Dundalk entered the 2025 League of Ireland First Division season after being relegated from the Premier Division the previous year. Ciarán Kilduff was the club's new first-team manager going into the new term, having been appointed during the close season.
2025 was Dundalk's 99th season in the League of Ireland and their first season in the First Division since winning promotion in 2008.
Dundalk were at risk of not receiving a licence to compete in the 2025 season because of the financial crisis that had engulfed the club towards the end of 2024. Following new owner John Temple's efforts to get the debt situation under control, which meant that the club's holding company avoided examinership, the club was belatedly awarded a licence to compete in the First Division.
Their playing season began with the 2024âÂÂ25 Leinster Senior Cup. Like all Leinster-based League of Ireland teams, they entered at the group stage (Round 3), where they were drawn in Group B with Shamrock Rovers, Malahide United, and Usher Celtic. They topped the group to progress to the Quarter-finals. In the process, TJ Molloy-Murray became the club's youngest goalscorer at 15 years and 10 months, breaking by six months a record set by Peter McParland in 1950. They subsequently reached the final after being given walkovers in both the quarter-final and semi-final. They defeated St. Patrick's Athletic 2âÂÂ1 in the final at Richmond Park to win the competition for the eighth time.
The First Division league schedule began on 14 February 2025 with a 1âÂÂ0 home win over Athlone Town. Dundalk led the way from the start, picking up 25 points from 27 in the first series of matches. They remained undefeated in the second series but a return of four wins and five draws allowed the chasing pack to stay in touch. In the third series, they suffered their first defeats of the season but six wins allowed them to maintain a six-point lead going into the final set of matches. They sealed the title with one game to spare with a 3âÂÂ0 win over Finn Harps in front of 3,358 spectators.
In August, Sean Keogh was transferred to Brighton, in what was reported to be a "club record sale" (therefore in excess of the â¬175,000 received for Daniel Kearns in 2011).
The League of Ireland teams entered the 2025 FAI Cup in the second round. In that second round, Dundalk were knocked out by Sligo Rovers.
During Brian Ainscough's ownership, he had brought in several minority shareholders including the US-based businessman, Chris Clinton. Clinton had remained as 'Executive Director' during 2025 and he then acquired John Temple's shareholding at the end of the season.
Sources: Note: Substitute appearances in brackets
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