Lestrange (Kilkenny City), Hussain Yazdani (Kilkenny City), Kevin Doherty (Longford Town), Alan Cawley (UCD), James Chambers (Waterford United, on loan).

Sligo Rovers

Seán Connor hasn't looked to change things as much as Dublin City boss Dermot Keely but true to his word, the Sligo boss has sought to strengthen his squad in key areas ahead of what will be a testing time for the Showgrounds outfit.

The club's bottom line on the ambition front will be to avoid the bottom two and to do even that they will have their work cut out against sides with experience of playing at the higher level.

In: Richard Brush (Shrewsbury Town), Keith Foy (Monaghan United), Adam Hughes (Doncaster Rovers), Matthew Judge (Luton Town), Jamie MacKenzie (Hibernian), Darren Mansaran (Halifax Town), Gavin Peers (Mansfield Town), Chris Turner (Derby County).

Out: Jim Sheridan (Athlone Town), Ian Rossiter (Athlone Town), Ryan O'Donnell (Galway United), Raffaele Cretaro (Galway United), Ciarán Foley (Galway United), Steve O'Donnell (Finn Harps), Carlos Alvarez (Released), Paul Brown (Ballymena United), Tim McCann (Linfield).

UCD

A hugely impressive collective work ethic and a solid defence provided the required compensation for the students' inability to score regularly last year, but Pete Mahon will be hoping his young side will be able to make a little more of a mark on the top flight.

Robbie Martin may be missed but the return of Alan Cawley is a boost for a team who have the potential to develop into the best home grown UCD side yet.

In: Alan Cawley (Shelbourne), Jimmy Hussey (Bohemians), Ciarán Quinn (Monaghan United), Darragh Ryan (England), Gerard Murray (Rathgar), Mark Clohessy (Kilkenny City).

Out: Neil Gallagher (Dundalk, on loan), Stephen Cashen (Kilkenny City), Liam Tiernan (Kilkenny City), Robbie Martin (Longford Town), Brian Gannon (Monaghan United), Anthony Murphy (St Patrick's Athletic), Willie Doyle (Shamrock Rovers), Séamus Long (Shamrock Rovers, on loan), Mick O'Donnell (Dublin City), Damien Dupuy (Switzerland), Robert McAuley (Dundalk), Colm Kierans (Dundalk).

Waterford United

The loss of so many regulars has left new manager Mike Kerley with a difficult year ahead, but having coped admirably in chaotic circumstances at Limerick a couple of years ago, there could be few better people to entrust with the task.

With many young players likely to be involved Kerley could do with getting a good start if his side's confidence is not to take an early battering.

In: James Chambers (Shelbourne, on loan), Lloyd Colfer (Bray Wanderers), Chris Deans (Dundalk), Gavin Doyle (Arklow Town), Ian Fraher (Avondale United), Brendan Hughes (Fairview Rangers), Alan O'Shea (Rathkeale), Darren Young (Limerick), Paul Ometeso (Unattached), Andrew Polecuzak and Christian Lambarski (Poland), Thomas Hawkins (Ferns United), Patrick Flynn (Kidderminster).

Out: David Breen, Packie Holden and Steve Yelverton (all Cobh Ramblers), Paul Crowley (Dublin City), Seán Finn (Dundalk), David Mulcahy (St Patrick's Athletic), Colm Heffernan (Limerick), John Lester (Limerick), Kevin Waters (Limerick).