Goal takes a look at some of the memorable moments from the first half of the 2015 League of Ireland season...

By Ryan Kelly Follow on Twitter By Ryan Kelly

CABINTEELY'S INTRODUCTION



GREG BOLGER'S WONDERSTRIKE



ANTHONY ELDING GOES IN GOAL



LIMERICK RETURN TO MARKETS FIELD



RODDY COLLINS RETURNS TO MANAGEMENT



SETANTA SPORTS CUP CANCELLED



CAPACITY CROWD AT TURNER'S CROSS



Supporters of the League of Ireland are rarely left wanting for entertainment, with a plethora of incidents guaranteed to keep fans talking year in, year out.The Irish national league's unique blend of atmosphere, history and personalities lends itself to the production of both the sublime and the ridiculous (sometimes in the same game) with narratives constantly evolving across the land.Here,looks back at seven memorable moments from the first half of the 2015 Premier Division season.Pyrotechnics and a 1-0 victory over Wexford Youths heralded the entrance of Cabinteely to the League of Ireland stage. An impressive 1,420 spectators packed into Stradbrook on a cool March evening to get a glimpse of Ireland's newest senior club and they were treated to a memorable upset as John McKeown fired the hosts to a historic win.Since their colourful introduction, the South Dublin club have maintained crowds of over 1,000 throughout the season thus far, which is an impressive feat when one considers that traditional powerhouses such as Shelbourne and Waterford United lag considerably behind.As well as competing wholeheartedly on the field, 'Cabo', as they are affectionately known to supporters, have placed heavy emphasis on marketing their club on as many media channels as possible, sparking interest with clever social media japes directed at the likes of Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure and Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli "We're doing reasonably well. In our first year we only intended to embed ourselves, get ourselves going and make sure our structures and events are ok," Cabinteely chairman Pearse Toal told Goal in May . "I think we've exceeded our own expectations."When it comes to wondergoals, the League of Ireland is spoiled for choice and Dublin club St Patrick's Athletic weigh in with their fair share. It's usually the mercurial Chris Forrester grabbing the headlines, but, back in March, defensive midfielder Greg Bolger popped up with an outrageous long-range lob which left Gerard Doherty with no chance and set the Saints on their way to a comfortable 2-0 victory against Derry City.Naturally, Bolger's blast was nominated for the March Goal of the Month award on RTE's 'Soccer Republic' programme. However, the strike lost out to Barry McNamee's sumptuous volley for Derry City against Drogheda United, leading a bemused Brian Kerr to declare : "I would have thought Greg Bolger's goal was a better goal than that. I thought there were a lot of good goals in the competition, but the distance and the accuracy of Greg Bolger's... it was a lot further out than McNamee's, but there you go, let the public decide!"Anthony Elding's time at Derry City came to a premature end last week when the striker left the club by mutual consent a month before his contract was due to expire. The former Sligo Rovers and Cork City forward made little impact at the Brandywell, finding the net just twice in nine league appearances, but he may look back fondly on his cameo appearance as a goalkeeper in years to come.When Derry bizarrely lost both goalkeepers, Ger Doherty and Shaun Patton, to injury during their league clash against Galway United, Elding boldly took the goalkeeper's gloves and went between the posts for the final 20 minutes. The Candystripes were already trailing by two goals, but the 33-year-old was no slouch and made two fantastic stops, including an incredible one-on-one save, to deny Galway a third."I was probably one of the best goalkeepers the club has seen for a long time," joked the former Leeds United and Ferencvaros striker in an interview with the Derry Journal following his departure.It has been a very difficult campaign for Limerick in 2015 with very little going right on and off the field.Prior to the commencement of the season, the club announced that their return to Markets Field would be delayed due to health and safety concerns , meaning they would have to play their games at the derelict Jackman Park in the interim period.That news compounded the feeling of dread already surrounding the club after chairman Pat O'Sullivan revealed that Limerick would be forced to cut back on spending and "learn to live within its means".The Shannonsiders were ultimately forced to wait longer than initially expected, but they eventually returned to Markets Field following its €4.5 million redevelopment on June 5, 2015.President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins was the guest of honour and a crowd of 2,308 packed into the venue as Limerick completed their historic homecoming. Unfortunately for Martin Russell's men, Drogheda United rained on their parade, subjecting the hosts to a 2-1 defeat.It is no exaggeration to say that Roddy Collins is one of the great divisive figures in modern-day Irish football. The Dubliner may be steeped in the League of Ireland, having played and managed in it, but his manner can often be brash and provocative, unnecessarily igniting controversy.Collins had been out of management for a year following his brief tenure at Derry City, when he was appointed as manager of First Division club Waterford United in May . His time at Derry was tempestuous, to say the least, and ended on a sour note just a third of the way through the 2014 season, leading the 53-year-old to take time out of the game entirely, save for the occasional jibe at the standard of football, facilities and overall mindset in the league.It came as a surprise, therefore, when he emerged as the new man at the helm of Waterford United last month. True to form, he has promised a "golden era" if he is given the requisite backing from the Waterford board, but he'll have to pry the team off the bottom of the First Division table first.When it was inaugurated in 2005, the all-Ireland Setanta Sports Cup generated plenty of intrigue. The biggest clubs from both leagues on the island of Ireland were keen to compete for the crown of best in Ireland, as well as the lucrative prize money on offer.However, over the years, interest has dwindled, with Irish League clubs in Northern Ireland growing increasingly indifferent as the prize pot shrinks and success skews in favour of League of Ireland clubs. The competition's future was dealt a significant blow this year when it was shelved after a failure to agree on scheduling."Over recent months, we have been trying to find dates that can work for the broadcaster, the IFA clubs and the FAI clubs," competition chairman Milo Corcoran said in May. "Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, it has not been possible to do so, even if I felt we were close to achieving agreement with all of the clubs required at one stage."The future of the all-Ireland tournament is now a mystery, but the sheer lack of appetite at this stage, from Irish League teams in particular, is not promising.When title rivals Cork City and Dundalk met at Turner's Cross in April, it promised to be a momentous occasion. It was a repeat of the thrilling season finale of 2014, with first-place taking on second-place in front of television cameras.A massive crowd of over 6,900 swelled the Curragh Road venue as both sides played out an entertaining match in the spring sunshine and supporters' groups showcased their vibrancy with colourful and noisy displays. Stephen Kenny's side went behind mid-way through the first half but two goals from talisman Richie Towell ensured that the Lilywhites took all three points back to Louth Despite losing the game, John Caulfield declared afterwards that the capacity crowd was evidence that Cork City were the biggest club in Ireland, before harshly criticising Dublin clubs for failing to attract numbers. "We're the biggest club out there," Caulfield told reporters. "Historically [Shamrock] Rovers have won more trophies, but we're the biggest club in the league and without provincial teams, this league is nowhere." Follow @GoalComIreland //