Sean Ward
BBC Sport NI pundit

Glentoran need to achieve a level of consistency where they can perform week in and week out, not just showing up to beat Linfield. That should not be counted as a successful season. There is no doubt with the quality of player they have it puts them in the conversation if they can find a formula to win consistently and keep players fit.

Philip Major
Sportsound summariser

Dungannon are going to miss John McGovern, but they have others who can get goals. I think they will be okay, they showed last year they can compete with big sides. It will be a tough game against Portadown, who were unlucky not to get a draw against Glentoran. I think Dungannon will be buoyed by their end to last season and their European campaign and will start the season well.

Here are some of the most interesting stats from Irish League Stats Man from today's four games:

• In the 2024/25 season, Carrick failed to score in nine of their 20 home league games (45%) — the highest in the league.
• Cliftonville are unbeaten in their last nine home league games vs Coleraine (7 wins, 2 draws), scoring 23 goals.
• Coleraine’s last league win at Solitude was on 19 December 2020.
• Portadown’s last away league win was on 11 January against Loughgall.
• Glentoran have won just nine of their last 24 home league games.

Rodney McAree has made four changes to his Dungannon Swifts side following their opening day defeat to champions Linfield.

Alex Henderson, Steven Scott, Tomas Galvin, and Kealan Dillon all come into the starting side, replacing Declan Dunne, James Knowles, Thomas Maguire, and Mal Smith.

The reshuffle sees Henderson take the spot of goalkeeper Dunne, who is suspended after being sent off after the final whistle in the 3-0 loss to the Blues.

Meanwhile, Portadown manager Niall Currie has opted for consistency, naming an unchanged side from the one that narrowly lost 1-0 to Glentoran in their season opener.

Dungannon Swifts: Henderson (GK), S. Scott, Marron, Galvin, Dillon, Glenny, McGinty, Wallace, Mitchell, Bigiramana (C), McAllister.

Subs: Glass, P. Maguire, Knowles, Alves, T. Maguire, Smith, McAleese

Portadown: McCarey (GK), Altintop, MacKinnon, Chapman, Wylie, Ukek, McCullough, Fyfe, Teelan, Obhakhan, Thompson (C).

Subs: Moore (GK), Isamala, Rea, Wilson, Mayse, Gibson, Traynor.

Image source, BBC Sport

Opening day victories for both these sides hasn't prevented both managers from tinkering slightly with their line-ups today.

Glentoran boss Declan Devine bolsters his midfield options with the return of Cammy Palmer and Joe Thomson. They replace Josh Kelly, who is on the bench, and David Fisher, who limped off early on in last week's win at Portadown.

Opposite number Lee Feeney makes one change from the side which signalled their return to the top flight in some style last week. Michael Morgan, who scored the game-clinching third goal in their impressive win over Cliftonville is preferred in attack to Ben Cushnie.

Glentoran: Mills, Cooney, McEleney, Larmour, Coll, Amos, Singleton, Palmer, Thomson, Stewart, Jenkins.

Subs: Urminsky, Kane, Kelly, Ferris, Burt, Lindsay, Russell.

Bangor: Deane, O'Mahony, Lynch, Owens, Neale, McGuinness, Mulvenna, Harrison, Hassin, Morgan, Arthurs.

Subs: McMahon, Haughey, Cushnie, Ferguson, Mathieson, Garrett, Burns.

Image source, BBC Sport

Philip Major
Sportsound summariser

I felt Cliftonville were outworked by Bangor, they couldn't break them down. I don't think they will make the same mistake again. If they are going to get a result today against a top side, I expect more intensity and better football, their home record is very good.

The team news from Solitude reflects events on the opening day of the new season.

Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton makes four changes to the team which went down 3-1 at Bangor.

PJ Morrison, signed from Alloa, comes in for his debut between the sticks while 19-year-old defender Thomas Lavery, on loan from Sunderland, is also handed a first start.

Conor Pepper and Luke Conlan make the step up from the substitutes bench.

The men to make way are goalkeeper Lewis Ridd, Micheal Glynn, Conor Barr and Adebayo Fapetu, who are all named among the replacements.

The job is a lot easier for Coleraine manager Ruadhri Higgins who goes with the same team which started last Sunday's 1-0 home win over Larne.

Cliftonville: Morrison, Pepper, Lavery, Addis, Wilson, Campbell, Hale (c), Curran, Conlan, Casey, Keaney.

Subs: Ridd, Falls, Gormley, Barr, Glynn, McWoods, Fapetu.

Coleraine: Harris, Kane (c), Boyle, Lyons-Foster, McGregor, Patching, Shevlin, Cooper, Ives, Glackin, Dunne.

Subs: Evans, Jarvis, Long, Doherty, McGonigle, Stewart, McManus.

Image source, BBC Sport

Stephen Baxter sticks with the same starting XI who dramatically came from behind to defeat Crusaders by 4-3 last weekend.

Nathan Gartside makes his second league appearance for Carrick between the posts with Luke McCullough captaining the side.

As for Glenavon, there are four changes to the side who lost against Ballymena with Jordan McMullan, Francely Lomboto, Davy McDaid and Kris Lowe replacing Harry Murphy, Ben Wilson, Corey Smith and Paul McGovern.

Carrick Rangers: Gartside, Callacher, Gibson, Lecky, McCullough, Shiels, Crow, Heatley, Snoddy, Scott, O'Brien.

Subs: Pengelly, O'Malley, Waide, Maciulaitis, Buchanan-Rolleston, Andrews, Cherry

Glenavon: Carney, McMullan, Burns, McKeown, McClelland, Malone, Mallon, Lowe, Carlin, McDaid, Lomboto.

Subs: Byrne, Murphy, Wilson, O'Connor, Smith, McGovern, Quinn.

Image source, BBC Sport

Watch highlights as Coleraine beat Larne in the Irish Premiership courtesy of Joel Cooper's debut goal.

Cliftonville have secured a season-long loan for Sunderland defender Tom Lavery.

The 19-year-old featured in pre-season friendlies for the Black Cats against Sporting Lisbon and Sevilla when part of the club's training camp in Portugal, while also featuring in a home game against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

A product of the Sunderland academy, Lavery was a regular for the Under-21s last season, while also featuring in seven matchday squads in the English Championship.

Lavery is the sixth arrival at Solitude this summer and Sunderland Academy Robin Nicholls feels the loan move will benefit all parties.

"This loan presents a great opportunity for Tommy to continue developing in senior football," he said.

"He has spent most of this pre-season with our first team, so he has been exposed to a high level of competition and training for several weeks now.

"We are grateful that Cliftonville will present an opportunity for him to continue his learning and development."

Image source, Getty Images

Watch highlights as Bangor beat Cliftonville 3-1 in their Irish Premiership opener.

You can find a summary of all of Sunday's action here.

Watch highlights as Danny Amos scores a fine goal to help Glentoran beat Portadown 1-0 in the Irish Premiership.

Watch highlights as Carrick Rangers come from behind to beat Crusaders 4-3 in the Irish Premiership.

Watch highlights as Ballymena beat Glenavon 2-0 in their opening game of the Irish Premiership season.

Watch highlights as Linfield beat Dungannon Swifts 3-0 in the Irish Premiership courtesy of a Kieran Offord hat-trick.

Linfield's away game against Ballymena United and Larne's home fixture against Crusaders that were set to take place on Friday night were postponed due to the Blues and the Invermen's European involvement on Thursday.

Linfield beat Vikingur 3-2 on aggregate to move into the play-off round of the Uefa Conference League, where they will face Shelbourne again.

As a result, their game against Carrick Rangers on Tuesday night has been postponed and their game against Cliftonville has been moved to Sunday, 24 August.

Larne bowed out of the same competition at the third qualifying round after a 3-0 aggregate loss against Santa Clara.

Image source, Press Eye

Ben Arthurs announced himself to the Irish Premiership with a goal in Bangor's 3-1 win over Cliftonville last weekend to get their return to the Irish Premiership off to a dream start.

That was the 27-year-old's 158th career goal for the club and whilst he is keen to get many more, in the coming weeks, the man spearheading Bangor's attack in the Irish Premiership will also line out for his local hurling club Ballycran in the Down Championship.

He talks to BBC Sport NI about the challenges of balancing both sports.

Read more from Arthurs on his time so far at Bangor here.

"It's literally my life now. I'm so passionate about it and I just want to see it work."

Caolan McAleer can remember running around the St Julian's Road pitch at half-time of Omagh Town matches.

As a kid, it was one of his first memories of playing football, and the excitement helped to kickstart a dream that led him to a career in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

He may not remember the Premier League clubs coming to the town in 1999, or even properly recall the club folding in 2005 when he was just 11 years of age, but he does know what was lost when the club ceased to exist.

And that's why, 20 years on from when it first disappeared, he's on a mission to revive one of the forgotten stalwarts of Irish League football from the ground up.

Read more here

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the second weekend of the Irish Premiership.

The league certainly came back with a bang last week with plenty of good goals, surprising results and controversy.

Let's hope for more of the same from today's four fixtures!

Glentoran welcome Bangor to the Oval for the first time since the 2008/09 season, with both sides coming into the fixtures after opening day wins.

Cliftonville host Coleraine at Solitude looking to get their season up and running after defeat against the Seasiders on opening day.

Carrick Rangers will hope to build on their dramatic comeback win against Crusaders as they host Glenavon at Taylors Avenue.

Finally, at Stangmore Park, Irish Cup winners Dungannon Swifts face Portadown with both sides looking to bounce back after opening day losses.

We will have our usual blend of radio and live text commentary as well as in-play clips with a report, highlights and reaction to follow so you don't miss any of the action.

Enjoy!

Image source, Pacemaker Press