On Sunday 16th February 2025, 33,208 fans attended the Bohemians versus Shamrock
Rovers season opener. This was the largest attendance at a League of Ireland game in
almost 80 years – since the 1946 match between Drumcondra and Cork United. This felt like
a watershed moment. It was an event that had a sense of occasion as the league hit its
stride with its recent uptick of interest and upward trajectory.
Interest has grown exponentially in recent years. 826,086 fans attended league games in
2023 – representing a 19.5% increase from 2022. Including European games and cup competitions, the total attendance for that year rose to 966,994. In 2024 crowds surpassed the one million mark for the first time.
Additionally, viewership figures have surged, with televised matches more than doubling since 2021 and peak viewership increasing by 80%, reaching over 3.08 million in 2023, further reflecting the league’s expanding reach and popularity.
Viewing figures for the 2024 season showed a 24% increase in the average TV viewership for the Men’s Premier Division compared to 2023 figures. This has been further boosted this season with Virgin Media screening at least one live game every week, and the introduction of the new LOITV App which makes available every match for fans to stream via mobile devices and TV.
Attendances for the FAI Cup Final have not fallen below 30,000 since 2018, while the 43,881 that were there for St Pat’s beating Bohs in 2023 set a record for Irish football’s showpiece. In 2024, the 38,723 that attended was the largest ever attendance at a final between two non-Dublin clubs.
Current Premier Division champions Shelbourne have seen season ticket sales rise by more than 30%. Shamrock Rovers have sold over 4,500 season tickets. Finn Harps have introduced a new initiative which has seen nearly 1,600 memberships snapped up. Matches are regularly sold out and indeed trying to obtain a ticket these days can be a challenge for certain fixtures. Changed times indeed!
The rise in interest has happened in spite of political indifference and media disinterest. It is primarily thanks to the dedication and resilience of the clubs and volunteers. The passion for Irish football runs deep. And it is great to see these efforts rewarded with the escalation in popularity of the league.
Football was traditionally seen in this country as the less glamorous, sparsely attended cousin of GAA and Rugby. But attitudes have been shifting in recent years. But why is this the case? After all, the League of Ireland hasn’t just appeared out of nowhere. It has been present all along you know.
Some Irish football fans are fatigued with English Premier League Football. Trips to watch football across the water can be expensive – likewise television subscriptions. Fans are being exploited by these elite clubs and the various broadcasters, and people are tired of being treated not like fans, but rather like customers. Top level Premier League football can feel sterile.
For those of us who love League of Ireland football, it is genuinely about “terraces not TV” and also about the links that our clubs have to the local community. The league is brilliantly bonkers and fans love the drama and unpredictability. Even its flaws are part of its charm and attraction.
Press recently has been helpful too. Shels boss Damien Duff has been box office for the league, with his energy, commitment, and promotion of the League as a product. Shamrock Rovers progress to the knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League has captured attention from beyond these shores.
St Pats wonderkid Mason Melia will move to Tottenham Hotspur in January 2026 in a €1.9 million move – a record transfer fee for a League ofIreland player. And former Ireland boss Stephen Kenny’s return to the League has added another layer of interest as herenews his rivalry with his old sparring partner John Caulfield at Galway United.
Things are certainly looking up. But what can hamper growth and stymie momentum is the facilities and infrastructure in the League. This has been a long-standing problem, acknowledged by fans of all clubs. Small and ageing football grounds are a barrier to getting more fans through the turnstiles and more revenue into clubs’ coffers.
Tallaght Stadium is the standard bearer for League of Ireland grounds. Work will hopefully begin next season on the new Dalymount Park, a much-needed upgrade for Bohs which will almost double their
current capacity. But improvements are required right across the board.
Although the tide is turning with TV and radio deals and the attraction of more sponsors, the League needs help from the Government if it is to significantly move forward. For example, academies need more financial support. In simple terms even a moderate amount of funding will help to propel football in this country forward and allow it to realise its potential. This will in turn benefit the Irish exchequer.
These sentiments were echoed by Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley after Sundays game: “It’s another positive step forward for the league. It’s brilliant to see 32,000 there for a domestic game. “Hopefully there’s many more of them to come. It shows that if we have the infrastructure, the facilities, we will get the people through the doors. “It’s a positive step for Irish football domestically.”
What we should not do though is not collectively pat ourselves on the back after a wonderful day out last Sunday at Lansdowne Road and rest on our laurels. Recent success should not lead to complacency but rather be viewed as the beginning of a critical phase that demands diligent effort and strategic planning. So, no longer the “problem child” and more like a “golden child.”
Us Irish can be a cynical bunch. We’ve seen many a boom and bust. But this feels different.
Where will this surge in popularity end up? Who knows. But we’re certainly enjoying the ride.