Dermot Keely
Encyclopedia
Dermot Keely, is the former manager of Irish football team Shelbourne
.
played for Shelbourne, his brother Joe played on the same Home Farm
FAI Cup
winning side of 1775 as Dermot Keely himself. And his son Alan Keely
currently plays for Shelbourne.
and then signed for St. Patrick's Athletic under Barry Bridges
who appointed him club captain. In June 1977 he was about to depart for Adelaide
on a 2 year contract when the deal fell through.
Moved to Dundalk
where he made his debut against Shamrock Rovers in September 1978. In his first season the Co. Louth outfit won the domestic double. In 1981 Keely captained Dundalk to win the FAI Cup
. The League Cup was also won this season.
Keely then signed for Glentoran
in the Irish League
where in his two seasons there he won the Irish Cup
, a Gold Cup
and an Ulster Cup
.
Keely's time with Dundalk and Glentoran saw him play in notable European Cup ties. In 1979, Dundalk reached the second round of the European Cup and were drawn with Celtic
. The first leg saw Dundalk produce a notable display to come away with a 3–2 defeat at Parkhead. In the return leg in front of a packed Oriel Park, Dundalk missed a last-minute opportunity to win the tie on away goals and the game finished 0–0. This is regarded as one of the best performances by a League of Ireland club in European competition.
Two years later, Keely played his part in Glentoran's run to the second round of the European Cup. In the first leg against CSKA Sofia, they lost 2–0. However, the return leg saw Glentoran take a 2–0 lead, forcing the game into extra time. With only five minutes remaining, CSKA scored the goal they needed. The tie finished 3–2 on aggregate, which had been the closest Glentoran came to reaching the last eight of European competition since 1974.
player-manager. However after just two months at Belfield Jim McLaughlin persuaded Keely to sign for Shamrock Rovers. He made his debut against Athlone Town in November 1983. He scored his first goal for Rovers in a 3–2 defeat to Shelbourne at Harold's Cross on the 11th of December 1983. When McLaughlin left at the end of the 1985/86 season to manage his home club Derry City
Dermot was appointed player-manager on the 16th of May.
In the 1986/87 season, Rovers controversially announced the sale of Glenmalure Park
near the end of season. However, Rovers won another double in this their final season at Milltown
to bring Keely's Rovers haul to 4 League championships and 3 FAI Cups.
The 1987/88 season started with Rovers controversially playing at Tolka Park
. Rovers fans boycotted the ground en masse. Every game was picketed and with the crowds practically gone the team invariably suffered. Keely was quoted years later as saying:
He resigned after the last game of the season on the 8th of April 1988. During his time at Rovers he won one Inter-League cap and represented the club 6 times in European competition.
After a brief spell at Longford Town he took over at Dundalk where he won the League Championship in 1995. He then guided Finn Harps to promotion to the Premier Division in 1996. After managing Athlone Town he took over the reins at Home Farm Everton where he won the League of Ireland First Division Shield
in 1998.
In the calendar year 1996 Keely managed four clubs: Dundalk, Finn Harps, Athlone Town and Home Farm.
He took over as manager of Shelbourne in July 1998 and won two championships (1999–2000 and 2001–02) and one FAI Cup
(2000) in his time at Tolka Park
. He also guided Shels to victory over Macedonian side Sloga Jugomagnat
in the first round of 2000–01 Champions League
qualifiers. Shels 1–0 win in the first leg in Skopje
was the first away win for a League of Ireland side in any UEFA
competitions for eighteen years.
Keely then became the first manager of new league club Kildare County in 2002. After a credible 5th place finish he then walked out to manage Derry City
lasting only 3 months
After a spell out of the game he then took over at Dublin City
. He then took over the management position at Shelbourne FC in 2007 and in his first season back finished fifth in the first division. In his second season in charge, Shelbourne lead the division going into the final game, and needed a home win against mid-table Limerick to gain promotion, but were denied by a 92nd-minute equaliser, and so were overhauled by Dundalk, who won away to Kildare County. On 27 May 2010, Keely stepped down as manager of Shelbourne
, and is set to become Shelbourne's youth team manager and community development officer.
Keely has also been working as a maths teacher in De La Salle College Churchtown
for over 20 years and has a weekly column in the Irish Sun.
: 6
: 4
Shelbourne F.C.
Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
.
Family
Keely's family have played League of Ireland football at various levels. His late father Peter KeelyPeter Keely (footballer)
Peter Keely was an Irish footballer who played with Shelbourne and Glentoran.Keely won two league titles, two Shields and two inter-league caps during his eleven season with Shels. Was released by Shels in July 1956 ....
played for Shelbourne, his brother Joe played on the same Home Farm
Home Farm F.C.
Home Farm Football Club is an Irish football club based in Whitehall, Dublin. Originally founded in 1928, the club joined the League of Ireland in 1972 after merging with Drumcondra. Following this merger they were briefly known as Home Farm Drumcondra...
FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
winning side of 1775 as Dermot Keely himself. And his son Alan Keely
Alan Keely
Alan Vincent Keely , is an Irish footballer who plays for Leinster Senior League club Malahide United. Keely plays as a central defender and he is the son of former League of Ireland player and manager, Dermot Keely....
currently plays for Shelbourne.
Player
As a player Keely started with Home FarmHome Farm F.C.
Home Farm Football Club is an Irish football club based in Whitehall, Dublin. Originally founded in 1928, the club joined the League of Ireland in 1972 after merging with Drumcondra. Following this merger they were briefly known as Home Farm Drumcondra...
and then signed for St. Patrick's Athletic under Barry Bridges
Barry Bridges
Barry John Bridges is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Chelsea, Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers, Millwall and Brighton & Hove Albion and was capped four times for England....
who appointed him club captain. In June 1977 he was about to depart for Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
on a 2 year contract when the deal fell through.
Moved to Dundalk
Dundalk F.C.
Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
where he made his debut against Shamrock Rovers in September 1978. In his first season the Co. Louth outfit won the domestic double. In 1981 Keely captained Dundalk to win the FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
. The League Cup was also won this season.
Keely then signed for Glentoran
Glentoran F.C.
Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
in the Irish League
IFA Premiership
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
where in his two seasons there he won the Irish Cup
Irish Cup
For the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world...
, a Gold Cup
Gold Cup
Gold Cup may refer to:In art and archaeology:* Royal Gold Cup, 14th century French cup in the British Museum* Rillaton Gold Cup, late Neolithic, from Rillaton Barrow in England* Ringlemere Cup, Bronze Age from EnglandIn horse racing:...
and an Ulster Cup
Ulster Cup
The Ulster Cup was an annual football competition held by the Irish Football League for senior clubs. It was held on fifty-one occasions until being suspended after the 1998/99 season and discontinued after a one-off re-appearance in 2002/03. The last three editions were only open to First...
.
Keely's time with Dundalk and Glentoran saw him play in notable European Cup ties. In 1979, Dundalk reached the second round of the European Cup and were drawn with Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. The first leg saw Dundalk produce a notable display to come away with a 3–2 defeat at Parkhead. In the return leg in front of a packed Oriel Park, Dundalk missed a last-minute opportunity to win the tie on away goals and the game finished 0–0. This is regarded as one of the best performances by a League of Ireland club in European competition.
Two years later, Keely played his part in Glentoran's run to the second round of the European Cup. In the first leg against CSKA Sofia, they lost 2–0. However, the return leg saw Glentoran take a 2–0 lead, forcing the game into extra time. With only five minutes remaining, CSKA scored the goal they needed. The tie finished 3–2 on aggregate, which had been the closest Glentoran came to reaching the last eight of European competition since 1974.
Player-manager
Keely's first managerial job was as UCDUniversity College Dublin A.F.C.
University College Dublin Association Football Club known commonly as UCD is the football team of University College Dublin. They play in the League of Ireland. The club, founded in 1895 was elected to the league in 1979 under the management of Dr. Tony O'Neill. Since the 2008 season they have...
player-manager. However after just two months at Belfield Jim McLaughlin persuaded Keely to sign for Shamrock Rovers. He made his debut against Athlone Town in November 1983. He scored his first goal for Rovers in a 3–2 defeat to Shelbourne at Harold's Cross on the 11th of December 1983. When McLaughlin left at the end of the 1985/86 season to manage his home club Derry City
Derry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
Dermot was appointed player-manager on the 16th of May.
In the 1986/87 season, Rovers controversially announced the sale of Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park, often simply known as "Milltown", was a football stadium on the Southside of Dublin city in Ireland. Located in the suburb of Milltown, it was home to Shamrock Rovers from 1926 to 1987, when it was sold to property developers by the club's directors...
near the end of season. However, Rovers won another double in this their final season at Milltown
Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park, often simply known as "Milltown", was a football stadium on the Southside of Dublin city in Ireland. Located in the suburb of Milltown, it was home to Shamrock Rovers from 1926 to 1987, when it was sold to property developers by the club's directors...
to bring Keely's Rovers haul to 4 League championships and 3 FAI Cups.
The 1987/88 season started with Rovers controversially playing at Tolka Park
Tolka Park
Tolka Park is an Irish football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne...
. Rovers fans boycotted the ground en masse. Every game was picketed and with the crowds practically gone the team invariably suffered. Keely was quoted years later as saying:
He resigned after the last game of the season on the 8th of April 1988. During his time at Rovers he won one Inter-League cap and represented the club 6 times in European competition.
Manager
He then took over as manager of Sligo Rovers in 1989 and achieved promotion in his first season. He guided Sligo Rovers to their highest Premier Division place in a decade in the 1990/91 season by finishing 5th.After a brief spell at Longford Town he took over at Dundalk where he won the League Championship in 1995. He then guided Finn Harps to promotion to the Premier Division in 1996. After managing Athlone Town he took over the reins at Home Farm Everton where he won the League of Ireland First Division Shield
League of Ireland First Division Shield
The League of Ireland First Division Shield is a now defunct Irish football competition which was run by the Football Association of Ireland. The tournament was confined to those teams competing in the League of Ireland First Division and ran during the 1980s and 1990s.-List of Finals:Possibly...
in 1998.
In the calendar year 1996 Keely managed four clubs: Dundalk, Finn Harps, Athlone Town and Home Farm.
He took over as manager of Shelbourne in July 1998 and won two championships (1999–2000 and 2001–02) and one FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
(2000) in his time at Tolka Park
Tolka Park
Tolka Park is an Irish football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne...
. He also guided Shels to victory over Macedonian side Sloga Jugomagnat
FK Sloga Jugomagnat
FK Sloga Jugomagnat is a football club, playing in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. They currently compete in the Macedonian Vtora Liga.-Achievements:Macedonian First League: 3*1999*2000*2001Macedonian Cup: 3*1996*2000*2004Runners-up: 5...
in the first round of 2000–01 Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualifiers. Shels 1–0 win in the first leg in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
was the first away win for a League of Ireland side in any UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
competitions for eighteen years.
Keely then became the first manager of new league club Kildare County in 2002. After a credible 5th place finish he then walked out to manage Derry City
Derry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
lasting only 3 months
After a spell out of the game he then took over at Dublin City
Dublin City F.C.
Dublin City Football Club was an Irish association football club that played in the League of Ireland. They were formed in 1999 after a split within Home Farm Everton and they originally played as Home Farm Fingal before changing their name for the 2001–02 season...
. He then took over the management position at Shelbourne FC in 2007 and in his first season back finished fifth in the first division. In his second season in charge, Shelbourne lead the division going into the final game, and needed a home win against mid-table Limerick to gain promotion, but were denied by a 92nd-minute equaliser, and so were overhauled by Dundalk, who won away to Kildare County. On 27 May 2010, Keely stepped down as manager of Shelbourne
Shelbourne F.C.
Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
, and is set to become Shelbourne's youth team manager and community development officer.
Keely has also been working as a maths teacher in De La Salle College Churchtown
De La Salle College Churchtown
De La Salle College is an all-male secondary school in Churchtown, a southern suburb of Dublin, in Ireland. It is a state school. De La Salle College, Churchtown was officially opened in 1952 and moved to its present location in 1957. Since then, the college has extended on two different occasions ...
for over 20 years and has a weekly column in the Irish Sun.
As a player
League of IrelandLeague of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
: 6
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- DundalkDundalk F.C.Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
1978/79, 1977/78 - Shamrock Rovers 1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87
- Dundalk
- FAI CupFAI CupThe Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
: 5- Home FarmHome Farm F.C.Home Farm Football Club is an Irish football club based in Whitehall, Dublin. Originally founded in 1928, the club joined the League of Ireland in 1972 after merging with Drumcondra. Following this merger they were briefly known as Home Farm Drumcondra...
1975 - DundalkDundalk F.C.Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
1979, 1981 - Shamrock Rovers 1985, 1986
- Home Farm
- League of Ireland Cup
- DundalkDundalk F.C.Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
1980/81 Irish CupIrish CupFor the equivalent tournament in the Republic of Ireland, see FAI Cup.The Irish Cup is the national cup knock-out competition in Northern Irish football. Inaugurated in 1881, it is the fourth oldest national cup competition in the world... - GlentoranGlentoran F.C.Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
1983
- Dundalk
- Gold CupGold Cup (Northern Ireland)The Gold Cup is a now-defunct cup competition which involved competitors from Ireland and from 1921 onwards, just for Northern Ireland. It was initially run by the New Irish Football Association but later, and mainly, by the Irish Football Association....
- GlentoranGlentoran F.C.Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
1982/83
- Glentoran
- Ulster CupUlster CupThe Ulster Cup was an annual football competition held by the Irish Football League for senior clubs. It was held on fifty-one occasions until being suspended after the 1998/99 season and discontinued after a one-off re-appearance in 2002/03. The last three editions were only open to First...
- GlentoranGlentoran F.C.Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...
1982/83
- Glentoran
- PFAI Player of the Year:
- Shamrock Rovers – 1983/84
- SWAI Personality of the Year
- Shamrock Rovers – 1984/85
- Player of the Year:
- Shamrock Rovers – 1984/85
As a manager
League of IrelandLeague of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
: 4
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- Shamrock Rovers F.C.Shamrock Rovers F.C.Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
1986/87 - Dundalk F.C.Dundalk F.C.Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
1994/95 - Shelbourne F.C.Shelbourne F.C.Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
1999/2000, 2001/02
- Shamrock Rovers F.C.
- FAI CupFAI CupThe Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
: 2- Shamrock Rovers F.C.Shamrock Rovers F.C.Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
1987 - Shelbourne F.C.Shelbourne F.C.Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
2000
- Shamrock Rovers F.C.
- League of Ireland First Division ShieldLeague of Ireland First Division ShieldThe League of Ireland First Division Shield is a now defunct Irish football competition which was run by the Football Association of Ireland. The tournament was confined to those teams competing in the League of Ireland First Division and ran during the 1980s and 1990s.-List of Finals:Possibly...
- Home Farm Everton 1998
- SWAI Personality of the Year
- Shelbourne F.C.Shelbourne F.C.Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....
– 2000
- Shelbourne F.C.
Sources
- The Hoops by Paul Doolan and Robert Goggins (ISBN 0-7171-2121-6)