| Season: | 2016 |
| Competition: | League of Ireland First Division |
| Winners: | Limerick |
| Promoted: | Limerick Drogheda United |
| Matches: | 112 |
| Total Goals: | 349 |
| League Topscorer: | Gary O'Neil (13 goals)[1] |
| Biggest Home Win: | Limerick 6–1 Cobh Ramblers (19 March 2016)[2] Limerick 7–2 Waterford United (30 April 2016)[3] |
| Biggest Away Win: | Waterford United 1–8 UCD (30 September 2016)[4] |
| Highest Scoring: | (30 April 2016)[5] Waterford United 1–8 UCD (30 September 2016)[6] |
| Attendance: | 52,987 |
| Average Attendance: | 477[7] |
| Prevseason: | 2015 |
| Nextseason: | 2017 |
The 2016 League of Ireland First Division season was the 32nd season of the League of Ireland First Division.
On 28 August, Limerick clinched the title and promotion after a 3–2 win away to UCD.[8] [9] [10]
The First Division has 8 teams. Each team played each other four times, twice at home and twice away, for a total of 28 matches in the season.
The eight clubs competed for a prize fund of €104,000 with the winners receiving €30,000 and the eighth placed team collecting €8,000.[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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlone Town |  Alan Mathews[12] | Nike | Nitro Sports | |
| Cabinteely | Eddie Gormley | Umbro | ||
| Cobh Ramblers | Stephen Henderson | Kevin Mulcahy | Legea | Rathcormac Fuels |
| Drogheda United | Pete Mahon | Sean Thornton | CX+ Sport | Scotch Hall Shopping Center |
| Limerick | Martin Russell | Shane Duggan | Hummel | Galtee Fuels |
| Shelbourne | Kevin Doherty | Daire Doyle | Macron | abbeyseals.ie |
| UCD | Collie O'Neill | Gary O'Neill | O'Neills | O'Neills |
| Waterford United | Roddy Collins | Phillip Gorman | Uhlsport | |
Teams played each other twice (once at home, once away)
Teams played each other twice (once at home, once away)
Drogheda United advanced to the promotion/relegation play-offs against Wexford Youths.
Drogheda United are promoted to the 2017 Premier Division; Wexford Youths are relegated to the 2017 First Division.