From Roy Keane to Gary Twigg, the superstar signing at each League of Ireland club
See the names that proved to be surprise success stories in League of Ireland history
There has been no shortage of great players who have played in the League of Ireland: Geoff Hurst, Bobby Charlton, George Best.
But their period in Ireland came after the curtain had dropped and the audience had gone home. Theirs was barely even an encore.
But other signings have been a sensation in the colours of League of Ireland clubs. John Giles was great as player manager of Rovers; Seamus Coleman exceptional for Sligo, Keith Fahey, Kevin Doyle and Wes Hoolahan all outstanding operators at the beginning of their careers.
But which player have been the most unexpected success stories at each of the 20 League of Ireland clubs?
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Athlone Town
Eugene ‘Pooch’ Davis
No one expected much of Pooch Davis when he joined Athlone as a 20-year-old. Then again no one expected much of Athlone, either. Why should they? While they may have once been Ireland’s best team, that was in the 1920s.
And when Pooch arrived from Shamrock Rovers, following a wage dispute, the world had moved on to the 1970s. Athlone, meanwhile, were stuck in the past.
But then something clicked. First Pooch scored twice against Norwegian side Valerenga to set up a Uefa Cup clash against AC Milan. Then Jon Minnock missed a penalty; Athone missed their chance of a famous win.
Still, it wouldn’t be long before they got one. Local hero Turlough O’Connor arrived home and put together a team that would stun the Irish football scene by clinching the league in 1981. And the hero of that team? A man called Pooch who they had signed seven years earlier and who scored 23 goals as Athlone won their first league title.
Bohs
Kevin Hunt
In December 1998 Kevin Hunt was barely a household name in the Hunt family home, his career failing to take off after spells with QPR and Gillingham.
So, little was expected by the N.B.B at Dalymount when Roddy Collins signed him from Singapore club, Geylang United, just before Christmas 1998. That opinion soon changed, Hunt excelling across the following decade, particularly in the 2001 and 2003 title winning seasons.
Future Ireland boss, Stephen Kenny, even suggested at one stage that the FAI should use a loophole in the FIFA laws to get Hunt on board via the residency rule. Worse players than him played for Ireland.
Bray Wanderers
Jason Byrne
The story goes that Bray assistant Martin Nugent was in Walkinstown Park watching a junior team, St Colmcille’s, when his phone rang.
Pat Devlin, the Bray manager, was on the other end. “How’s Byrne doing?” he asked.
“He’s scored a hat-trick,” Nugent replied.
“Sign him up,” said Devlin.
Nugent did what he was told.
Three months later Byrne scored on his Bray debut. That season he broke his ankle in November, then broke Finn Harps hearts in the FAI Cup final, scoring twice. He’d subsequently break the club’s goalscoring record and then the League of Ireland transfer record. Only Brendan Bradley scored more league goals than Jayo.
Cobh Ramblers
Roy Keane
Cork City missed the boat on Keane, whose brief year at Cobh preceded a move to Nottingham Forest. Within a year he went from playing in grounds like Abbeycartron to ones like Anfield and over the course of the subsequent 16 years he became the greatest player in Irish football history.
Cork City
Dave Barry
Officially Cork City signed Dave Barry from Tramore Athletic but in reality he was snatched from the GAA. Cork GAA hated the idea of one of their star footballers doubling up in a rival code over the winter.
But they soon realised they couldn’t stop Barry. Then again, few could, including the Bayern Munich defence who were powerless to halt his run from midfield to open the scoring in the 1991/92 UEFA Cup tie. As player and manager at City, Barry won a league title, a FAI Cup and three League Cups but his contribution went way beyond mere stats. He practically saved the club when they were at a low ebb in the mid-90s.
Derry City
Owen Da Gama
There are any number of players who could fit the criteria of shock success stories at the Brandywell but given where Derry were in the late 80s, and given the glamour and quality Owen Da Gama provided in arguably the most exciting success story in League history, he gets the nod over Alex Krstic and Nelson Da Silva. Liam Coyle and Mark Farren were better players but the Da Gama story summed up that magical period in their history.
Drogheda United
Declan ‘Fabio’ O’Brien
Around Drogheda he’s Fabio rather than Declan. And he’s also the striker and captain who led the team through their golden era, winning a league in 2007, a FAI Cup in 2005, when he scored the decisive second goal, and two Setanta Cups.
He then returned for a second spell with the club in 2012 and helped them to the League Cup. Considering where he started, as a striker for non-League Verona, it ended up being some stint in claret and blue. It was Harry McCue who signed him after Fabio destroyed Drogheda in a pre-season friendly in 2001.
Dundalk
Pat Hoban
Stephen Kenny had a knack of signing players who had flown under the radar and the Dundalk team that dominated the last decade were filled with them: Andy Boyle, Brian Gartland, Dane Massey, Sean Gannon, Richie Towell, Daryl Horgan, Dave McMillan, John Mountney.
Hoban, however, did more than most, becoming Dundalk’s all-time leading scorer, finishing as the league’s top scorer in three different seasons, winning three league titles. Not bad for a player released by Bristol City whose early career included stints at Clevedon and Mervue.
Finn Harps
Brendan Bradley
Bradley was only 19 and a Derry City reserve when Finn Harps signed him in 1969. The fee was €100 and it’s fair to say the return on that investment was substantial, Bradley scoring 181 goals in 268 matches for the Donegal club.
Galway United
Eamonn Deacy
Eamonn Deacy was a bit-part player with Sligo Rovers when his home town club signed him in 1976. They’d come back twice more, first when Galway Rovers entered the League of Ireland, then in 1984, by which point he was a full international and a First Division league championship winner with Aston Villa. On his third spell with Galway, the club won the League Cup and FAI Cup. The ground has since been named in his honour.
Kerry
Ryan Kelleher
The 23-year-old scored 10 league goals last season for Kerry, 13 this time around, respectable returns in a struggling team.
Limerick (Treaty United)
Eoin Hand
Considering where Limerick were in 1979 - out of sight and out of mind - their decision to snap up Eoin Hand as player-manager was inspired. Nearly 20 years had passed since their only previous league title, nearly a decade since their solitary FAI Cup success. Hand then won both trophies in his three years at the Market’s Field. They’d never have done it without him.
Longford Town
Stephen ‘Digger’ O’Brien
In 1997/98, Longford Town finished bottom of the First Division, the final fixture of their previous season ending in embarrassment when they couldn’t provide matching socks and shorts for their players. That was when Stephen Kenny arrived and when the revolution began.
Young, hungry players were signed, Stephen O’Brien’s signature secured for the princely sum of €50-a-week. It was an inspired choice, O’Brien’s personality driving Longford’s standards skywards. When Kenny left, Digger stayed on. Longford have won three major trophies in their history and reached six major cup finals. Digger played in five of those, winning three.
Shamrock Rovers
Gary Twigg
There are no shortage of brilliant players signed by Rovers throughout their history but Twigg was a hugely unexpected success story, mainly because he’d achieved next to no success in his career up until then. He was 25 when he landed in Tallaght. Derry City had him on trial but didn’t rate him.
He’d had reasonable spells with Airdrie and Brechin City but at €15,000, he hardly broke the bank when Rovers bought him. He broke all kinds of records, though, scoring 88 goals in 160 appearances for the Hoops, helping them to their first title in 16 years, and also to the group stages of the Europa League.
Shelbourne
Owen Heary
For 15 years Shelbourne were the biggest spenders in the League of Ireland, their secretary, Ollie Byrne, unafraid to outbid any rival club for the league’s best players. So Owen Heary, signed by Dermot Keely from Home Farm, was one no one saw coming.
Previously he’d been at Kilkenny City where his wages were €50-a-game ‘plus a bag of chips on the way home’. With Shels he won five league titles and was the outstanding League of Ireland captain of the Noughties.
Sligo Rovers
Gavin Peers
Considering they signed Dixie Dean, League of Ireland legends, Ski McGee and Joseph Ndo, and future Ireland captain, Seamus Coleman, it’s something of a surprise to see Gavin Peers selected as their biggest surprise success story.
But Peers was imperious at the Showgrounds. He’d only ever played 15 senior games up until the point of his arrival out west. By the time he left, a decade later, he’d added another 346 games to his resume as well as six major trophies. Look at Sligo’s history. They’ve only ever won 11 trophies of significance. Peers has over half of those medals.
St Pat’s
Paul McGrath
Paul McGrath was wandering around the Leinster Senior League with Dalkey United, playing as an amateur in places like Stackallen in Meath. Charlie Walker was the manager who signed him along with Andy Reid’s father, Billy Reid. He was so good that in one year in Inchicore, Manchester United signed him, but only after McGrath was voted PFAI player of the year. Mark Ennis, a GAA player, was another incredible signing by Brian Kerr, top scoring in their league winning year in 1990. Keith Fahey was also a superb capture but for shock value, McGrath wins.
UCD
Joe Hanrahan
Scorer of their first goal in the 1984 FAI Cup final replay, Hanrahan then went to Manchester United. Tony ‘the Doc’ O’Neill spotted him in underage football in Limerick. No one else anticipated he would become as good as he did.
Waterford
Johnny Mathews
He arrived for a month and then stayed in Waterford for the rest of his life, winning six league titles and scoring 147 goals with the Blues before later becoming their manager. A loanee who became a legend.
Wexford
Danny Furlong
The Rosslare man became Wexford’s leading goalscorer and appearance records holder.
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