Thursday night’s Louth Derby win in Drogheda was a lovely way to get the St Patrick’s Day celebrations underway.
The last time Dundalk played on the national holiday itself was back in 2006 when Cobh Ramblers left Oriel Park with a 1-0 win.
For the day that’s in it, we take a look back at our St Patrick’s Day record over the years.
1929 | Dundalk FC 4-0 Bray Unknowns
Dundalk’s first St Patrick’s Day game was played in Blackrock against Bray Unknowns in a 1929 Shield game. The Sandy Lane pitch was packed to see Eddie Carroll hit a hat-trick and Robert Egan, who a month later became the first Dundalk player to be capped for Ireland, complete a 4-0 rout of The Seasiders. The line-out was: Mahaffey, Mason, Rowles, Reynolds, Patton, Ferguson, Agnew, Mitchell, Carroll, Mathieson, and Egan.
1931 | Dundalk FC 0-1 Bohemians
It was 1931 before The Town played on the national feast day next and again it was a home match against Bohemians in the Shield. The venue was The Athletic Grounds with The Gypsies winning 1-0. Dundalk went to their first cup final in 1931, losing 1-0 in a replay to Shamrock Rovers and a second runner-up spot was recorded in the league, the team set a club record of 64 league goals in 22 games.
1932 | Dundalk FC 1-0 Bohemians
The following year, 1932, Dundalk reversed their 1-0 scoreline against Bohs, again in a Shield match. Earlier in the season, Dundalk also won their first trophy in a replay of the previous season’s President’s Cup, beating Shamrock Rovers 7-3.
1935 | Dundalk FC 2-1 Cork
Paddy’s Day 1935 saw Dundalk beat Cork 2-1 in the City Cup, Mills getting both goals from the penalty spot, both of them won by Joey Donnelly. The Dundalk team that day was: P McMahon, B O’Neill, B Powell, J Goodwin, H Hirst, M Gernon, F Gaughran, J Donnelly, J Mills, Dempsey, Byrne. Seven locals played in this game – O’Neill, Goodwin, Gernon, Gaughran, Donnelly, Dempsey (Ardee) and Byrne from the local St Patrick’s junior side. Dundalk went on to lose the City Cup final, 4-3 against Bohemians.
1940 | Cork City 5-2 Dundalk FC
For the first time on St Patrick’s Day, Dundalk had to travel to fulfil a 1940 league fixture with Cork City and the long car journey took its toll on the visitors who lost 5-2.
Donnelly, from the penalty spot, and Cassidy scored for The Town. Kevin Cluskey in goal could not be faulted for any of the five goals against him and Tom Goodwin and Jimmy McArdle were other locals to play well.
1957 | Dundalk FC 4-1 Evergreen
Evergreen came to Oriel Park on St Patrick’s Day 1957 for a league match and suffered a 4-1 defeat with Leo McDonagh, Shay Noonan (pen), Benny Henderson and Francie Callan grabbing the goals. The team on duty was: McNeill, Ralph, Noonan, Kane, Robinson, Gilmore, Henderson, Callan, McDonagh, McGahon, Murray.
1963 | Dundalk FC 1-3 Shamrock Rovers
In 1963, a home loss to Shamrock Rovers – Dundalk’s third defeat on the trot – looked to have scuppered the Lilywhites’ league hopes but an unbeaten four-game run which saw them pick up two wins and two draws was enough to clinch the title by a point from Waterford. It was the club’s second title after a 30-year gap. The team that played Rovers was: Barron, Murphy, McKeown, Rowe, Lyons, Harte, Redmond, Callan, Hasty, Cross, Pownall. Jimmy Redmond got the Dundalk goal.
1968 | Dundalk FC 4-1 Bohemians
Paddy’s Day 1968 saw Bohemians call to Oriel Park for a league fixture. Goals by Danny Hale, Ben Hannigan and two from Derek Stokes sent the bottom club to a 4-1 defeat, Billy Newman getting the Phibsborough side’s lone goal. Dundalk finished second in the league and lifted the City Cup. The line-out against Bohs was: Blount, Brennan, McKeown, Millington, Cullan, Burke, Turner, Murray, Hale, Hannigan, Stokes.
1969 | Dundalk FC 5-2 Shamrock Rovers
A visit to Tolka Park in 1969 saw Dundalk take on arch rivals Shamrock Rovers and ended with the Lilywhites securing their fifth – and last – Dublin City Cup with a 5-2 trouncing of the Hoops. Goals by Stokes (2), O’Connor (2) and Turner did the damage with the team being: Swan, Hendricks, Murphy, Murray, T McConville, Millington, Turner, O’Connor, Stokes, Morriseey, Gilmore. This was the season Dundalk beat Utrecht to advance in the Fairs Cup to meet Glasgow Rangers.
1972 | Dundalk FC 1-1 Limerick
For the first time in the club’s history, they played an FAI Cup game on St Patrick’s Day 1972 against Limerick in Oriel Park when Gerry Rogers’ goal earned a 1-1 draw. This was a replay after a scoreless draw in Limerick. Dalymount Park was the venue for the second replay which Dundalk, thanks to goals from O’Connor and Rogers, won 2-1 but they lost the semi-final to Waterford 4-2, Paddy Turner getting a brace.
1974 | Dundalk FC 3-2 Waterford
In 1974, Waterford came to Oriel Park on St Patrick’s Day for a league encounter. Trailing 2-0 at half time, Dundalk fought back brilliantly to win 3-2; Dougie Devlin’s brace either side of a Willy Pemmall goal clinching a wonderful victory despite Peter Thomas’ wonder display in the Blues’ net. Tommy McConville lined out for Waterford in this match and the team was: Finnegan, M McGee, Devlin, Pemmall, Smith, McManus, Brunton, Coyne, Cobbe, Watson, Dainty.
1982 | Dundalk FC 2-0 Finn Harps
A league game against Finn Harps in 1982 came in the middle of a 12-game unbeaten run that saw Jim McLaughlin’s side win the league championship. Harps fell to a 2-1 defeat via a Leo Flanagan goal and an own goal.
McLaughlin’s title-winning squad was made up of the following players: Blackmore, R Lawlor, T McConville, P Dunning, E Gregg, M Lawlor, B Duff, J Reilly, J Archbold, L Flanagan, W Crawley, B Keogh, S Byrne, H Carlyle, J Clarke, O Ralph.
1988 | Dundalk FC 1-1 Waterford
St Patrick’s Day 1988 saw Dundalk play host to Waterford in a league match at Oriel Park. Dessie Gorman salvaged a point and although it was the faltering Lilywhites’ fourth game without a win, Turlough O’Connor’s men went on to win the league and FAI Cup double! The line out against Waterford was: Read, O’Neill, Lawless, M Lawlor, Murray, Cleary, Malone, Wyse, Shelly, Eviston, M O’Connor. Subs: Newe, McCue.
1989 | Bohemians 0-1 Dundalk FC
A visit to Dalymount Park the following year yielded Dundalk’s first league win in the venerable stadium since February 1977, a 12-year gap. The team of O’Neill, Lawless, Lawlor, O’Connor, Cleary, Malone, Gannon, Shelly, Murray, Eviston, Newe with subs Cousins and Mackey were the players to break the Phibsborough hoodoo.
1991 | Sligo Rovers 0-0 Dundalk FC
March 17th, took Dundalk to the Sligo Showgrounds for a league tussle with the Bit o’Red that ended scoreless and was part of a record 17 away games without defeat. The line out which drew with Dermot Keely’s Bit o’Red was: O’Neill, Mackay, Lawlor, Murphy, Coll, P Hanrahan, McNulty, Shelly, Eviston, Lawless, Kavanagh.
1989 | St Patrick’s Athletic 0-2 Dundalk FC
The next year, while the shamrock was being drowned, Dundalk took on St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park, beating them 2-0. Peter Hanrahan’s first goal in two months and a late strike by Tom McNulty sealed the points with local Brendan O’Callaghan assisting the second. O’Neill, Purdy, Dunne, Murphy, Coll, Hanrahan, McNulty, McEvoy, Eviston, Lawless, Irwin, O’Callaghan and Kavanagh were the players on duty that day.
1994 | Dundalk FC 4-0 Drogheda United
Drogheda United were visitors to Oriel Park on St Patrick’s Day 1994 and made the short trip home on the wrong end of a 4-0 trouncing from a struggling Dundalk who were recording just their second home win all season.
An own goal set The Town on their way with Doohan, Irwin and Doohan again finding the net. The team sheet for this game read: Boxtell, Purdy, Lawlor, Sheeh, Coll, Hanrahan, McNulty, Donnelly, Doohan, Kelly, Britton. Subs: Sullivan, Irwin, Kavanagh. Dundalk finished eighth in the league.
1998 | Kilkenny City 1-2 Dundalk FC
In 1998, the Lilywhites travelled to Kilkenny and recorded a 2-1 victory to stop a nine-game run without a victory. Brian Byrne and local boy David Hoey got the goals. The team in Kilkenny was: Williams, Reddish, Crawley, Brady, McQuilter, Hoey, Ferguson, Carlyle, Melvin, Byrne, Withnell, Doohan, Delaney.
2006 | Dundalk FC 0-1 Cobh Ramblers
After showing lots of promise in an opening day First Division loss away to Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk followed it up with one of their least memorable St Patrick’s Day displays against Cobh Ramblers in 2006.
Willie Burton scored the only goal of the game as John Gill’s side slumped to a 1-0 defeat in front of just 500 people at Oriel Park. “Abysmal,” was Giller’s reaction afterwards. “It was a poor performance. I think I had two players that showed up for work and the less said about it, the better.” The Dundalk team on the day was: Chris Bennion, Niall Hudson, Robert McAuley, Simon Kelly, Derek Griffin, Paul Marney, John Flanagan (Kevin McArdle), Robbie Dunne (David Hoey), Austin Skelly, Peter Hynes (Trevor Vaughan), Philip Hughes.
Also on St Patrick’s Day in…
1936: Joey Donnelly and Billy O’Neill played for Ireland in a 1-0 victory over Switzerland.
1943: Paddy Barlow played for the League of Ireland in a 1-0 defeat to the Northern Regional league.
1947: Peter Corr played in a 2-2 draw against the Regional League for the League of Ireland.
1980: Sean Byrne starred for the League of Ireland in a 2-1 victory over the Scottish League.
1986: Dave Connell played for the League of Ireland in a 2-1 win against Irish League.
