# 1995–96 League of Ireland Premier Division

The 1995–96 League of Ireland Premier Division was the 11th season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. The division was made up of 12 teams. St Patrick's Athletic F.C. won the title.

## Regular season

This season saw each team playing three rounds of games, playing every other team three times, totalling 33 games.

### Final table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | St Patrick's Athletic (C) | 33 | 19 | 10 | 4 | 53 | 34 | +19 | 67 | Qualification to UEFA Cup preliminary round |
| 2 | Bohemians | 33 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 60 | 29 | +31 | 62 | Qualification to UEFA Cup preliminary round |
| 3 | Sligo Rovers | 33 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 45 | 38 | +7 | 55 | Qualification to Intertoto Cup group stage |
| 4 | Shelbourne | 33 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 45 | 33 | +12 | 54 | Qualification to Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round |
| 5 | Shamrock Rovers | 33 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 50 | |
| 6 | Derry City | 33 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 50 | 38 | +12 | 46 | |
| 7 | Dundalk | 33 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 38 | 39 | −1 | 42 | |
| 8 | UCD | 33 | 12 | 6 | 15 | 38 | 40 | −2 | 42 | |
| 9 | Cork City | 33 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 37 | 41 | −4 | 41 | |
| 10 | Athlone Town (R) | 33 | 8 | 7 | 18 | 38 | 59 | −21 | 31 | Qualification to Relegation play-off |
| 11 | Drogheda United (R) | 33 | 7 | 9 | 17 | 39 | 51 | −12 | 30 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
| 12 | Galway United (R) | 33 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 26 | 67 | −41 | 21 | Relegation to League of Ireland First Division |
* ↑ Shelbourne qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round after winning the 1995–96 FAI Cup final.
* ↑ Cork City F.C. were docked 3 points for fielding an ineligible player. The club went into liquidation in January 1996 but were saved from extinction after moving from Bishopstown Stadium to Turners Cross.

### Results
#### Matches 1–22

| Home \ Away | ATH | BOH | COR | DER | DRO | DUN | GAL | SHM | SHE | SLI | StP | UCD |
| Athlone Town | — | 2–5 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| Bohemians | 3–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | 6–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| Cork City | 2–0 | 1–0 | — | 0–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Derry City | 5–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 5–1 | 3–1 |
| Drogheda United | 0–1 | 2–5 | 2–2 | 2–2 | — | 3–2 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0–1 |
| Dundalk | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 |
| Galway United | 2–2 | 1–5 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 0–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 |
| Shamrock Rovers | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | — | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 |
| Shelbourne | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Sligo Rovers | 4–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–3 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 0–0 | — | 0–0 | 2–0 |
| St Patrick's Athletic | 3–2 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 |
| UCD | 3–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 0–2 | — |

#### Matches 23–33

| Home \ Away | ATH | BOH | COR | DER | DRO | DUN | GAL | SHM | SHE | SLI | StP | UCD |
| Athlone Town | — | 0–3 | — | — | — | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | 4–3 | — | 2–2 | — |
| Bohemians | — | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | — | — | — | 1–0 | — | 1–2 | 0–0 | 3–1 |
| Cork City | 0–2 | — | — | — | 2–1 | — | 3–0 | — | 2–1 | — | 0–0 | — |
| Derry City | 1–1 | — | 2–1 | — | 1–1 | 0–1 | — | — | — | 4–0 | — | 1–1 |
| Drogheda United | 0–1 | 0–1 | — | — | — | 2–1 | 6–1 | — | 1–3 | 0–1 | — | — |
| Dundalk | — | 2–4 | 0–1 | — | — | — | — | 0–0 | — | 0–1 | 1–2 | — |
| Galway United | — | 0–2 | — | 0–3 | — | 2–1 | — | 0–2 | 1–3 | — | — | 0–2 |
| Shamrock Rovers | 2–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2–0 |
| Shelbourne | — | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | — | 0–1 | — | 1–2 | — | 2–1 | — | — |
| Sligo Rovers | 2–1 | — | 4–1 | — | — | — | 0–2 | 3–1 | — | — | 1–1 | — |
| St Patrick's Athletic | — | — | — | 1–1 | 3–2 | — | 3–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | — | — | 2–0 |
| UCD | 1–2 | — | 2–1 | — | 4–1 | 0–0 | — | — | 3–2 | 3–1 | — | — |

## Promotion/relegation play-off

Athlone Town who finished in tenth place played off against Home Farm Everton, the third placed team from the 1995–96 League of Ireland First Division.

### 2nd leg

Home Farm Everton won 4–3 on penalties and were promoted to the Premier Division.