By Glenn Mason
Airtricity League Premier Division champions Shamrock Rovers rounded off their campaign with a 4-0 win over ten-man Galway United.
Goals from Chris Turner, Billy Dennehy, Karl Sheppard and Ronan Finn ensured Rovers finished off their title-winning season with ease.
Galway defender Ryan Gartlan was sent-off midway through the second half for a foul that allowed Sheppard score from the penalty spot.
With the pressure off after Tuesday's win over UCD, which confirmed title number 17 for the Hoops, there was a party atmosphere in Tallaght as they waited to get their hands on the trophy.
However, some fans took it too far and an eight-year-old child was injured by a firework and taken to hospital with burns on his back.
Referee Anthony Buttimer threatened to remove the teams from the pitch at one point in the second half if any more flares were released.
Rovers' €100,000 prize money for winning defending their league title will take a dent with a hefty fine from the FAI.
The result concluded a miserable season for Galway as they finished rock bottom of the table with a goal difference of -95, conceding 115 and scoring just 20.
Their only victory came away to Bohemians way back in March, with three other points picked up along the way.
With next week's home game against PAOK in the Europa League, Michael O'Neill rested the likes of Gary Twigg, Enda Stevens and Stephen Rice.
John Brennan's side began brightly and Bobby Ryan almost caught out Ryan Thompson inside the first minute with a snap shot that needed to be tipped over.
Alan Murphy then curled a free-kick just over after Mickey Gilmore was fouled by Ken Oman on the edge of the box.
However, Galway were always suspect at the back and they were undone by a quick free-kick by Sheppard that set Dean Kelly through on goal.
Kelly opted to dink the ball over Conor Winn rather than square to Dennehy. His effort was beyond a lunging Dennehy and came back off the post.
Dennehy then drew a fine parry from Winn after Ricketts' cross-field pass found its way to him.
Rovers were going through the motions in the first 30 minutes and Pat Sullivan could have been punished for a sloppy pass to Conor McCormack. Murphy nipped in but his lob sailed over.
There had only been off-field fireworks until Turner's intervention. He controlled Sinnott's weak header on the edge of the box and fired a looping volley over Winn.
The home fans had to wait only six minutes for the second goal, as Dennehy's free-kick was missed by Turner and Winn and drifted in to the far corner.
Winn redeemed himself though on the stroke of half-time with an impressive stop to keep out Ricketts' low volley.
Finn replaced centre-half Dan Murray at half-time, which saw the Hoops switch to an unconventional 3-4-3 system.
Dennehy and Turner both went close as Rovers dominated the second half, before Kelly skipped past Winn and hit the post again, this time from a narrow angle.
Galway were reduced to ten men when Gartlan was dismissed for clipping Sheppard's heels. Sheppard picked himself up to send Winn the wrong way from the spot.
Finn twisted and turned in the box to add the fourth and complete the scoring with eight minutes left. The goal was Rovers' 100th in the league goal since the move to Tallaght in March 2009.
Oman denied Jin Gu Kim a late consolation by heading his effort off the line after Thompson had flapped at a cross.
Rovers' domestic campaign may be at an end, but there is still the matter of three Europa League games to look forward to.
Galway's attention is now firmly on keeping their Premier Division status in next week's promotion/relegation play-off.
Shamrock Rovers: 16 Thompson; 2 Sullivan, 17 Oman, 5 Murray ((21 Finn h/t), 4 Paterson; 15 Ricketts (6 Rice '64), 18 Turner, 22 McCormack, 20 Dennehy; 14 Kelly (19 O'Neill '61), 10 Sheppard.
Subs not used: 1 Brush, 3 Stevens, 7 McCabe, 9 Twigg.
Booked: Dennehy, Sheppard.
Galway United; 1 Winn; 2 Gartlan, 4 Sinnott, 5 Son, 18 Gaughan; 12 Kim, 10 Murphy, 20 Kelly (3 Walsh '68), 7 Ryan, 11 Gilmore (15 Sibanda '76); 9 Cauldwell (19 Duggan '81).
Subs not used: 6 Brown, 8 Enulbe, 14 Kelly, 17 Holland.
Booked: Gartlan.
Sent-off: Gartlan.
Referee: Anthony Buttimer.
