Club-By-Club Guide

Bohemians

Manager: Turlough O'Connor (Fourth full season).

Last Year: Second.

Prospects: Turlough O'Connor has kept faith with the panel that started so strongly last season, but simply couldn't score enough goals to keep themselves in the hunt after Christmas. Several promising youngsters, most notably Michael Dempsey and Graham Lawlor, will bring down the average age of the squad slightly as they become more integrated this season, but they need the likes of Derek Swan and Robbie Best to rediscover their edge and somewhat better luck with injuries to key players if they are to win their first championship since 1978.

In: Joe Hanrahan (Dundalk).

Out: Kevin Brady (Derry City), Tommy Gaynor (St Patrick's Athletic), David Fairclough (Drogheda United, on loan)

Betting: 9/2.

Cork City

Manager: Dave Barry (Second full season).

Last Year: Fourth.

Prospects: Another club with goalscoring difficulties last season, but Dave Barry has done well over the past year to put together a physically-strong team capable of playing football and firmly rooted in the local area. Just 15 months after coming very close to extinction City may already be ready again to mount a serious challenge for the title. The return of Stephen Napier to the heart of the defence is a boost, although more will depend on how Jason Kabia does up front with John Caulfield. If the pair find the net regularly, then Cork may find themselves battling it out for the honours until the very end of the season. If not, they may struggle to unlock the better teams.

In: Stephen Napier (Dundalk), Jason Kabia (Finland), Elton Pierce (Fermoy).

Out: Barry Ryan (Limerick), Mike Kerley (out of contract).

Betting: 9/2.

Derry City

Manager: Felix Healy (Third full season).

Last year: Champions.

Prospects: Deserved champions last season, they probably start this season with the best firstchoice XI in the top flight. With very few changes over the summer, however, Felix Healy's options remain limited and any more than one or two injuries at one time could hinder their chances of becoming the first team since Shamrock Rovers 10 years ago to successfully defend the title.

In: Kevin Brady (Bohemians), Eamonn Doherty (Coleraine).

Out: Tommy Dunne, Richie Purdy (both Shamrock Rovers)

Betting: 7/2.

Drogheda United

Manager: Martin Lawlor (First season).

Last year: Promoted.

Prospects: Close seasons don't come much more traumatic than Drogheda's this summer. The fact that they have pulled through to start the campaign can be viewed as an achievement in itself. During the shake-up, however, they lost several key members of last season's promotion-winning side and so they start the new campaign at a considerable disadvantage. Lawlor has done well since taking over, though, and the side he has put together with extremely limited resources should give a good account of itself, but still appears to be a few players short of survival.

In: David Fairclough (Bohemians, on loan) Eddie Van Boxtel, Brian Irwin (Galway United), Ian Hill (Cliftonville), Bobby Browne (Dundalk).

Out: Anto Whelan (resigned as player-manager, signed by Bray), Colm Tresson (Portadown), Michael Harte (Glenavon), Jody Byrne (released), Brian Honan (Bray), Philip Power (retired), Mark Ennis, Paul McLaughlin, Brendan Finn.

Betting: 150/1.

Dundalk

Manager: Jim McLaughlin (First season).

Last year: 10th.

Prospects: Having returned somewhat reluctantly to the Oriel Park manager's job, Jim McLaughlin led his team through a highly successful and uncharacteristically high-scoring League Cup campaign despite a huge turnover of players during the summer months. If the goals keep coming, then anything is possible, but with Joe Gallen gone they may struggle to achieve more than mid-table respectability. Some good local youngsters may also need a year to settle.

In: Steve Williams, Nathan Wigg (both Cardiff City), Chris Malone (Shamrock Rovers), Paul Carlyle (Portadown), Shane Reddish (Northwich Victoria), Noel Melvin (Finn Harps).

Out: Sean Murphy (St Patrick's Athletic), Bobby Browne (Drogheda), Robbie Devereux (St Patrick's Athletic), Stephen Napier (Cork City), Stephen Raynes (Scotland), Joe Hanrahan (Bohemians), Les Fridge (Inverness Caledonian Thistle), Brian Rickard (St Francis), Joe Gallen (England).

Betting: 25/1.

Finn Harps

Manager: Charlie McGeever (Second season).

Last year: Ninth.

Prospects: Last season was a little bizarre for the Donegal club, with a fantastic run-up to Christmas ensuring their survival, but their late season form providing a good deal for Charlie McGeever to ponder over during the summer months. With Jonathan Speak and James Mulligan up front, scoring goals shouldn't be too much of a problem, but Stuart Gauld's imminent departure to the Irish League will worsen an already alarming situation at the back. A great deal depends on the promised signings over the next couple of weeks.

In: Sammy Johnston (St Johnstone), Sean McCafferty (Peterborough), Ruari Boyle (Derry junior leagues).

Out: John Quigg (Omagh), Noel Melvin (Dundalk), Gary Heaney (released), David Platt (Gateshead).

Betting: 100/1.

Kilkenny City

Manager: Alfie Hale (Third season).

Last year: First Division champions.

Prospects: City developed a wonderful team spirit in the closing months of last season and Hale is hopeful that with the same sort of commitment they can pick up where they left off when they kick off their campaign at Shelbourne. The step up in standard will be tough for the Buckley Park outfit, however, and they will need to get a few points on the board early if they are not to find their considerable local support demoralised. Hale has been here before, though, and reckons he has learned from his experience with Waterford United. While it will be tough, survival is far from out of the question.

In: Tony Hall (Waterford United), Brian Barry (Waterford United), Robert Walsh (Southend Utd, Waterford league).

Out: Jimmy Donnelly, Kevin Kelly (retired).

Betting: 150/1.

St Patrick's Athletic

Manager: Pat Dolan (First full season).

Last year: Fifth.

Prospects: As Pat Dolan admits, his dealings over the summer months have made St Patrick's a far greater unknown than over the past couple of seasons. Having picked up three of the Irish squad from Malaysia and a handful of other interesting players, there would appear to be cause for optimism around Inchicore, but a good deal of settling in will have to be done before we really see what has been assembled. Even if things do not quite gel for this season, the club does deserve credit for the direction it has taken. Their successful attempts to lure young players home could prove to be the most important development of the summer.

In: Sean Murphy (Dundalk), Glen Southgate (Spurs), Trevor Molloy (Athlone), Tommy Gaynor (Bohemians), Trevor Wood (Hereford), Stephen McGuinness (Home Farm), Robbie Devereux (Dundalk), Thomas Morgan (Blackburn), Colin Hawkins (Coventry), Keith Doyle (Belvedere).

Out: John McDonnell (Newry), Brian Morrisroe (Shamrock Rovers), Alan Kelly (Athlone, on loan), Johnny Glynn (Norway)

Betting: 9/2.

Shamrock Rovers

Manager: Mick Byrne (First season).

Last year: Seventh.

Prospects: Another club to buy and sell on a grand scale, with Mick Byrne seeking to get things back on the rails at Rovers against a background of uncertainty. With luck, a schedule for the move to Tallaght will be back in place early next month and the club can start to map out its long-term future both on and off the pitch. In the meantime, Byrne looks to have bought well, even if Stephen Grant's departure this week leaves them looking a little short up front. Tony Cousins will need to reproduce last season's heroics.

In: Mark O'Neill, Paul Stokes (both Cliftonville), Tommy Dunne, Richie Purdy (both Derry), Brian Morrisroe (St Patrick's Athletic), Jason Colwell (UCD), Robert Forde (Galway United), Matt Britton (Bangor).

Out: Pat Fenlon (Shelbourne), Chris Malone (Dundalk), Mark Reid (Waterford United), Leonard Curtis (England), John Toal (Portadown), John Swift (St Francis), Aaron Lynch (Ards, on loan), Stephen Grant (Stockport).

Betting: 10/1.

Shelbourne

Manager: Damien Richardson. (Third season)

Last year: Third.

Prospects: Everybody knows at this stage that this Shelbourne team is a decent bet for a cup, but Damien Richardson has been looking to mount a serious title challenge since his arrival at Tolka Park. One of the neatest sides in the league, Shelbourne nevertheless display an occasional tendency to self-destruct, a weakness the arrival of McCarthy and Fenlon are designed to counter. Dessie Baker should sparkle up front this year, but it's a pity that his opportunity is at the expense of Pat Morley who is out for the entire campaign.

In: Tony McCarthy (Colchester), Pat Fenlon (Shamrock Rovers), Nicky Byrne (Leeds Utd - now on loan to Cobh).

Out: Anthony Mitchell (Bangor), Philip Keogh, Darragh Donovan (released).

Betting: 7/2.

Sligo Rovers

Manager: Nicky Reid (First season).0

Last year: Sixth.

Prospects: Once again it's been a case of all change at Sligo and it will take a few weeks for new manager Nicky Reid, never mind the rest of us, to figure out what sort of threat Rovers will pose between this weekend and May. The new team is, by all accounts, slightly younger than the last with a fine goalkeeper (Westhead) and a fair sprinkling of talent amongst the other arrivals, all of whom feel they have a point to prove to clubs across the water. Reid's influence on the pitch will be important, as will Rose's ability to score goals.

In: Neil Ogden (South Africa), Nicky Reid (Bury), Peter Cubbesson (Telstar, Holland), Matthew Daly (Sheffield Wednesday), Brian Southworth (Preston NE), Steve Jones (Bury), Falcon Rose (South Africa), Mark Westhead (Bolton Wanderers).

Out: John Kenny (Newry Town), Alan O'Neill (UCD coaching staff), Ryan Cross, Ian Gilzean (Cheltenham), Dale Hawtin (Leek United), Liam Buckley (Athlone Town), David Moore (Holland).

Betting: 25/1.

UCD

Managers: Dr Tony O'Neill/Theo Dunne (Fourth season).

Last season: Eighth.

Prospects: The arrival of another, larger than usual batch of young talent at Belfield, important additions to the coaching staff and a new training regime signal the continued ambition of the college team. However, their hopes for this season have taken a bit of a knock with the departure of central midfielder Jason Colwell to Shamrock Rovers. Newly-arrived John Martin is expected replace Colwell. Can better last year's performance and achieve a top-six finish.

In: Alan Mahon (St Francis), Wayne Fitzell (Home Farm), Damien Bolger (Ballyboden-St Enda's), John Martin (Crumlin United), Andrew Cullen (Home Farm), Clive Delaney (Manor Town Utd), Keith Dowling (Sheriff YC), Damien Deasy (Verona), James Farrell (Stella Maris), Ciaran Martyn (Sligo Rovers).

Out: Jason Colwell (Shamrock Rovers), Conor Timmons (Scotland).

Betting: 50/1.

Odds supplied by Paddy Power.