The 103rd League of Ireland is over. It was a year when some pundits claimed the team who won their fourth consecutive title have disappointed, with some justification too. We had almost weekly false dawns of a title race, with the early pace setters ending up in sixth. One of the biggest clubs in the country got relegated and the club with the biggest cup hoodoo have evolved into cup specialists.
Oh and, of course, we had our usual mix of shenanigans on and off the field. Let’s get on with the awards.
Team of the Year
It’s Shamrock Rovers, obviously. For only the second time ever, a club here has won four titles in a row. Every week until mid-October, we tried to talk ourselves into the idea that Bohemians, then Derry City, even St Patrick’s Athletic for a spell, were challengers but after a slow start, the Champions were comfortably ahead of the pack. They won their last 9 home games and a 2-0 defeat to Dundalk in June is their only defeat in the league since May.
Our four-in-a-row winning manager 🏆
Happy birthday, boss 💚 pic.twitter.com/ac5JL6fXbL— Shamrock Rovers FC (@ShamrockRovers) November 19, 2023
And yet, there is a sense that 2023 has been slightly disappointing for Rovers. They, as with practically every league winners in recent memory, have been labelled winners of the “worst league in years” by some opposition fans but there’s real quality and depth to Rovers squad and they’d hold their own against most of their predecessors. The disappointment stems from their lacklustre performances in Europe this year. In little over a month Rovers went 7 games without scoring a goal from open play, lost four times in Europe, and were knocked out of the FAI Cup in Oriel Park.
Off-field issues were highlighted late in the season, with Stephen Bradley suggesting some in the club were working against him, but all appear to be sorted ahead of next year. The new North Stand pushes Tallaght Stadium further ahead of the rest of country. Can Bradley keep the team ahead and earn a fifth title?
Man of the Year
Damien Duff is pure box office. This year has seen him banned for criticizing referees, say he doesn’t have a clue what’s happening with his own club, goad opposition fans at every opportunity, argue with managers over budgets, suggest they should have won every game they didn’t, and say they’re lucky to win most they did win. When it looked like Shelbourne’s new Turkish owners weren’t set on Duff, a revolt in Tolka Park forced them out leaving no doubt who is in charge of the club.
"I'll be in the Riverside next season or on the bench" 👀
Damien Duff reacts to leading Shelbourne to a potential European spot...#LOI | #DROSHE pic.twitter.com/SHMcUKPCR5— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) November 3, 2023
Oh, and he might be a football genius too. The manager of the year may go to league winner Stephen Bradley, Cup winner Jon Daly or miracle worker Kevin Doherty but in the second half of the season, only Rovers won more points than Damien Duff’s Shelbourne. He has helped young stars in Gavin Molloy and Jack Moylan, and rejuvenated veterans like Luke Byrne and Paddy Barrett. Duff may leave the league at the drop of a hat, but we have to enjoy him while he’s here.
READ ALSO: Dodge's 2022 League Of Ireland End Of Season Awards
Event of the Year
The League of Ireland is home to many, many cynics. When you’ve seen your club and the professional game here belittled so often, it has been hard in the past to accept the smallest crumb of praise that sometimes fell from the wider sporting public. This week we’ve all basked in the glow of the 2023 FAI Cup Final. The crowd, the noise, the colour, the excitement – every bit of the day forced itself into the mainstream. The clubs involved, winners St Pats and their opponents Bohs, have received almost universal praise for the way they have built up their clubs in recent times with a huge focus on community projects. They’re not the only clubs doing trojan work, but this final has given them both a huge platform and other clubs will be looking for that opportunity next year too.
12 November 2023; Adam Murphy of St Patrick's Athletic celebrates after the Sports Direct FAI Cup Final between Bohemians and St Patrick's Athletic at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
The FAI have questions to answer after fan groups of both clubs, the SEI with Pats and the NBB with Bohs, had incredible looking tifo displays blocked at the 11th hour by officials. It, in typical FAI fashion, left a slightly sour taste on a day when the FAI should have been receiving plaudits. It isn’t fashionable to say so, but part of the “big day” feeling for the game is down to the FAI’s work with branding and, yes, marketing of the game. The TV figures far exceeded expectations and the FAI has pointed out that our Cup final was the 9th most attended Cup final in Europe this year. We just have to hope that this is seen as a foundational building block, rather than an end-goal achievement.
Player of the Year
There have been flashier players (Jack Moylan, Chris Forrester) and more prolific forwards (Ruairi Keating, Jonathan Afolabi) but no player is more important to their team, the best team, than Rory Gaffney. While Rovers may seek to bring youth into their aging squad this off season, the first play re-signed was the big striker. His work rate is exceptional but that shouldn’t hide his technical abilities.
𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝟐-𝟎!! 🟢⚪️
Gaffney with the finish!
Byrne with the delivery again.#BOHSHA #LOI pic.twitter.com/fhjui14lqy— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) April 7, 2023
Young Player of the Year
A running joke emerged this season with pundits, both professional and on social media, mentioning that Sam Curtis of St Pats was only 17 every time he impressed. That was every week basically. Curtis is likely to leave for higher paying shores soon, but his performances this year have been exceptional and (here we go) belied the fact that he was only 17 (seventeen)! Not only is he the young player of the year, but he also has genuine claims on being the best player in the league. He’s only 17 too.
Sam Curtis is only 17.pic.twitter.com/KIEDXC4vIf
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) October 20, 2023
The Team of the Year Part II
GK – Dean Lyness (St Patrick’s Athletic)
RB – Sam Curtis (St Patrick’s Athletic
LB – Ben Doherty (Derry City)
CB – Lee Grace (Shamrock Rovers)
CB – Gavin Molloy (Shelbourne)
CM – Gary O’Neill (Shamrock Rovers)
CM – Chris Forrester (St Patrick’s Athletic)
CAM – Jack Moylan (Shelbourne)
FW – Ruairi Keating (Cork City)
FW – Jonathan Afolabi (Bohemians)
FW – Rory Gaffney (Shamrock Rovers)
Subs: Conor Kearns (Shelbourne), Archie Davis (Dundalk), Cameron McJannett (Derry City), Dan Cleary (Shamrock Rovers), Neil Farrugia (Shamrock Rovers), Jamie Lennon (St Patrick’s Athletic), James Clarke (Bohemians), Markus Poom (Shamrock Rovers), Dayle Rooney (Drogheda United).
The Waterford Rollercoaster of the Year
Every year we hand out a rollercoaster of the year, and every year it’s Waterford who win it. They started the season losing the talented Junior Quitirna when it emerged that he didn’t have the correct immigration paperwork to play here. That only came to light as they headed to Dubai to play a friendly against another of the Fleetwood Town satellite clubs. In the middle of the season, club owner Andy Pilley was sentenced to 13 years in jail for multiple fraud offences in England. (Only this week an investigation into claims Pilley had tried to bribe a juror have re-opened). Waterford, however, ended the season winning a thrilling play-off to relegate Cork City and win promotion for themselves. Waterford don’t make things easy for their fans.
Honourable mention to both clubs that were linked with takeovers by Hull City’s Turkish owner Acun Ilicali. He owned Shels for a minute, but it appears his first choice was Dundalk. They ended the season trying to offload their highest earners amid rumours of another takeover. Stephen O’Donnell accused the local media of being too negative, but since the end of the season they’ve lost a main sponsor and most of their squad remain out of contract.
The Disappointment of the Year
Bohemians led the league after 14 games but ended up in 6th place and a Cup final defeat meant they’d miss out on European football again. However, most fans appreciate how far they’ve come off the field and they’ll enter every year with hope of challenging for the top four. That isn’t the case for fans of Cork City who saw the club end the first season under the ownership of Dermot Usher in relegation. They started the year in front of 6,500 people in Turners Cross but less than 2,000 turned up for their final home game of the season.
In between they lost manager Colin Healy, appointed Richie Holland as interim manager, moved newly-appointed Director of Football Liam Buckley into that interim role, before moving him back out and re-installing Holland. Recruitment from all involved has been a disaster. City remain one of the biggest clubs in the country, but they need to find a solid base on which to build on. The next managerial appointment is key and Usher can’t afford to miss.
Newcomers of the Year
Virgin Media didn’t show a lot of game in 2023, but when they did, they really put an effort into publicising them. That effort was appreciated by the LOI community. Virgin were rewarded with a final game of the season – the play off final – that might have been the best game of the entire season. Played on a night with no LOI competition, it seemed to capture the imagination of the LOI hardcore. We don’t know if that’s enough to make Virgin, and RTE, offer more next year.
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐋!!!@WaterfordFCie equalise and it's an absolute cracker from Connor Parsons! 🚀#WATCOR | #LOI pic.twitter.com/l0MjauBu3v
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) November 10, 2023
The "We Almost Forget They Walked The First Division" Award
Galway United easily won the First Division. So easily that they didn't even appear in an early draft of this end of year wrap up. It's harsh on them as they showed with their cup hammering of Dundalk that they're clearly a level above the normal First Division standard. A bigger test awaits them next year but in John Caulfield, they have the most experienced manager in the league and with the Comers money, they should have a budget to ensure safety.
And that's a wrap on the 2023 season. A season when the LOI became a beacon of hope for an embattled FAI. The difficult child is no more. We hope.
