skip to main content

Richie Towell and Keith Treacy's 2025 League of Ireland Team of the Season

Shamrock Rovers' Matt Healy and Josh Honohan celebrate with the FAI Cup and SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division trophies
Shamrock Rovers' Matt Healy and Josh Honohan celebrate with the FAI Cup and SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division trophies

While Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne still have UEFA Conference League fixtures to come between now and Christmas, the domestic season came to an end on Sunday with the Hoops sealing a league and cup double by beating Cork City 2-0 in the Sports Direct Men's FAI Cup final at Aviva Stadium.

Former Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk midfielder Richie Towell and ex-Republic of Ireland, Drogheda United and St Patrick's Athletic winger Keith Treacy reviewed that showpiece on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.

But aside from match analyses - including the promotion/relegation play-off between Waterford and Bray Wanderers and last week's European games - the duo had another task on their hands on this week's episode and that was to pick their combined LOI Team of the Season for 2025 - Towell selecting the goalkeepers and midfield four, while Treacy took the back four and two strikers in an old-school 4-4-2.

While there was plenty of agreement over certain players, there was a particular difference of opinion over the two forwards.

Either way, the team as selected by Towell and Treacy is below.


Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.


GOALKEEPER

"I've gone for Luke Dennison," said Towell, "He was brilliant this year, especially in a Drogheda team that weren't tipped to finish where they did.

"Joe Anang was very good for St Pat's, (Ed) McGinty has gone and just won the double and I haven't put him in my team, so I think he'll feel hard done by.

"But I watched quite a lot of Drogheda this year and every time I watched them I thought Luke Dennison was absolutely brilliant."

Drogheda United's Conor Keeley and goalkeeper Luke Dennison celebrate after the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Derry City and Drogheda United at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry.
Conor Keeley (R) and Luke Dennison were key as the Drogs pushed for Europe

DEFENCE

"I think it all pretty much speaks for itself," said Treacy. "Conor Keeley has been absolutely excellent and I've made a point of trying to get one or two Drogheda players because I think Drogheda for 90% of the season have been absolutely outstanding. The last 10% shouldn't deflect away from the overall 90.

"Milan Mbeng going into Shelbourne from Cork has been outstanding. Roberto Lopes has been Roberto Lopes, doing what Roberto Lopes does.

"I remember him making a mistake a couple of weeks ago and one thing Roberto does is if he makes a mistake, he doesn't compound it with another. He makes them in isolation and that's what all good defenders do.

"And Josh Honohan is a League of Ireland player getting tipped to get into the Irish team and that again speaks absolute volumes for him."

Kerr McInroy of Shelbourne in action against Dawson Devoy of Bohemians during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Bohemians and Shelbourne at Dalymount Park in Dublin.
Kerr McInroy and Dawson Devoy both impressed for Shelbourne and Bohemians respectively

MIDFIELD

"Kerr McInroy has been absolutely incredible," Towell said of the Scottish midfielder's debut season at Tolka Park.

"I've watched a lot of Shels this year and I think he controls the tempo in all the games. He's chipped in with some really important goals and I think you see when he was out of the team, you see how much the Shelbourne performance levels dropped.

"Matt Healy speaks for himself. He's gone and won the double this year, absolutely instrumental in everything (Shamrock Rovers) have done and probably played almost every single minute, probably had the most passes of any player in the league, so he's been really, really vital for them.

"Dawson Devoy has been a shining light for Bohemians. I know they went through patches of good form but every time I watched them, he was fantastic. Very similar to Kerr McInroy, he controls the tempo of the game. Anything good that Bohemians did went through, went through him. They're very lucky that he stayed fit all season as well and that he wasn't missing for any parts because they would've really struggled.

"And Michael Duffy just speaks for himself. The goals, assists and everything he's done (for Derry City), absolutely fantastic."

Mason Melia of St Patrick's Athletic during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between St Patrick's Athletic and Waterford at Richmond Park in Dublin.
Tottenham Hotspur-bound Mason Melia was the consensus pick for one of the forward spots

FORWARDS

"I've just been talking about throwing stats out the window but it's impossible to ignore these two up front," said Treacy.

"Pádraig Amond, top goalscorer, and Mason Melia is the only Pat's player that's got anywhere near my team to be honest with you.

"Pat's have been very underwhelming. To be doing what he's doing at such a young age, to lead the line, and every time you listen to Stephen Kenny after games, he's highlighting young Mason getting kicked from pillar to post. But he just keeps coming back for more.

"His finishing ability is evolving throughout the season. You see him getting better and better, and the way he runs the channels, his physicality, his hold-up play, everything is really good, excellent season and only pipped to top goalscorer by Pádraig Amond.

"And I said it on commentary on Friday night in the relegation play-off, Pádraig Amond has been absolutely unbelievable. Where would Waterford be without him?"

Which is when Towell chimed in with an alternative strike partner for Melia in the Team of the Season...


Watch Republic of Ireland v Paraguay in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup on Tuesday from 1.20pm on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport

We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences

Watch Republic of Ireland v Portugal in World Cup qualifying on Thursday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport. Listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1


Watch England v Republic of Ireland in European Under-21 Championships qualifying on Friday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport.

Read Next