Former Dundalk FC captain and manager Dermot Keely will launch his new autobiography with a Q&A Session in the Enda McGuill Suite at Oriel Park on Thursday, September 19th at 7.30pm.
‘Better Without The Ball’, which was written alongside Neil O’Riordan, the Chief Sports Writer with the Irish Sun, tells the story of the 70-year-old Dubliner who went on to become a Dundalk FC – and League of Ireland – legend.
Keely made his debut in the League of Ireland as a teenager with Home Farm and had just turned 21 by the time he helped the all-amateur side win the FAI Cup in 1975.
It set the tone for a hugely successful career on either side of the border and he took his winning formula into management, leading three different clubs to league titles, before walking away for good in 2010.
After subsequently relocating to Lanzarote, where he opened a bar in his name alongside his wife Jane Martin, he discovered from a customer that, just like he had done with Celtic, his father Peter had turned down a cross-channel move, to Leeds United. That stirred an interest in having a record of his own career, with that desire further fuelled by the sudden passing of his son Alan in May 2021.
Despite playing for and managing a host of clubs, Dundalk FC holds a special place in his heart and, indeed, he lived in the town for a time, as did Alan. Dermot won four major trophies in three years as a player and later, in 1995, led the club to what is regarded as the most unlikely title win in modern times.
Admission to the event is free. The book will be available to buy on the night, priced at just €20. Cash and Revolut will be accepted.
