Diehards and household names. From the grandees Stephen Kenny and John Caulfield to the Republic of Ireland gaffers-in-waiting Damien Duff and Stephen Bradley, to the Uefa Pro Licence brigade of John Russell, Tim Clancy, Kevin Doherty and Keith Long, and Derry City recruiting Tiernan Lynch from Larne, these are the coaches that go under the League of Ireland microscope in 2025.
Shelbourne – Damien Duff
Age: 45.
In his own words: “If you don’t bring quality, intensity and a certain work rate you’ll get left behind. We are aiming for the stars again.”
Honours: Entering his fourth season, Duff has already delivered a Premier Division title in 2024, Uefa Conference League qualification in 2023 and FAI Cup runners-up in 2022.
Just 16 seasons in the Premier League and 100 caps for Ireland before coaching stints at Shamrock Rovers, Ireland under Stephen Kenny and Celtic primed him to take 25-1 outsiders Shelbourne to their first league title since 2006.
Expectations in 2025: Improve on 63-point total. Progress depends on goals from new signing Mipo Odubeko but a top three finish and qualification to the Conference League group stages would signal success.
Shamrock Rovers – Stephen Bradley
Age: 40.
In his own words: “It’s always important that new faces come in and we keep evolving as a group.”
Honours: Shamrock Rovers manager since July 2016, Bradley has captured four league titles in a row (2020-2023), an FAI Cup in 2019 and guided the Hoops into the Conference League group stages on two occasions.
After surviving a traumatic stabbing as an 18-year-old Arsenal midfielder, his playing career in Scotland and the League of Ireland led him to Rovers where he succeeded Pat Fenlon as the manager at just 32 years old.
Expectations in 2025: A fifth league title in six years. Rovers barely came up for air last season after a trailblazing 15-match European run included draws with Apoel Nicosia and Rapid Vienna to bank over €6 million in prize money, but saw them record their worst points tally (61) since 2017.
St Patrick’s Athletic – Stephen Kenny
Age: 53.
In his own words: “I won more trophies than any [Irish manager] in modern history. I won five league titles; that’s why I got the [Ireland] job. Because I am the most successful Irish manager at this time.”
Honours: Four titles in five seasons at Dundalk prompted the former FAI chief executive John Delaney to appoint Kenny as Ireland under-21 manager with an agreement to replace Mick McCarthy in the senior job after Euro 2020.
Results ensured that his 40-match international tenure ended in November 2023 but a midseason revival of St Pat’s silenced the critics. He also won the league with Bohemians in 2003.
Expectations in 2025: If Mason Melia plays a full season alongside Joe Redmond, Romal Palmer and Jake Mulraney, they can outlast Rovers and Shels. The Conference League group stage is attainable, although that might stymie domestic consistency.
Derry City – Tiernan Lynch
Age: 48.
In his own words: “Larne is a big club but I think Derry is a different animal; just the size of the city, the club has to be challenging on an annual basis.”
Honours: Lynch spent five years squad building at Larne before winning NILF Premiership titles in 2023 and 2024 as well as progress to the Uefa Conference group stages.
Expectations in 2025: Consolidation. Derry last season under Ruaidhrí Higgins went from title favourites to a public collapse that culminated in the FAI Cup final defeat to Drogheda denying them European football. Cue a mass exodus of senior players.
Galway United – John Caulfield
Age: 60.
In his own words: “Everybody can see the boundaries in the league have changed. The four Dublin clubs are exceptionally strong.”
Honours: Led Cork City to a league and cup double in 2017 before guiding Galway back to the top flight in 2024 following a 30-year hiatus.
Expectations in 2025: Caulfield and his sidekick Ollie Horgan may see fifth in the table last season as a missed opportunity. Former Ireland international Greg Cunningham has returned home, but despite the backing from billionaire property developers Luke and Brian Comer, the tribesmen were forced to recruit talent from New Zealand, Australia and the USA.
Sligo Rovers – John Russell
Age: 39.
In his own words: “I’ll be hoping to get definitely one, hopefully two players in before the transfer deadline.”
Honours: Brother of the legendary Ireland striker Julie-Ann Russell, finishing fifth, eighth and sixth on Sligo’s budget makes him the outstanding young coach in the country.
Expectations in 2025: The loss of goalkeeper Ed McGinty to Shamrock Rovers and Ellis Chapman to Shelbourne could turn the Connacht derbies into relegation battles. Although Sligo under Russell tend to find a way.
Waterford – Keith Long
Age: 51.
In his own words: “It has never been as sexy to be involved with the League of Ireland – the profile of managers is getting stronger all the time.”
Honours: Eight years at Bohemians yielded no major trophies despite a famous European run in 2021 when they beat Greek side POAK at the Aviva Stadium.
Expectations in 2025: The Pilley family supply Waterford with quality like Tommy Lonergan from their other club Fleetwood Town in the English fourth tier. After rejecting an approach for Long from Dundalk last year, there’s a strong desire to attain European football.
Drogheda United – Kevin Doherty
Age: 44.
In his own words: “We have made improvements – especially the full-time aspect – and I’m really happy with what we have.”
Honours: After maintaining dual careers as a postman and coach with Home Farm, Shelbourne, Longford Town and Drogheda, Doherty won the FAI Cup in his first full-time season in football to qualify for Europe this summer.
Expectations in 2025: The US-owned Trivela Group have strengthened the squad with a host of signings, including loanees from their other club Walsall, to make the Drogs dark horses for a top-four finish. They could just as easily be relegated.
Bohemians – Alan Reynolds
Age: 50.
In his own words: “I will fall out with absolutely anybody to bring this club back to where it belongs. I don’t have any relationship with Damien Duff.”
Honours: Besides three seasons managing his native Waterford, Reynolds was an expert coach behind the scenes at five clubs – Derry, St Pat’s, Cork, Dundalk and Shels – along with a recent stint with Ireland under-21s until Bohs came calling last year.
Expectations in 2025: Win the cup. So much depends on the Lys Mousset gamble paying out, with 20-odd goals needed from the French striker to avoid a mid-table finish.
Cork City – Tim Clancy
Age: 40
In his own words: “Listen, we’ve got a really good squad, a lot of good players. It’s just getting confidence into them to produce on a Friday night.”
Honours: Clancy guided Drogheda to a First Division title in 2020 and following a respectable season and a half at St Pat’s, he was appointed by Cork City in November 2023. Once again, promotion was secured.
Expectations in 2025: The Turners Cross crowd can expects a midtable finish, mainly due to a strike force of Seáni Maguire and Ruairí Keating while everyone wants Cork to keep 17-year-old winger Cathal O’Sullivan for the entire season.
