Updated 18.20

CHAMPIONS SLIGO ROVERS lead the charge for the end-of-season honours after bringing the League of Ireland title back to the Showgrounds for the first time in 35 seasons.

Bit O’Red pair Jason McGuinness and Mark Quigley feature on the four-man shortlist for the PFAI Player of the Year honour, where they are joined by Shamrock Rovers midfielder Ronan Finn and Sean O’Connor of St Patrick’s Athletic.

All four are also named on the Premier Division Team of the Year which sees Sligo and Pat’s carve up nine of the 11 spots between them.

McGuinness and Quigley are joined by team-mate Gary Rogers in goal, defender Gavin Peers, and goal machine Danny North who struck 14 times in the league before suffering a cruciate injury which ruled him out of the latter part of the season.

Pat’s captain Ger O’Brien, Ian Bermingham and James Chambers are the Saints’ other representatives while Finn and Derry City winger Stephen McLaughlin are the only nominees to break through from the league’s nine other clubs.

Sligo and Pat’s also go up against each other in the Young Player of the Year category where David Cawley and Chris Forrester are joined by Seanie Maguire, who fired Waterford United’s promotion chase with 13 goals in the First Division.

Maguire is also nominated for First Division Player of the Year alongside Blues general Gary Dempsey and Rory Gaffney of champions Limerick FC.

Three former League of Ireland starlets — Wes Hoolahan, Shane Long and James McClean — are up for Overseas Player of the Year while Referee of the Year will be contested between Neil Doyle, Alan Kelly and Paul McLoughlin.

2012 PFAI Awards – Nominations

Player of the Year: Ronan Finn (Shamrock Rovers), Jason McGuinness (Sligo), Sean O’Connor (St Pat’s), Mark Quigley (Sligo).

Young Player of the Year: David Cawley (Sligo), Chris Forrester (St Pat’s), Sean Maguire (Waterford).

Premier Division Team of the Year: Gary Rogers (Sligo); Ger O’Brien (St Pat’s), Jason McGuinness (Sligo), Gavin Peers (Sligo), Ian Bermingham (St Pat’s); Sean O’Connor (St Pat’s), Ronan Finn (Shamrock Rovers), James Chambers (St Pat’s), Stephen McLaughlin (Derry); Mark Quigley (Sligo), Danny North (Sligo).

First Division Player of the Year: Gary Dempsey (Waterford), Rory Gaffney (Limerick),  Sean Maguire (Waterford).

First Division Team of the Year: Packie Holden (Waterford); Pat Purcell (Limerick), Brian McCarthy (Athlone), Shane Tracy (Limerick), Noel Haverty (Longford); Gary Dempsey (Waterford), Keith Gillespie (Longford), Joe Gamble (Limerick), Stephen Bradley (Limerick); Sean Maguire (Waterford), Rory Gaffney (Limerick).

Overseas Player of the Year: Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City), Shane Long (WBA) and James McClean (Sunderland).

Referee of the Year: Neil Doyle, Alan Kelly and Paul McLoughlin.

Limerick dominate First Division team of the year