After this success the club moved up another level the following season by joining the Leinster Senior League and played their first game away to UCD in August 1932 and won 4–2.

Scotsman Bob Preston, ex-Heart of Midlothian, Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United player,[2] managed the team in their first season at the highest level of Irish football with the first game being a 3–1 defeat in the Shield at the Iveagh Grounds in Dublin against St. James Gate.

Although coming to the end of his career Dean was still one of the biggest names in football due to his goalscoring feats during his time at Everton where he is still the club's all-time leading scorer and also holds the record for having scored the highest number of league goals in a single season – 60 in 1927–28.

Before the match Rovers announced that they had signed Austrian International Albert Straka to play in the game and this attracted much attention resulting in a crowd of over 7,000.

The club's fortunes improved after their return and they had three consecutive top half finishes from 1965 to 1967, a feat not matched until 2008 and they also reached an FAI Cup semi-final in 1966 but lost to Limerick after a replay.

The following years saw Rovers struggle towards the bottom end of the table, and they had to apply for re-election on two occasions as financial constraints forced the club to adopt a part-time policy.

In the squad that year was goalkeeper Alan Paterson; defenders McManus, Sinclair, Fox (captain), Rutherford, Stenson; midfielders Fagan, Fielding, McGee, Betts, Ferry, Walker and forwards Leonard and Hulmes.

By this stage most of the Cup winning side had moved on and manager Paul Fielding had been replaced by Gerry Mitchell, with financial difficulties forcing the club into having a part-time squad.

After finishing in a respectable mid-table position upon their return Rovers were back fighting relegation the following year, although they did survive courtesy of loanee Colin Cameron's hat-trick on the final day of the season in Drogheda.

With Reid now replaced by Scot Jim McInally the trick could not be repeated the next year and the club lost their Premier division status finishing second from bottom but eight points from safety.

The club maintained its full-time policy in the First Division in a bid to go straight back up but despite challenging up until the final day of the season they missed out on a play-off spot by two points.

He quickly set about building a much stronger squad from all parts of the world and the club found themselves towards the top of the league throughout the 2005 season with promotion being clinched with a scoreless home draw with Athlone Town on 12 November to end the years of misery in the division often referred to as the graveyard.

The club also enjoyed its first significant cup run in a decade and faced Derry City in a home semi-final which finished all square in front of one of the biggest crowds the Showgrounds had seen for a long time.

Coleman made his debut under Sean Connor and the Killybegs man quickly established himself as one of the most exciting players in the league thanks to his quality dribbling skills up the right wing.

The unbeaten league run meant Rovers could win the title with two games to spare if they beat second placed St. Patrick's Athletic at the Showgrounds.

The game became like a cup final with extra seating installed to meet demand and it looked good when Rovers went 2–0 ahead by the middle of the first half.

Rovers were still determined to clinch the title that day and pressed on after this eventually winning a late penalty that Mark Quigley converted followed minutes later by the final whistle and celebrations as the ecstatic supporters rushed onto the pitch.

Recruits from the UK were also brought in such as wide midfielder Kieran Djilali and much traveled center-forward Anthony Elding who made a prolific start to his Rovers career as the defending champions won their opening eight games.

With the Champions League tie looming Baraclough signed striker David McMillan from UCD to try and bolster the attack but he failed to make an impact and struggled to get a game after North's return from injury.

The protests over the goal led to a Drogheda player getting sent off but Sligo were also reduced to ten men as Gavin Peers was forced off with injury after all the substitutions had been made.

However, with injury time running out Danny North turned provider setting up Anthony Elding for a great finish and a third FAI Cup for Sligo Rovers in four seasons.

His first season veered between surprise wins at Cork City and champions Dundalk to bad defeats against Bray and a FAI cup exit at struggling Wexford Youths, where Rovers had won 5–0 two weeks prior.

The turning point came in a televised August success at runaway leaders Cork City with more victories following, though safety was only assured on the final day of the season.

When safety was assured, with two weekends to spare, the club still decided to dismiss Gerard Lyttle and waited for the season's end to confirm that Liam Buckley would take charge after his departure from St. Patrick's Athletic.

Liam Buckley's appointment in 2019 proved to be somewhat of a turning point within the club, with Rovers reaching the semi-finals of the FAI Cup in 2019, losing to Dundalk at the Showgrounds.

[11] Liam Buckley's appointment at the club was a huge turning point at Sligo Rovers, avoiding relegation in 2019 and earning his way to a cup semi final V Dundalk (listed above).

The league form dropped massively after Sligo were knocked out of Europe, as they failed to win in 5 straight games, and were also beaten by first division side Cork City FC in the first round of the FAI Cup.

[14] After an 2-2 thriller away to south dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers, the bit o' red's league form dipped, with two consecutive home losses against Shelbourne FC and Bohemians respectively.

After a bad string of results, collecting just 8 points out of an available 27, manager Liam Buckley was sacked, and former Rovers midfielder John Russell took the reins.

[18] The European run was all but over, when on 4 August Sligo Rovers lost 5–1 away to Viking FK in Stavanger, David Cawley's late penalty a consolation goal.