About the League of Ireland First Division
The League of Ireland First Division runs from February through to September, known as a 'Summer League' with each team competing in twenty-seven matches.
This means you can get Irish First Division betting tips between those months from our football tipsters.
During the off-season, why not see what our Best Football Tipsters are predicting in other leagues?
If you fancy yourself a bit of an expert on Irish football, then why not join in the Tipster Competition?
Add your tips, and you could also win some of the monthly cash prizes, and it's all FREE to enter.
For the latest news, fixtures, results and standings for the League of Ireland First Division, head over to the official site for the Irish leagues.
Using the League of Ireland First Division Football Tips
For each scheduled round in the League of Ireland First Division, you will see a list of matches; each match will have the date and kickoff time for the game.
Highlighted for each match, for your convenience, is the most tipped outcome for the match. This can come from an array of markets.
So it may be a full-time results prediction, a first goalscorer prediction, a btts prediction or one from one of the many other markets covered.
The number of tips for the outcome and the total number on the market are also displayed. Using those two numbers, we can see the percentage of tips for the outcome.
The 'Value Rating' is a guide to how much value there is for the tip; this is displayed by a five-star rating, with the more highlighted stars, the more value.
To place a bet on any of the Irish First Division football predictions, you can use the Add to betslip option. Add as many or as few picks as you wish.
Once happy with your betslip, you can then select the bookmaker who is currently offering the best odds, and your betslip will be transferred over to their site.
League of Ireland First Division Format and Past Winners
The Irish First Division is the second tier of the Irish Football League system. The league consists of ten teams that are competing for two spots in the Irish Premier Division.
Each team plays twenty-seven matches during the season, with the eventual champions claiming the automatic promotion spot to the Premier Division.
The sides finishing in third and fourth play a playoff match, with the winner going on to play the team who finished second.
The winner of that match goes into the play-off final, where they will face the team that finished second from bottom in the Premier Division.
The winner of the playoff final will then be a participant in the Premier League the following season.
Here are the past ten winners of the Irish First Division:
| Season | Champions | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dundalk | Cobh Ramblers |
| 2024 | Cork City | UCD |
| 2023 | Galway United | Waterford |
| 2022 | Cork City | Waterford |
| 2021 | Shelbourne | Galway United |
| 2020 | Drogheda United | Bray Wanderers |
| 2019 | Shelbourne | Drogheda United |
| 2018 | UCD | Finn Harps |
| 2017 | Waterford | Cobh Ramblers |
| 2016 | Limerick | Drogheda United |
League of Ireland First Division Statistics
To help with your Ireland First Division tips and bets, the following 5-year Ireland First Division statistics may be useful.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Wins | 57 (43%) | 53 (37%) | 72 (40%) | 73 (41%) | 80 (45%) |
| Draws | 32 (24%) | 35 (24%) | 43 (24%) | 54 (30%) | 42 (24%) |
| Away Wins | 45 (34%) | 56 (39%) | 65 (36%) | 53 (29%) | 56 (31%) |
| BTTS (Yes) | 69 (51%) | 80 (56%) | 95 (53%) | 98 (54%) | 97 (54%) |
| Over 2.5 Goals | 73 (54%) | 87 (60%) | 104 (58%) | 86 (48%) | 96 (54%) |
| Goals Per Game | 2.69 | 2.99 | 3.06 | 2.63 | 2.80 |
Correct Scores
The top 5 most occurring Correct Scores over the past five seasons:
- 1-1 = 89 (11% or 8/1)
- 1-0 = 73 (9% or 10/1)
- 2-1 = 65 (8% or 11/1)
- 0-1 = 64 (8% or 11/1)
- 1-2 = 63 (8% or 11/1)
James Banting and Andy Powell created and maintain OLBG's comprehensive European Football coverage of the League of Ireland First Division, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to their work.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide