1981–82 League of Ireland

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{{Infobox football league season

| competition = League of Ireland

| season = 1981–82

| winners = Dundalk (6th title)

| relegated = None

| continentalcup1 = European Cup

| continentalcup1 qualifiers = Dundalk F.C.

| continentalcup2 = Cup Winners' Cup

| continentalcup2 qualifiers = Limerick United F.C.

| continentalcup3 = UEFA Cup

| continentalcup3 qualifiers = Shamrock Rovers F.C.

| league topscorer = Michael O'Connor (23)

| biggest home win =

| biggest away win =

| highest scoring =

| matches = 240

| total goals = 725

| prevseason = 1980–81

| nextseason = 1982–83

}}

Statistics of League of Ireland in the 1981-82 season.

Overview

It was contested by 16 teams, and Dundalk won the championship. This season used a trial point system with 4 for an away win, 3 for a home win, 2 for an away draw, 1 for a home draw.{{cite web |title=Historical tables |url=https://www.leagueofireland.ie/mens/sse-airtricity-mens-premier-division/historical-tables-mens-premier-division/ |publisher=League of Ireland |access-date=March 11, 2025}}

Final classification

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=Home/Away Win/Draw

|teamwidth=auto

|result1=DUN|team1=DUN|name_DUN=Dundalk F.C.

|result2=SHM|team2=SHM|name_SHM=Shamrock Rovers F.C.

|result3=BOH|team3=BOH|name_BOH=Bohemian F.C.

|result4=ATH|team4=ATH|name_ATH=Athlone Town A.F.C.

|result5=SLI|team5=SLI|name_SLI=Sligo Rovers F.C.

|result6=LIM|team6=LIM|name_LIM=Limerick United F.C.

|result7=StP|team7=StP|name_StP=St Patrick's Athletic F.C.

|result8=WAT|team8=WAT|name_WAT=Waterford F.C.

|result9=SHE|team9=SHE|name_SHE=Shelbourne F.C.

|result10=CUF|team10=CUF|name_CUF=Cork United F.C.

|result11=DRO|team11=DRO|name_DRO=Drogheda United F.C.

|result12=HOM|team12=HOM|name_HOM=Home Farm F.C.

|result13=UCD|team13=UCD|name_UCD=University College Dublin A.F.C.

|result14=FHA|team14=FHA|name_FHA=Finn Harps F.C.

|result15=GAL|team15=GAL|name_GAL=Galway United F.C.

|result16=THU|team16=THU|name_THU=Thurles Town F.C.

|class_rules=Points system: 4 for an Away win, 3 for a Home win, 2 for an Away draw, 1 for a Home draw.

|update=complete|source=[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/ierhist.html rsssf.com]

|note_CUF=Cork United went bankrupt and were expelled from the league the end of the season.

|note_THU=Thurles Town resigned from the league at the end of the season.

|note_WAT=Waterford changed their name to Waterford United for next season.

}}

Results

{{#invoke:sports results|main

|matches_style=FBR

|team16=WAT

|name_DUN=Dundalk

|match_DUN_SHM=0–1

|match_DUN_BOH=1–4

|match_DUN_ATH=7–1

|match_DUN_SLI=1–0

|match_DUN_LIM=1–0

|match_DUN_StP=2–0

|match_DUN_WAT=3–1

|match_DUN_SHE=0–3

|match_DUN_CUF=3–0

|match_DUN_DRO=5–1

|match_DUN_HOM=2–1

|match_DUN_UCD=2–0

|match_DUN_FHA=3–0

|match_DUN_GAL=4–0

|match_DUN_THU=3–0

|name_SHM=Shamrock Rovers

|match_SHM_DUN=1–1

|match_SHM_BOH=2–1

|match_SHM_ATH=0–3

|match_SHM_SLI=1–0

|match_SHM_LIM=1–1

|match_SHM_StP=2–0

|match_SHM_WAT=2–1

|match_SHM_SHE=1–0

|match_SHM_CUF=4–1

|match_SHM_DRO=1–0

|match_SHM_HOM=1–0

|match_SHM_UCD=1–0

|match_SHM_FHA=3–1

|match_SHM_GAL=4–0

|match_SHM_THU=7–0

|name_BOH=Bohemians

|match_BOH_DUN=0–0

|match_BOH_SHM=3–1

|match_BOH_ATH=1–0

|match_BOH_SLI=1–1

|match_BOH_LIM=0–0

|match_BOH_StP=3–0

|match_BOH_WAT=2–0

|match_BOH_SHE=2–1

|match_BOH_CUF=0–1

|match_BOH_DRO=3–0

|match_BOH_HOM=0–0

|match_BOH_UCD=1–1

|match_BOH_FHA=3–1

|match_BOH_GAL=4–1

|match_BOH_THU=4–0

|name_ATH=Athlone Town

|match_ATH_DUN=1–2

|match_ATH_SHM=2–0

|match_ATH_BOH=1–2

|match_ATH_SLI=1–3

|match_ATH_LIM=1–2

|match_ATH_StP=2–1

|match_ATH_WAT=4–0

|match_ATH_SHE=3–0

|match_ATH_CUF=3–1

|match_ATH_DRO=1–0

|match_ATH_HOM=1–1

|match_ATH_UCD=2–2

|match_ATH_FHA=2–0

|match_ATH_GAL=4–0

|match_ATH_THU=8–0

|name_SLI=Sligo Rovers

|match_SLI_DUN=2–1

|match_SLI_SHM=0–1

|match_SLI_BOH=0–2

|match_SLI_ATH=3–0

|match_SLI_LIM=1–1

|match_SLI_StP=2–1

|match_SLI_WAT=1–0

|match_SLI_SHE=1–0

|match_SLI_CUF=3–3

|match_SLI_DRO=1–1

|match_SLI_HOM=2–3

|match_SLI_UCD=4–1

|match_SLI_FHA=5–1

|match_SLI_GAL=1–0

|match_SLI_THU=2–0

|name_LIM=Limerick United

|match_LIM_DUN=2–4

|match_LIM_SHM=2–1

|match_LIM_BOH=0–1

|match_LIM_ATH=2–2

|match_LIM_SLI=7–1

|match_LIM_StP=2–0

|match_LIM_WAT=1–3

|match_LIM_SHE=4–3

|match_LIM_CUF=1–0

|match_LIM_DRO=3–1

|match_LIM_HOM=0–0

|match_LIM_UCD=2–2

|match_LIM_FHA=2–2

|match_LIM_GAL=2–0

|match_LIM_THU=6–0

|name_StP=St Patrick's Athletic

|match_StP_DUN=0–1

|match_StP_SHM=3–0

|match_StP_BOH=0–0

|match_StP_ATH=3–2

|match_StP_SLI=2–3

|match_StP_LIM=1–0

|match_StP_WAT=3–1

|match_StP_SHE=2–1

|match_StP_CUF=1–3

|match_StP_DRO=1–1

|match_StP_HOM=2–0

|match_StP_UCD=1–0

|match_StP_FHA=2–1

|match_StP_GAL=1–1

|match_StP_THU=4–1

|name_WAT=Waterford United

|match_WAT_DUN=1–1

|match_WAT_SHM=0–1

|match_WAT_BOH=2–1

|match_WAT_ATH=0–1

|match_WAT_SLI=2–1

|match_WAT_LIM=3–2

|match_WAT_StP=2–2

|match_WAT_SHE=1–3

|match_WAT_CUF=3–3

|match_WAT_DRO=2–0

|match_WAT_HOM=0–1

|match_WAT_UCD=1–2

|match_WAT_FHA=1–3

|match_WAT_GAL=3–1

|match_WAT_THU=2–0

|name_SHE=Shelbourne

|match_SHE_DUN=0–3

|match_SHE_SHM=1–2

|match_SHE_BOH=0–2

|match_SHE_ATH=3–1

|match_SHE_SLI=1–4

|match_SHE_LIM=0–3

|match_SHE_StP=0–2

|match_SHE_WAT=2–0

|match_SHE_CUF=2–0

|match_SHE_DRO=2–2

|match_SHE_HOM=3–3

|match_SHE_UCD=3–0

|match_SHE_FHA=1–1

|match_SHE_GAL=5–2

|match_SHE_THU=2–2

|name_CUF=Cork United

|match_CUF_DUN=0–2

|match_CUF_SHM=1–0

|match_CUF_BOH=2–1

|match_CUF_ATH=2–3

|match_CUF_SLI=1–3

|match_CUF_LIM=1–0

|match_CUF_StP=2–2

|match_CUF_WAT=1–3

|match_CUF_SHE=1–1

|match_CUF_DRO=5–1

|match_CUF_HOM=5–2

|match_CUF_UCD=1–0

|match_CUF_FHA=0–1

|match_CUF_GAL=1–0

|match_CUF_THU=2–0

|name_DRO=Drogheda United

|match_DRO_DUN=1–1

|match_DRO_SHM=0–1

|match_DRO_BOH=0–0

|match_DRO_ATH=1–4

|match_DRO_SLI=6–1

|match_DRO_LIM=2–2

|match_DRO_StP=0–1

|match_DRO_WAT=1–2

|match_DRO_SHE=1–1

|match_DRO_CUF=3–2

|match_DRO_HOM=3–2

|match_DRO_UCD=2–0

|match_DRO_FHA=4–0

|match_DRO_GAL=2–2

|match_DRO_THU=6–1

|name_HOM=Home Farm

|match_HOM_DUN=2–3

|match_HOM_SHM=0–2

|match_HOM_BOH=0–1

|match_HOM_ATH=0–4

|match_HOM_SLI=1–2

|match_HOM_LIM=0–0

|match_HOM_StP=0–4

|match_HOM_WAT=1–2

|match_HOM_SHE=0–1

|match_HOM_CUF=1–1

|match_HOM_DRO=3–0

|match_HOM_UCD=1–0

|match_HOM_FHA=4–1

|match_HOM_GAL=3–3

|match_HOM_THU=0–2

|name_UCD=UCD

|match_UCD_DUN=1–1

|match_UCD_SHM=1–1

|match_UCD_BOH=1–1

|match_UCD_ATH=1–2

|match_UCD_SLI=1–3

|match_UCD_LIM=3–2

|match_UCD_StP=2–2

|match_UCD_WAT=0–1

|match_UCD_SHE=1–0

|match_UCD_CUF=2–0

|match_UCD_DRO=0–0

|match_UCD_HOM=1–0

|match_UCD_FHA=1–1

|match_UCD_GAL=0–1

|match_UCD_THU=2–2

|name_FHA=Finn Harps

|match_FHA_DUN=0–2

|match_FHA_SHM=0–2

|match_FHA_BOH=1–3

|match_FHA_ATH=2–4

|match_FHA_SLI=1–2

|match_FHA_LIM=0–1

|match_FHA_StP=3–2

|match_FHA_WAT=0–0

|match_FHA_SHE=0–2

|match_FHA_CUF=3–0

|match_FHA_DRO=1–2

|match_FHA_HOM=2–3

|match_FHA_UCD=3–1

|match_FHA_GAL=1–2

|match_FHA_THU=5–2

|name_GAL=Galway United

|match_GAL_DUN=1–2

|match_GAL_SHM=1–3

|match_GAL_BOH=0–0

|match_GAL_ATH=1–4

|match_GAL_SLI=0–0

|match_GAL_LIM=0–3

|match_GAL_StP=1–2

|match_GAL_WAT=3–0

|match_GAL_SHE=1–1

|match_GAL_CUF=1–0

|match_GAL_DRO=1–1

|match_GAL_HOM=0–1

|match_GAL_UCD=0–2

|match_GAL_FHA=3–0

|match_GAL_THU=3–7

|name_THU=Thurles Town

|match_THU_DUN=0–0

|match_THU_SHM=0–3

|match_THU_BOH=1–4

|match_THU_ATH=2–3

|match_THU_SLI=4–3

|match_THU_LIM=0–3

|match_THU_StP=1–4

|match_THU_WAT=0–2

|match_THU_SHE=1–2

|match_THU_CUF=1–1

|match_THU_DRO=2–3

|match_THU_HOM=0–2

|match_THU_UCD=0–2

|match_THU_FHA=0–7

|match_THU_GAL=1–1

|update=complete|source=

}}

Top scorers

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Rank !Player !Club !Goals
1 \|Michael O'Connor \|Athlone Town \|22
2 \|Liam Buckley \|Shamrock Rovers \|21
3 \|Gus Gilligan \|Sligo Rovers \|16
3 \|Jim Mahon \|St Patrick's Athletic \|16
5 \|Brendan Bradley \|Sligo Rovers \|15
5 \|Mick Fairclough \|Dundalk \|15
5 \|Gary Hulmes \|Limerick United \|15
8 \|Terry Daly \|Shelbourne \|12
8 \|Brian Duff \|Dundalk (4) Galway United (8) \|12
10 \|Alan Campbell \|Shamrock Rovers \|11
10 \|Hillary Carlyle \|Dundalk \|11
10 \|Denis Clarke \|Athlone Town \|11
10 \|Jackie Jameson \|Bohemians \|11

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

Rank

!Player

!Club

!Goals

|22

|21