The 1987/88 season marked Turlough O’Connor’s 3rd year with the club. The two previous seasons saw Shamrock Rovers win the league, with Dundalk making a closer challenge in each year. In truth we were never really close to winning the title in either year, but the 1986/87 season was the turning point to what lay ahead, as a ‘double’ of the League Cup and League runners up was achieved. Now, we had a team that looked like they could push on to a greater stage, and when a European night returned to Oriel in September 1987, after an absence of 5 years, the fans knew a return to the big time wouldn’t be too far away. With Shamrock Rovers moving from Milltown, this was the end was of their famous 4 in row side of the 80`s. Their replacements would be a straight 3 way fight between Derry City and St Pats, and for the first time in 6 years, the bookies favourites, Dundalk.
Dundalk employed a very solid shape in the pre season in 1987/88, Alan O Neill in goal, Martin Lawlor on the left, Gino Lawless in right full with two strong centre half’s in John Cleary and Harry McHugh. If that wasn’t enough defenders, Joey Malone was the sweeper behind this back four. If the defence was far from pretty, the midfield was the jewel in the crown with a classic formation of 3, each player a perfect fit for his strengths in that position. Martin Murray sat in the middle and passed and controlled the game, Larry Wyse was the workhorse on the right and the side’s best player and local legend, Barry Kehoe simply sublime on the left. Barry’s job was to entertain, and attack, providing most of the sides flair. His job was simple, destroy the opposition on their right side and cut inside at almost every opportunity. This he did time and time again, feeding the front two of Dessie Gorman and Terry Eviston. In reserve and the pick of the bunch, was the dependable if underrated Mick Shelly, who could slot into defence and midfield, and two more strikers in Paul Newe and Michael O’Connor.
The feature game of the season (I’m sure the famous Derry match will be covered elsewhere) was the final game, the last two teams standing were ourselves and St Pats. Dundalk requiring a draw to win the league, with Pats needing to win to claim the same prize. The stakes could not have been higher.The tension that day around the town was intense, it was a Thursday evening in late April, I recall it was a lovely spring day and the sun was still shining brightly as the thousands made their way to Oriel that night. At the time I was a student in the local RTC (Now DKIT), and the excitement in the college was just great with posters up and everyone talking about the big game that evening. I managed to convince a lot of my own class who were not from the area, to attend the game, promising them a night of real excitement. They would not be disappointed.
When we made our way to Oriel, it was one of the first times I witnessed segregation in the ground for a domestic game with the 1,500 strong Pats fans taking the now usual away end and also behind the Carrick Road goal. The massive Dundalk support taking the remaining areas, the old Shed was in full voice well before kick off, indeed in the years after this, and not since the 2002 cup semi final v Shamrock Rovers have I witnessed anything like the atmosphere for a domestic game in Oriel. I recall the admission was £4 for the ground and £6 for the stand, and the match programme costing less than a pound.
Before the game our worst fears were confirmed when it was announced that Barry Kehoe would play no part due to injury, this was a crushing blow to our hopes. Within 5 minutes of the kick off and with some of the 8,000 crowd still not inside the ground, further disaster struck as the current Bohs manager, Pat Fenlon who was only around 20 at the time, and one of the outstanding players on the night, scored from the spot to put Pats ahead. Now the pressure was on Dundalk who had to score to win the league, a defeat would have handed the title to Pats.
The modern oriel roar which was only born 2 weeks previous in the Derry City famous comeback win went into full voice as they encouraged their team to show their class. The defence passed it about confidently, everything was going through Murray in central midfield, supported by Wyse and Shelley, he kept possession at crucial periods, feeding the raiding runs of Lawlor and Lawless as the formation moved from 5-3-2 to the classic counter attack of 3 -5-2, now Dundalk were on top, and Pats were under intense pressure as attack after attack saw the entire Pats team camped in their own half. How long could they hold out? Then on the half hour a long cross from Martin Lawlor was met by Dessie Gorman who headed the ball downwards, beating the Pats keeper and bouncing majestically into the net, it was 1-1 and Oriel erupted into celebration. The second half was a magnificent spectacle as Pats went in search of the equaliser, but Dundalk stood firm with the defence in superb form, after what seemed an eternity the final whistle sounded and the Dundalk bench was jumping for joy, with Barry Kehoe, Turlough O Connor and Tommy Connolly leading the charge to meet the players on the pitch while the fans invaded the pitch. What a night, what a game and what a way to win the league. My final memory of that night was the celebration party which took place in the Tara Bar mineshaft (basement) bar in Park St. the place was packed with Dundalk fans, and when ‘We are the champions’ was played we had the strange sight of hundreds of fans all on their feet singing along with their pints pressed upon the low ceiling………what a perfect end to a perfect day.
10 days later Dundalk completed the double beating Derry City 1-0 in the FAI Cup Final. The following year Derry got their revenge by winning the treble, and Pats too got in on the act by winning their first league title in 30 years in 1990. The Dundalk double winning side of 1987/88 completed the remarkable feat of finishing runners up in consecutive seasons of 1988/89 and 1989/90. Around this period saw the break-up of one of the best Dundalk’s sides of all time, with Murray, Malone, Cleary, McHugh all departing before some of the Double winning 1988 side would win the title again for Dundalk in 1991. Turlough O’Connor then departed in 1993, the golden era was nearly over, with a solitary title (1995) our sole success in the league since. Anyone who witnessed the renanaisance of that 1987/88 season will never forget how brilliant that team was. In a final tribute I would like to dedicate this article to my favourite Dundalk player, one who contributed so much to that season, the late Barry Kehoe.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam
Michael Shine
