St Patrick's Athletic manager Stephen Kenny and Joe Redmond, both from Tallaght at the launch of the 2026 league Photo by Sportsfile
Pat’s all set for Aviva encounter
ST PATRICK’S Athletic will travel to the Aviva this Sunday for their opening fixture of the 2026 League of Ireland campaign as they take on Bohemians FC.
Pats will be hoping for a more fruitful year than last year’s season as they finished in a fairly mediocre fifth place position missing out on European football.
They have had a total squad switch up losing their star goalscorer Mason Melia who managed to net 14 times last season.
As a replacement they have brought in Max Mata and while the New Zealander may be motivated to replicate his form at Sligo Rovers due to the upcoming World Cup it remains to be seen whether or not he and Aidan Keena will be able to achieve the desired output to be an adequate replacement for Melia.
Darragh Nugent is another well known name who will be plying his trade in Richmond Park after being involved in a swap deal which saw Jake Mulraney head the opposite way.
The other high profile player that Pats brought in would be full back Ronan Boyce who arrives from Derry City. The 24 year old is already one of the more experienced fullbacks in the league with well over 100 appearances to his name.
Other players brought in by Pats include Ryan Edmondson from Australian side Central Coast, Jordan Garrick from Forest Green, Glory Nzingo from Swansea, Daniel Chukwu from Longford Town and Darren Robinson from Derby County.
Brandon Kavanagh is another who has left the club with the attacking midfielder heading to Derry City while Jake Mulraney has made the short switch to Tallaght Stadium after a rocky 2025 at Richmond Park.
The Saints will be coming up against a Bohemian’s side which has seen a shift of its own over the Christmas period.
Longtime skipper Keith Buckley has made the switch to Dundalk while key man up front James Clarke has swapped Phibsborough for Derry as he will be playing in red and white for the upcoming season.
The side has brought in several additions however including the likes of former Galway United powerhouse Pat Hickey who will provide some needed physicality to the team.
It remains to be seen how each side will line up on Sunday in the Aviva however both sides know that the result will be crucial with three points possibly being the difference maker between the two at the end of the year with both eying a finish in the European spots.
