Athlone Town to start 2018 campaign away to Galway

Athlone Town's opening game of the 2018 SSE Airtricity League season will be away to regional rivals Galway United on Friday, February 23. 

The club, which recently unveiled Aaron Callaghan as its first-team manager, will take on Cabinteely in the first home league fixture of the year on Friday, March 2.

The following week will see Athlone visit United Park to take on Drogheda - a club which, along with Galway and Finn Harps - was one of three relegated from the top tier this year.   

Athlone's first local derby against Longford Town will be held in Longford's City Calling Stadium on Saturday, March 24. 

The regular league fixtures in the First Division will conclude on Saturday, September 22, away to Wexford. 

The team which wins the division will be automatically promoted, while a promotion-relegation play-off series - involving teams in second, third and fourth places in the First Division, as well as the ninth-placed team in the Premier Division - will begin on October 5 and conclude on November 2. 

The full list of SSE Airtricity League fixtures for the 2018 season is available here.