Dundalk Football Club, more than just a game

by Stephen Neary | Jan 13, 2025 | Dublin city cup | 19 comments

Empty football pitch with a soccer ball in the foreground and a sunset behind the goalposts

Football (well, Dundalk Football Club) more than just a game.

Most people remember their first cars registration number. For me, I remember my brothers number, RZI378. Martin’s first ever car‑a silver Ford Mini in 1968. For me, its place in history relates to the fact that it carried my brother, my mum (Anne) and myself to Oriel Park. Some context here-we lived in Castlebellingham-home to the O’Connells GAA team who provided sporting entertainment for most of the local population. There was one honourable exception, one Vincie Cranny, his body contorted by polio yet he was an ever present on the Oriel Park sidelines for many years cheering on his beloved Dundalk FC.

My dad was more inclined towards the GAA-my mam, in contrast was steeped in Soccer tradition as her dad Edward Kiernan was a founder member of Longford Town FC (who coincidently celebrated their centenary in 2024). When the old Oriel Park ground was turned on its axis and a ‘The New all-seater Stand’ added this provided the incentive for Annie and her two boys to ‘clean up quickly after Sunday lunch’ and ‘let’s head to Oriel Park’ for the 3:30 kick off. I almost shudder with embarrassment as I remember the rug that mother insisted on wrapping around the three of us as we settled into our seats in the stand.…….’jeez, I hope none of the lads from school see us.

Although only nine years old at that time, my Castlebellingham friends and I were somewhat feral! Like them, I was a smoker ‑although not in public and certainly not in front of ‘the Matriarch’. On a particularly cold autumn Sunday, we took our seats for the match. A gentleman one row in front of us ‘lit up’ his Carrolls No 1 and the smoke wafted past my eager nicotine craving face……I inhaled it in with all my worth only to be set upon by my disgusted mother seeking to discipline her wee boy for this ‘disgusting carry-on’ and ‘I hope you’re not smoking’. Of course, not ma, I was only messing.

Looking back, it seems strange now how it was my dad who brought me to my first ever game. It was the final of the old Dublin Cities cup, played out in early season to help teams get in shape for the league. This particular final was in either Dalymount or Tolka and my dad was driving a friend of his to the game. I was sent along as ‘an anchor’ to make sure ‘the boys’ came home in a timely fashion. I was seven at the time and this was my first ever time at a league of Ireland match. Shamrock Rovers versus Dundalk-even back then brought out the crowds.

I knew very little of what was actually going on. Before kick off my dad innocently asked ‘Who did I fancy to win’ with 6D (less that 2C in today’s Euro currency) as prize money if I choose correctly. I said I fancied those guys in the green and white hoops-who subsequently turned over DFC 3–0 on the night. So 6D in hand I began ‘following’ Shamrock Rovers………this usually entailed cutting out pictures from the Indo, Press or Evening Papers and putting them into a scrapbook. I still have those scrapbooks up in my attic today-nearly a full 60 years later. The team was all conquering-especially in the Cup winning six in a row over the last six years of the 60’s decade. When I changed schools to the secondary, CBS Dundalk, I soon copped on absolutely that there was only room for one team ‘in the town’. I’ve never regretted that change of support, and can safely say watching DFC over the last fifty plus years has been a consistently engaging and sometimes enjoyable experience. Some of my personal favourites memories are…………..

Watching Sean ‘Yorkie’ Byrne (no relation) in the 70’s / 80’s giving his all-every game for the Town.
The birth of the ‘Oriel Roar’, Easter Monday 1988 as Dundalk come from 0–2 with 13 minutes left to beat Derry 3–2‑a pivotal match in clinching the league that year.
The reception by thousands of fans who welcomed home the ‘Double winners’ at Hill St bridge in 1988\
The ‘shock’ cup win against a fancied Bohs team in 2002 as Gary Haylock outgunned Glen Crowe
The ‘Stephen Kenny / Vinny Perth era from 2014 to 2020……………so, so many great days!

And yet, for me, there’s another side to supporting ‘the Town’. It brought together my myself and my great friend from Derry, the late Dessie McDaid. Its June 1988 and we were holidaying in Kelly’s of Rosslare. On the Monday morning soon after breakfast I passed by the snooker room. There was a guy inside just knocking a few balls around the green baize. I asked him would he like a game? We played a number of frames and Dessie clearly enjoyed avenging Derry’s Cup defeat to Dundalk. We had just beaten them in the Cup final courtesy of a John Cleary peno after a soft foul on our Larry Wyse.

Dessie and I hit it off instantly and we spent a lot of time in each-others company on that first (of many) joint family holidays. This was the start of a literally life-long friendship. We hosted each other when Derry came to Oriel or we visited Derry. On the first such trip to the Brandywell, I discovered why Dessie had the edge in snooker. He had a full-sized table in the upstairs ‘sports room’ of their palatial Talbot park home. A shrewd businessman and a baker by trade, I envied his early start to work and thus early finish which provided loads of time to make some toys for the girls, play golf with his local society or hone his snooker skills in advance of DFC’s next visit to the Brandywell or while away a few hours in the ‘Alleymans’ on the Strand Road-probably the smallest bar in Ireland but always heaving it seemed.

Dessie sadly passed all too suddenly and all too young (50’s) in 2007. I got to spend some precious hours with him on a Saturday not long before he passed. Dessie actually lost the ability to speak on that Saturday evening. I was heartbroken when we embraced our farewells the following afternoon-we both bawled like banshees. As I drove off due south, I couldn’t talk so put the radio on to fill the silence……imagine my reaction when the first song we heard was Ronan Keatings ‘When you say nothing at all’ That song stirs memories in me to this day. I still consider Derry my favourite city in Ireland. We have become good friends with Dessie’s great buddies Charlie (and the late Marian, RIP) and Gerard and Gabrielle McMonigle.

So, I started this blog with the idea that football / DFC is in the blood you know and I firmly believe that. But for me, football has provided me with amazing highs and shattering lows, and introduced great lifetime friends for which I am very grateful and feel truly blessed. Each morning while walking our Beagle I thank my late mam for introducing me to Dundalk FC and for lighting a fuse that still burns brightly to this day! Come on the town!

Vincent Byrne, 09/01/2025