Champions again: Shamrock Rovers stay the course to claim sixth League of Ireland title in seven seasons

On marathon weekend in Dublin, the glory goes to the competitor who never runs out of steam when the title race enters the final stretch.

For the sixth time in seven years, Shamrock Rovers are League of Ireland champions.

In his programme notes for the visit of Sligo Rovers, victorious boss Stephen Bradley suggested there are people within the Irish football community who are sick of seeing the Hoops do well.

Yet he also cautioned that there may be some folks around Tallaght who are guilty of taking success for granted, with Bradley indicating that European failures this year might prove to be an important lesson that offers perspective.

It reflects the rollercoaster of emotion that has accompanied a Rovers campaign where they have been short of their best but have still managed to do enough with a game to spare.

Signs of vulnerability opened the door to the chasing pack, but their stumbles when the pressure intensified highlights why Bradley continues to laud the character of this group of players.

Their wobbles tend to be temporary rather than terminal. Confidence comes from knowing they always keep something extra in the tank.

Only once in the 2020s has the race for the crown gone to the final day of the season and that was the exception to Rovers rule, the Shelbourne triumph in 2024 where they just about held on against Bradley’s fast-finishing side.

In keeping with the season, there were choppy spells for the hosts here, periods where the sense of apprehension in the stadium was palpable.

After overcoming a rough opening 10 minutes, the already-relegated Sligo Rovers side appeared to grow in confidence by staying in the game.

There were chances on the counter when the Hoops lost patience and tried to force it. In truth, they should have gone ahead when the dangerous Jack Shorrock skipped away from Tunmise Sobowale and sent in a cross that took a deflection that gave Kaiyne Woolery a chance to score, but he swiped at it like an amateur golfer before firing into the side netting, his reaction suggesting he was distracted by a shout from behind.

This was a big moment. Rovers eventually responded, capitalising on the fact that the Bit’O’Red are going down because they have the worst defence in the country. Bradley’s side needed to just keep gently probing and wait for the mistakes.

Sure enough, the breakthrough goal was evidence of that. There was nothing special about the creation with a Sobowale cross finding Dylan Watts whose right-footed volley took a favourable deflection into the path of Adam Brennan who fired the ball into the roof of the net.

Brennan started the season on fire, his form doing enough to earn an Ireland call-up but there’s been a dropoff since then. Bradley used him in a more central attacking role here with Jack Byrne unavailable, and the tactical tweak paid off with Brennan relishing the freedom to roam that isn’t quite on offer in a wing back role. Rovers looked visibly relaxed from the restart and trademark improvisation from Graham Burke resulted in a searching ball across the box that was anticipated and met on the run by Brennan who slotted home.

That felt like game over here, and allowed Rovers to go in search of a goal difference cushion in case Bohs delivered across the city.

Again, they delivered on the end of their bargain. Brennan’s slaloming run and shot was deflected into the air and allowed sub Aaron Greene to nod home a third before a left footer from Watts crept past Liam Hughes.

The emotion began when Bradley introduced Gary O’Neill off the bench for his first competitive appearance of the season, a year to the day from a cancer diagnosis. More hugs on the sideline followed as word of Shelbourne’s breakthrough filtered to the sideline.

2026 hasn’t been without the odd plot twist. But it has culminated with a familiar outcome.