| Competition: | League of Ireland Premier Division |
| Season: | 2016 |
| Winners: | Dundalk (12th title) |
| Relegated: | Longford Town Wexford Youths |
| Continentalcup1: | Champions League |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Dundalk |
| Continentalcup2: | Europa League |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Cork City Derry City Shamrock Rovers |
| Matches: | 198 |
| Total Goals: | 511 |
| League Topscorer: | Sean Maguire (18 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | Cork City 6–0 Longford Town (14 March 2016)[1] |
| Biggest Away Win: | Finn Harps 0–7 Dundalk (13 May 2016)[2] |
| Highest Scoring: | (14 October 2016)[3] |
| Attendance: | 291,258 |
| Average Attendance: | 1,471[4] |
| Highest Attendance: | 5,453[5] Cork City 1–0 Dundalk F.C. |
| Prevseason: | 2015 |
| Nextseason: | 2017 |
The 2016 League of Ireland Premier Division was the 32nd season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. The league began on 4 March 2016[6] and concluded on 28 October 2016; the relegation play-offs followed on 31 October and 4 November 2016. The prize fund for the SSE Airtricity League Premier and First Divisions was €475,500 for the 2016 season.[7]
Dundalk successfully defended its title for the third consecutive season on 23 October after a 2–1 win against Bohemians.[8] [9] [10]
The Premier Division consisted of 12 teams. Each team played each other three times, a total of 33 matches in the season.
Wexford Youths, the 2015 First Division champion, entered the top level for the first time in their history. Finn Harps were promoted after winning the promotion/relegation playoffs.
The 12 clubs competed for €371,500 in prize money ranging from €110,000 for the winners to €17,000 for the team finishing bottom of the table.[11]
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohemians |  Keith Long | Derek Pender | Hummel | Mr Green | |
| Bray Wanderers | Harry Kenny | Conor Kenna | Nike | Sonas Bathrooms | |
| Cork City | John Caulfield | John Dunleavy | Nike | Clonakilty Sausages | |
| Derry City | Kenny Shiels | Ryan McBride | Hummel | Diamond Corrugated | |
| Dundalk | Stephen Kenny | Stephen O'Donnell | CX+ Sport | Fyffes | |
| Finn Harps | Ollie Horgan | Kevin McHugh | Legea | McGettigan Group | |
| Galway United | Tommy Dunne | Ryan Connolly | Uhlsport | Comer Property Management | |
| Longford Town | Tony Cousins | Mark Salmon | Macron | City Calling | |
| Shamrock Rovers | Pat Fenlon | Conor Kenna | New Balance | Pepper | |
| Sligo Rovers | Dave Robertson | Gavin Peers | Joma | Volkswagen | |
| St Patrick's Athletic | Liam Buckley | Ger O'Brien | Umbro | Clune Construction Company L.P. | |
| Wexford Youths | Shane Keegan | Graham Doyle | Bodibro | SBOBET |
Teams played each other twice (once at home, once away).
Teams played each other once.
Wexford Youths, the eleventh-placed team from the Premier Division took part in a two-legged play-off against Drogheda United, the winners of the 2016 First Division play-off, to decide who will play in the 2017 Premier Division.
Drogheda United are promoted to the 2017 Premier Division; Wexford Youths are relegated to the 2017 First Division.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[12] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Maguire | Cork City | 18 |
| 2 | Rory Patterson | Derry City | 17 |
| 3 | David McMillan | Dundalk | 16 |
| 4 | Vincent Faherty | Galway United | 12 |
| 5 | Conan Byrne | St Patrick's Athletic | 11 |
| 6 | Raffaele Cretaro | Sligo Rovers | 10 |
| Kurtis Byrne | Bohemians | 10 | |
| Christy Fagan | St Patrick's Athletic | 10 | |
| Gary McCabe | Shamrock Rovers | 10 | |
| 10 | Daryl Horgan | Dundalk | 9 |