The 2009 League of Ireland First Division season was the 25th season of the

League of Ireland First Division The League of Ireland First Division ( ga, Céad Roinn Sraith na hÉireann), also known as the SSE Airtricity League First Division, is the second level division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland football league system. Th ...

. The First Division was contested by 12 teams and UCD won the title. Third placed

Sporting Fingal Sporting Fingal Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Fine Gall Spórtúil) was an Irish association football club based in Fingal. Between 2008 and 2010, the club played three seasons in the League of Ireland. During their first two seasons they ...

also won the 2009 FAI Cup Final, qualified for the

2010–11 UEFA Europa League The 2010–11 UEFA Europa League was the second season of the UEFA Europa League, Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 40th edition overall including its predecessor, the UEFA Cup. It began on 1 July 2010, with ...

and were promoted to the Premier Division after winning a promotion/relegation play off.

Clubs

Overview

This season saw the division expanded from 10 to 12 clubs. This was because the 2009 Premier Division was reduced to 10 clubs. The regular season began on 6 March and concluded on 7 November. Each team played the other teams three times, totaling 33 games. UCD finished as champions and were automatically promoted to the Premier Division. There was no promotion/relegation play-off between the First Division and the

A Championship The A Championship, also known as the Newstalk A Championship, was an association football league featuring League of Ireland reserve teams and emerging senior teams. It was a third level league in the Republic of Ireland football league system. ...

this season. This was only because

Kildare County Kildare County F.C. ( ga, Cumann Peile Chontae Chill Dara) was an Irish association football club based in Newbridge, County Kildare. Between 2002–03 and 2009 they played in the League of Ireland First Division. During this time they also e ...

, who finished bottom of the table, withdrew from the

League of Ireland The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...

before the play-offs could be played.

Final table

Results

Matches 1 to 22

Matches 23 to 33

Promotion/Relegation play-offs

The second and third placed First Division teams, Shelbourne and

played off to decide who would play the winner of the Premier Division play-off. The winner of this play off would play in the 2010 Premier Division. ;First Division ;First Division v Premier Division ''

won 4–2 on aggregate and were promoted to the Premier Division''.

Top scorers

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 League of Ireland First Division League of Ireland First Division seasons 2009 League of Ireland 2009 in Republic of Ireland association football leagues

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...