How did you start off in football?
I played with Beaumount Schoolboys team based near Dundrum near Milltown where Shamrock Rovers were based. I then played with Rovers for two years.
How did you find Shamrock Rovers?
It was good at the start. We got a chance early on and the young lads like myself did well. We won a league cup under Sean Thomas. But then Johnny Giles came in with his “revolution” and brought back a lot of players who were finished. The likes of Eamonn Dunphy and Paddy Mulligan…so it was off to Athlone Town for me.
You must have really enjoyed your successes at Athlone…
Two win two leagues at was unbelievable. Winning trophies with a country team is much better than winning with a Dublin side.
You then moved to Bohs before signing for Dundalk…
Well I think I had a bit of a falling out with Turlough. We probably had seen enough of each other! So I went to Bohs for two seasons which I did not enjoy at all. I was quite surprised with Turlough contacted me about joining Dundalk. I didn’t think he would want me in his team. But it was great that he did. He was putting together a very useful side at Oriel Park.
Did the failure of the 1987 FAI Cup final spur the team on in 1988?
It probably did. Especially when we faced Derry in the cup final. We had another chance to win the cup and make up for 1987.
How good was team spirit?
It was always very good. We were a bunch of senior players and we all expected a lot from one another. We could have a go at one another and there would be no backlash.
What is your main memory from the 88 Double?
I think that would have to be the 3-2 win over Derry City. That game proved how good we could be. We dominated the match for long spells and they scored two goals out of the blue. That was probably my best game ever in a Dundalk shirt. They had a very strong side so that win was the turning point. In the actual league decider we didn’t play that well against St Pats.
Did you enjoy your European experiences?
Absolutely. Ajax were an incredible team. In both games they were amazing. We could barely get a kick of the ball they kept possession so well. I remember the former Man United player Arnold Muhren playing that night. He was wonderful and at the end of the game there wasn’t a bead of sweat on him. Those games were a great experience. We thought were good players but it was a different level and we just chased shadows. It was not nice to be beaten though!
The midfield you played with was one of the best ever at the club…
They were fantastic players. Martin Murray was the most skilful player I had ever played with. It was great to play with him in 1987/88 because people used to say that we couldn’t play on the same team. They use to say that neither one of us would tackle our dinners! But it wasn’t true and we proved it that year. Obviously Barry Kehoe was an outstanding player also. He was just an fantastic footballer and a gentleman off the pitch.
How did you find working under Turlough O’Connor?
Turlough’s expertise was in putting a team together and getting things working. He had great experience and he knew when players needed to be brought in or when players needed to be moved on. He valued experience. Martin Lawlor for example. He was the best left back I ever played with or against. I used to hate playing against him because he’d be on my side!
The big question now Larry, especially for Derry fans who may read this: The penalty decision in the FAI Cup Final…a tad on the soft-side?
I don’t care! We got it and scored! I still get ribbed about that decision to this day. The thing is, the way I see it, he pushed me with both hands. If it was outside the area it would have been a stonewall free-kick. If I had gone down nobody would have had any doubts. The fact that I stayed on my feet has clouded people’s judgements of it!
You left the club at the end of the 1988/89 season. What was your reasons for leaving?
Joey Malone got the Galway job and he asked me to go over with him. I was probably coming to the end of my playing career. I really enjoyed Galway and I won another FAI Cup in 1991. Joey was a great coach. His coaching sessions were really good. But I was not quite the box to box player I was. I would sit in the middle and pass the ball about.
Are you involved in football now?
No. I did have a great experience when I managed Glenmore Celtic. We won the FAI Intermediate Cup on the 50th anniversary of the team last winning the competition. The thing is I was always a great trainer. Having been used to a high level of coaching and dedication it use to drive me crazy that only 6 or 7 players would turn up for a training session. I did then take care of an under 12 team until they turned 15. But since then I have not been involved.
