Dundalk FC can confirm that veteran goalkeeper Peter Cherrie, who had already been announced as part of Ciarán Kilduff’s management team, has signed a playing contract for the 2025 season.
The 41-year-old was back-up to his Scottish compatriot Ross Munro, as well as Felix Goddard, for part of last season, and will now be putting pressure on recent arrival Enda Minogue, who was a young ‘keeper at Bray Wanderers while Cherrie was there.
Cherrie says he only came to Ireland for a year when he first signed for Dundalk back in the summer of 2009. Still here and now in a third spell at Oriel, the Bellshill native is relishing the challenge of bringing the club he won the Premier Division title with in 2014 “back to where it belongs”.
“I can’t wait for the new season. The manager is building a good squad, a young squad, a hungry squad. As you say, I’m back as a player but probably mainly as a coach,” Peter told dundalkfc.com.
“My job is to focus on whatever goalkeepers are here, Enda, and let him know that I’m always going to be breathing down his neck if need be. I think that’s my main role. The manager trusts me in that capacity, in that if anything does happen, he’s always got me, or whoever he brings in, we’ll get them up to speed.”
Asked if he is ready to play if called upon, Cherrie added: “100 percent. That was the one thing I said to the manager, because I know he was looking at goalkeepers, and I said ‘listen, I’ll do a dual role if need be’.
“It was the same role last season, I wasn’t called upon, that’s fine. Next season, I’m always going to be there if need be. The body is holding up well, although it’s pre-season. I can’t complain, and I think I’m proving that in training.”
11 February 2022; Dundalk goalkeeper Peter Cherrie before the Jim Malone Cup match between Dundalk and Drogheda United at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile.
Currently, Minogue is the only other ‘keeper signed to the first team, with 2024 Under-20 Player of the Year Samuel Safaei in around the squad. Cherrie spent two-and-a-half years at Bray between July 2015 and the end of 2017, and is very familiar with Minogue from his time there.
“I know Enda for years. I think when I first met him, he was a 14-year-old kid down at Bray,” Peter recalled, “I was playing with Bray and he was with the young team.
“I’ve always kept an eye on him, he’s a good kid, hungry, he’s a good goalkeeper, but I still feel there’s a little bit there that I can push him on and get the best out of him.”
On Safaei, Cherrie added: “I like Sammy, I really like Sammy. The manager asked me my thoughts on him, and I gave him the truth. You’ll get great attitude out of Sammy. What you see at training, you’ll probably get that six days out of seven.
“His desire for it, he’s always learning, he’s always asking questions, and that’s very rare to see at the minute. You don’t get a lot of young kids coming up asking questions, ‘what will I do here? What will I do there?’.
“Sammy is one of them, so I have great time for Sammy. If he signs, that’s great for our goalkeepers, because if anything happens, there’s no fear of Sammy playing either.”
24 October 2014; Dundalk goalkeepers Gabriel Sava, left, and Peter Cherrie celebrate at the end of the game. SSE Airtricity League Premier Division, Dundalk v Cork City, Oriel Park, Dundalk, Co. Louth. Picture credit: David Maher/Sportsfile.
Cherrie – who made over 230 appearances for the Lilywhites across his first two spells and won the Premier Division title with the club a decade ago – returned to Oriel Park for a third time last May when he took over first-team goalkeeping coach duties.
“I was delighted,” Peter said, asked how happy he was that Kilduff wanted him to remain for 2025. “It was the first time I had spoken to Ciarán, I had played against him.
“He seemed adamant to get me in, which was great. It was nice to feel wanted again. Happy days. I’ve got my own stuff (coaching) but this is my main priority, so I was absolutely delighted to come back in.”
14 February 2011; Dundalk fans applaud the team and especially ‘keeper Peter Cherrie at full-time after they defeated Linfield in the first leg of their Setanta Cup clash at Windsor Park.
Kilduff’s coaching team consists of assistant manager Ken Kiernan, first-team coach and analyst Gerry Spain, and first-team coach Liam Burns, who was part of Seán Connor’s squad when Cherrie arrived in Oriel over 15 years ago.
“Well, Burnsy is part of the furniture here isn’t he,” Peter said, speaking on the coaching staff. “You’re not getting rid of him.
“Ken I’ve only met this week, he seems very good. I was talking to Gerry who I know from previous years. The amount of detail and work he puts in on a weekly basis just for training is unbelievable. He knows his stuff.
“Ciarán is a great young manager. I think he can do well here.”
14 May 2011; Peter Cherrie, Dundalk. Setanta Sports Cup Final, Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers, Tallaght Stadium, Tallaght, Co. Dublin. Picture credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile.
Asked about the challenge of trying to bring 14-time League Champions Dundalk back to the top flight, Cherrie said: “The First Division is no easy task. The manager is building a great squad, as I said a hungry squad, I think we can go and do some stuff.
“It’s up to the management team to get their tactics and whatever, but then at the end of the day, the boys step over the line and they’ve got to go and get this club hopefully back to where it belongs.”
The club takes this opportunity to thank goalkeeper Ross Munro for his commitment and professionalism while at Oriel Park. Ross arrived here at the start of this year after almost a decade at Ross County and has now returned to Scotland, signing for Falkirk. We wish him well in his future.
Kilduff’s playing squad for 2025 now stands at 12 players.
2025 Dundalk FC Squad
Enda Minogue
Peter Cherrie
Conor O’Keeffe
Mayowa Animasahun
Seán Keogh
Aodh Dervin
Harry Groome
Daryl Horgan
Gbemi Arubi
Dean Ebbe
Leo Gaxha
Eoin Kenny
