Revealed: SSE Airtricity League 2021 - predictions for the new season from leading national journalists

The SSE Airtricity League kick-offs on Friday, March 19 - and League of Ireland fans can't wait for the action to resume.

Here are the predictions of some keen followers of the league.

All  have predicted that Shamrock Rovers will win the Premier Division title, but who will be the runners-up? Will Finn Harps stay up? Who will win the FAI Cup? Who will be crowned champions of Division One. The predictions are listed below. Enjoy! By the way, come the end of the season it will be interesting to see if anyone gets it all bang on. 

2021 SSE Airtricity League Predictions

Paul Lennon

Soccer Correspondent, The Irish Star

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers
2. Dundalk
3. Sligo Rovers
4. Bohemians
5. St Patrick’s Athletic
6. Derry City
7. Waterford United
8. Finn Harps
9. Drogheda Utd
10. Longford Town

2021 FAI Cup winners: Sligo Rovers

Player to watch out for: Dawson Devoy (Bohemians)

Division One winners: Cork City

**

Emmet Malone

Soccer Correspondent, The Irish Times

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers
2. Dundalk
3. Bohemians
4. Sligo Rovers
5. St. Pat’s Athletic
6. Derry City
7. Waterford 
8. Finn Harps
9. Drogheda Utd
10. Longford Town

2021 FAI Cup winners: Bohs

Players to watch out for: Chris McCann (Shamrock Rovers), Ryan Shanley/Tunde Olowabi (Finn Harps), Joe Hodge (Derry City)

Division One winners: Galway United

**

Paul Buttner

National freelance soccer reporter

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers

2. Dundalk

3. St Patrick's Athletic

4. Bohemians

5. Sligo Rovers

6. Derry City

7. Drogheda United

8. Finn Harps

9. Longford Town

10. Waterford

2021 FAI Cup winners: Shamrock Rovers

Player to watch out for:  Danny Mandroiu

Division One winners: Shelbourne

**

Owen Cowzer

Football Correspondent, Irish Sun

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers

2. Sligo Rovers

3. Dundalk

4. Bohemians

5. St Patrick's Athletic

6. Derry City

7. Drogheda United

8. Finn Harps

9. Longford Town

10. Waterford

2021 FAI Cup winners: St Patrick's Athletic

Player to watch out for: Thomas Oluwa (Bohemians)

Division One winners: Shelbourne

**

Dave Donnelly

Senior Reporter, extratime.com

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers

2. Bohemians

3. Sligo Rovers

4. Dundalk

5. St Patrick's Athletic

6. Derry City

7. Finn Harps

8. Drogheda United

9. Longford Town

10. Waterford

2021 FAI Cup winners: Bohemians

Players to watch out for: Johnny Kenny (Sligo Rovers) / David Odumosu (Drogheda United)

Division One winners: Galway United

**

Adrian Eames

RTE Sport

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers

2. Bohemians

3. St. Patrick’s Athletic

4. Dundalk

5. Sligo Rovers

6. Derry City

7. Finn Harps

8. Drogheda United

9. Waterford

10. Longford Town

2021 FAI Cup winners: Bohemians

Player to watch out for: Rory Gaffney (Shamrock Rovers)

Division One winners: Shelbourne

**

Gary Ferry

Sports Editor, Derry News

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers

2. Dundalk

3. Bohemians

4. Derry City

5. Sligo Rovers

6. St. Patrick’s Athletic

7. Finn Harps

8. Waterford

9. Drogheda United

10. Longford Town

2021 FAI Cup winners: Bohemians

Player to watch out for: Joe Hodge (Derry City)

Division One winners: Shelbourne 

** 

Aidan Fitzmaurice

Soccer correspondent, The Herald

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers 

2. Bohemians 

3. Dundalk

4. St Patrick's Athletic

5. Derry City

6. Sligo Rovers

7. Finn Harps

8. Drogheda United

9. Waterford

10. Longford Town

2021 FAI Cup winners: Sligo Rovers

Player to watch out for: Dawson Devoy (Bohemians)

Division One winners: Galway United

**

Michael Scully

Chief Sports Writer, Irish Daily Mirror

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers

2. Bohemians

3. Sligo Rovers

4. Dundalk

5. St Patrick's Athletic

6. Derry City

7. Drogheda United

8. Waterford

9. Finn Harps

10. Longford Town

2021 FAI Cup winners: Sligo Rovers

Player to watch out for: Raivis Jurkovskis (Dundalk)

Division One winners: Galway United

**

Eric White

Sports broadcaster, BBC Radio Foyle/BBC Sport NI 

2021 Premier Division Prediction

1. Shamrock Rovers

2. Dundalk 

3. Bohemians

4. St. Patrick’s Athletic

5. Derry City

6. Sligo Rovers

7. Finn Harps

8. Drogheda United

9. Waterford

10. Longford Town

FAI Cup winners: Bohemians

Player to watch out for: Eoin Toal (Derry City). 

Division One winners: Galway United. 

The 2021 SSE Premier Division season begins this Friday, March 19.