Dwelling on what may not have happened seems a pointless exercise, however, when contemplating if highly talented winger, Keith Dunne had never arrived at Oriel Park, it’s possible to think that Dundalk would not be in the healthy position that they currently enjoy.
Indeed, had events taken a different path, that possibility could well have become a reality. Just five months before signing, Dunne had made the decision to make a permanent move to America. But, when that plan didn’t work out, Keith knew that Dundalk were keen to land his signature and dazzling wing play, as he explains: “I left Saint Patrick’s Athletic at the end of 2005 because I had made my mind up to go over and live in America. I have some family over there and I was going to emigrate. I went over in January but I only stayed for about five months before coming home. Things just didn’t work out and I decided to come back to Ireland. John (Gill) knew I was going over to the States and he told me before I went that if I ever came back that he’d like to talk to me about signing for Dundalk, so I gave him my word that I would. As soon as I came back, I gave him a call and that was it really, I was down here in May for training and then started playing in July.”
Keith’s time in the US had began back in 1999, when he took up a place on a soccer scholarship in Atlanta, Georgia. “I was playing in the youth leagues here with Verona,” the 25-year-old recalls. “I went out to Colaiste Ide in Finglas then for about a week and all the colleges came out to scout and have a look at us. I got offered a two-year scholarship in America, so I went over there first and then went to a higher college a year and a half later. I was just glad to get out of here for a while to be honest. It was something different and it was better weather as well! I was looking forward to going over, because I knew it was a nice place. I enjoyed it, things over there were top quality, they really were. I was looked after really well by the colleges, the training pitches were great and the facilities in general were very, very good – it was top notch. Travelling to games around the country was good and overall, I enjoyed my time over there a lot.”
So if it was so good, why did Keith return to his native land in 2002? “I just came back because I wanted something different again! You can only do the four years football anyway, so I did the three and a half and came back. I came back and joined Ashtown Villa around Christmas but didn’t really play that many games for them, I was just with them after coming back from America and was waiting to see what would come up. I enjoyed it there, it was good, but Eamon Collins saw me and offered me a contract with St. Pat’s. I could have went back to America for another year but I decided to join Pats because of Eamon really, I got on very well with him. I liked playing under Eamon, and Martin Russell who was there with him, it was a good experience. He was a good coach and a good manager, and gave me my chance in League of Ireland football.”
Keith admits that his time at Inchicore was a pleasant one. And it was a spell that couldn’t have got off to a much better start as he lined out in both domestic cup finals in 2003. “Pats was good for me, it was a time I enjoyed. The League Cup run was great. At the time, it was my first year and he was just playing all the young lads right up to the final, so we enjoyed it. We beat Cork City in the semis on penalties, which was great, but then it went back to the first team for the final, so I only got on for the last bit of the match, but it was good. The FAI Cup final was great, playing in front of a crowd of over 12,000 at Lansdowne Road was a fantastic experience, even though we were beaten, it was a great day out. We felt confident going into it, but Longford, on the day, were a lot better than us. It was a pity we lost, but playing in the final that day, the lead up to it and all the hype around it was great.”
The remainder of Dunne’s time with the Saints couldn’t replicate the success of 2003, and in January 2006, he chose to emigrate to the States. That was to last just five months, however, and in May, the winger returned home to join Dundalk, as John Gill pulled yet another masterstroke. Keith’s entrance brought extra pep to Dundalk’s step and a new dimension to their play, and cued a long unbeaten run for the club. His debut in Monaghan signalled what was to come, and when he netted on his first home outing against Limerick four days later in arguably the side’s best performance of the year, the Lilywhites’ title challenge no longer seemed just a faint hope…although it would ultimately end in failure. Dundalk did go on to win the playoff, but the infamous decision of 11 December is one that sticks in the memory for Dunne. Though he knows that righting those wrongs is now well within the side’s grasp.
“I was delighted to join Dundalk,” Keith enthuses. “I love it here, it’s great. It’s a great club and has a great history, it’s a big club, and hopefully this year we’ll be able to get it back to the Premier Division where we should be. We were robbed last year, which was disappointing. I was in America when I found out about the decision, my dad rang me to tell me that we weren’t promoted. I was obviously gutted because after everything we done, I thought we would have went up. Especially the way it happened, us beating Waterford in the playoff and then Galway, who finished third, going up…I’m not happy with them!
“I didn’t really mind coming back to play in the First Division this year though, we knew at the start of this season that we could put things right. We knew that we could have nobody to blame but ourselves if we don’t win the league and get promoted, so we’re all working really hard and putting in a good shift. We have a good side here and I think the players John has brought in have made us better. Things are going well at the moment. Hopefully we’ll keep up the good run that we’re on and stay at the top of the league. If we do go up, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be able to stay in the Premier, I think we should be able to hold our own. Obviously the top three or four teams are above the rest because they’re full-time and they’ve got the best players, but I really don’t see why we couldn’t handle ourselves up there, especially here at Oriel Park where we’d give anybody, in either division, a game.”
Good times ahead it seems. 2007 has been almost perfect, though for Keith, he has had to face some unwarranted criticism for his performances during the season. But what’s his view on his form? “I don’t think I’ve been playing as well as last year, so I’m trying to improve on that. I’m not really happy with my form this year, I’m still a bit off I think myself, I know that I can play a lot better than I have been doing, but I’ll just keep my head down and keep working hard at it and try to get back to where I was. I’m not really sure what the problem is to be honest, because I’m doing everything I was doing last season. I’ve only one goal this year as well, so I’m going to have to get back on the score-sheet soon. The two-week break there helped me I think, so hopefully that will be the answer. It was a great break, I went away for a relaxing week to Zakynthos in Greece with the girlfriend, so that was good.”
Indeed, Dundalk should count themselves lucky to still have the high-class winger in their ranks. The close-season saw Dunne strongly linked with a permanent return to America, but that was never on the cards, as Keith sets the record straight. “I’d no plans to leave for good. I have some family over there and was just going over to visit them. John knew the story as well, it was just like going on holiday. There was no emigrating, I just have kids over there so I was going over to see them. I’d like to live out there when I’m a lot older, but it certainly wont be any time soon. I haven’t really thought about any long-term plans, but I’d definitely like to stay here for the foreseeable future. I get on well with John and Gerry Scully and all the coaches and players, so I’m enjoying it – it’s a good laugh. John is great to work under, he’s very professional and keeps everything that way, even down to the likes of your training gear being ready. It’s a great set-up.”
