Tom McNulty's Top 20 Moments

Dundalk FC was delighted to welcome Tom McNulty as the Dundalk FC Centenary Legend guest at the St Mochta's FAI Cup tie. One of only five players to play more than 400 games for Dundalk FC, Tom scored 47 goals in his 15 year spell at the club between 1984 and 1999. Here, we look back at Tom's top 20 moments.

20. A Real Local Derby Dundalk v Bank Rovers, 22 September 1983

When Tom first arrived in Dundalk, having played alongside Paul and Willie McStay at schoolboy level before joining Partick Thistle, he joined Park Rangers in the Dundalk Junior League before John Murphy signed him for Bank Rovers in the Leinster Senior League.

Bank hosted several FAI Cup ties at Oriel Park before being beaten 5-0 by Waterford United. Earlier that season, however, Dundalk fans had their first chance to watch Tom (and other future stars such as Dessie Gorman) in a unique occasion when Dundalk were drawn against Bank Rovers in the Leinster Senior Cup.

The Dundalk Democrat stated: “A little piece of soccer history was written at Oriel Park where, for the first time, two Dundalk clubs met each other in a senior competition.... the result was perhaps the inevitable outcome... but Bank were never outclassed and certainly not disgraced by this defeat.”

The match ended in a 2-0 win for John Dempsey’s Dundalk, with both goals scored by Benny Laryea. The Bank Rovers side was: Brian Keating, Martin McGee, Brendan Kelly, Tommy Traynor, Tommy Parkin, Ciaran Wiseman, Tony Ryan, Bernard Savage, Dessie Gorman, John Morris, Tom McNulty. Subs: Sean Murphy for Gorman (56), Gus Hearty for Ryan (82).

19. The Debut St Patrick’s Athletic v Dundalk, 26 August 1984

Tom’s displays for Bank Rovers were enough to persuade new Dundalk boss Tommy Connolly to sign him.

Having appeared in a pre-season friendly against Glasgow Celtic and produced a man-of-the-match performance in a 3-1 win over Drogheda United in the Donegan Cup three days previously, Tom made the first of his 480 appearances for Dundalk in a 2-2 draw with St Patrick’s Athletic on 26 August 1984 in the League Cup.

The Dundalk Democrat reckoned Tom was better suited to a role on the wing, and he played his part in creating the opening goal for John Cleary. Barry Kehoe added a second early in the second half, but two Eugene Davis goals gave Eoin Hand’s side a share of the spoils.

18. The First Goal Dundalk v Cork City, 16 September 1984

The opening match of the 1984/85 League of Ireland season was also Cork City FC’s first in the League of Ireland, and Tom made his first mark on the history of the Leesiders by scoring the only goal of the match.

It was an inauspicious start for the new club, who required a 45-minute kick-off delay after their train broke down. McNulty’s moment came in the 48th minute, when Jim Mulcahy spilled a shot from Barry Kehoe, allowing John Cleary to square for McNulty to score his first senior goal.

The effort proved to be the winner — and the first of Tom’s 47 goals for the club.

17. Turner’s Cross Instincts Cork City v Dundalk, 15 February 1987

An important win that moved Dundalk into the European places was helped by a great early strike from McNulty, who pounced on a Liam Keane error to drill the ball past Paul Kelly from 20 yards.

In a match that featured Stephen Henderson in goal in place of the injured Alan O’Neill, Dessie Gorman scored the second-half winner after Declan Daly had equalised.

16. The First Trophy Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers, 1 January 1987

“Dundalk overcame all the odds... The few Dundalk supporters who braved the trip to Dublin on New Year’s Day were rewarded with a gritty display by their team, which was on the defensive for most of the game and yet gave the all-conquering Rovers few clear-cut chances of scoring over the 90 minutes.”

This excitable reaction from the Dundalk Democrat following Dundalk’s capture of the 1986/87 League Cup was fully justified.

Not only were Dundalk without several first-team players, meaning Turlough O’Connor gave Tony Devereaux, Paul Matthews and Francie Callan their debuts, but he also named himself as a substitute. Just three weeks earlier, Dermot Keely’s all-conquering Rovers had inflicted a 5-0 defeat on Dundalk. Yet, with McNulty at his best in midfield, Dundalk overcame the odds to take home the League Cup, with the winner coming from a Martin Murray penalty.

15. Spoiling the Party, Part 1 Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers, 30 March 1986

It would not be the last time, but with Shamrock Rovers just five minutes from earning the point that would give Jim McLaughlin’s side their third successive title, McNulty had other ideas.

The decisive moment came in the 85th minute when he slammed the ball home after Jody Byrne collided with Peter Eccles while attempting to deal with a Dessie Gorman free-kick.

The Argus summed it up: “Tremendous. No other word fits Dundalk’s exhilarating and richly deserved victory over Shamrock Rovers with a rip-roaring second-half display.”

This match was also notable as Tommy McConville’s final game at Oriel Park as a Dundalk player.

14. Walls Come Tumbling Down Dundalk v Derry City, 9 November 1989

After two seasons at Finn Harps, Tom returned to Oriel Park for the 1988/89 season. Within a few months, he had picked up further silverware following a dramatic League Cup Final against Derry City at Oriel Park.

A huge crowd caused the match to be delayed by 15 minutes, while Joey Malone missed a penalty and Derry’s Paul Doolin was sent off within the opening 20 minutes. Derry’s ten men took the lead through Felix Healy after 37 minutes, but Paul Newe levelled just before half-time.

The match ultimately went to a penalty shoot-out. McNulty, along with Martin Murray, Tony Cousins and Mick Shelley, scored Dundalk’s penalties, while Derry fell apart.

On the night the Berlin Wall came down, the Democrat reported: “The form book was turned on its head... when Dundalk regained the League Cup in thrilling circumstances. This was a game that had everything, typical cup-tie football, a controversial sending off, and much more.

13. Representative Honours July/August 1993

Tom was called up on four occasions for the League of Ireland representative side. The first was a 2-2 draw with Leeds United at Tolka Park on 23 July 1993, when he joined fellow Lilywhite James Coll in the line-up to face a Leeds team featuring Gary Kelly, Gordon Strachan, Garry McAllister and Gary Speed. Bohs pair Dave Tilson and Pat Fenlon scored the League of Ireland goals.

In August 1993, Tom featured in three further games. The first was a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn Rovers, followed by a 4-1 defeat to Czechoslovakia. His final appearance, on 19 October 1993, was a 2-1 defeat to Graeme Souness’ Liverpool at Lansdowne Road.

This game was notable as Turlough O’Connor was the League of Ireland manager just a week after his departure from the Dundalk job. Pat Morley scored the League of Ireland goal, while James Coll again lined out alongside Tom. The match was held to mark the opening of the new Lansdowne Road floodlights.

12. Start of the Comeback Dundalk v Bohemians, 13 September 1990

Famously, Dundalk were hammered 5-1 by a rampant Shelbourne on the opening day of the 1990/91 season.

Eleven days later, on a Thursday night at Oriel Park, Dundalk produced a statement performance to demonstrate that they were up for the fight. A sensational display began after just 33 seconds when Tom headed past Dermot O’Neill from Terry Eviston’s cross.

Tony Cousins, James Coll and Peter Hanrahan added three more in a 4-1 win. McNulty was revelling in a central midfield role alongside Gino Lawless, and the foundations for a title-winning campaign had been laid.

11. Blood and Thunder at Dalymount Bohemians v Dundalk, 10 March 1993

A classic McNulty performance.

Charlie Stuart, writing in the Irish Press, described the match as a “blood-curdling” FAI Cup replay.

“Bohemians made the mistake of deciding to mix it with a physical Dundalk side.”

The first tie, three days earlier, had been an uneventful 0-0 draw, but the replay was war. Bohs’ attempts to bully Dundalk backfired spectacularly, and McNulty and Lawless were in their element in a 4-2 victory.

Tom was among the goals, scoring on the hour mark to make it 3-1. An epic win from the latter days of the Turlough O’Connor era.

10. Transfer Listed! Dundalk v St Patrick’s Athletic, 26 November 1998

With one win in their opening 13 matches of the 1998/99 season, Dundalk desperately needed a spark to get out of relegation trouble.

The visit of the reigning champions to Oriel Park on a cold Thursday night in November did not raise great expectations of victory — but Dundalk suddenly clicked into place.

McNulty, playing in midfield alongside Paul Doolin, scored the second goal in the 77th minute after collecting a Peter Withnell through-ball, and an amazing win was secured.

A turning point? Not quite. Following the match, chairman Phil Flynn and director Nobby Quinn informed the squad that all players had been transfer-listed due to the club’s dire financial situation.

9. The “Other Goal” Dundalk v St Patrick’s Athletic, 24 November 1994

Brian Byrne’s incredible solo effort in the 89th minute lives long in the memory.

With St Pats goalkeeper Tony O’Dowd joining a late corner in search of an equaliser, the ball broke to Byrne, who raced the length of the field before securing the win.

Writing in the Argus, Francis Carroll stated: “It certainly wasn’t a match for the faint-hearted... What can be said about the drama of the final minute? RTE cameras were there to record the incident that will surely make it on to Question of Sport one day.”

Francis was correct, as it did indeed make the popular BBC show.

However, the context of the match was even more important than Byrne’s show-stopping moment. The 2-0 win, coming weeks after Dundalk had nearly gone out of business due to financial issues, gave Dermot Keely’s side huge confidence and provided the foundation for an unlikely title challenge.

McNulty was magnificent and scored the “other goal”, finishing brilliantly from John Coady’s cross in the opening minute.

8. Brandywell Favourite, Part 1 Derry City v Dundalk, 21 October 1990

To see Dundalk play in the Brandywell in the early 1990s was akin to witnessing a pressure cooker waiting to explode.

It is fair to say that the Derry faithful were not fans of our Tom... and they hurled every conceivable insult in his direction at every opportunity.

Tom, in return, produced some of his greatest performances at the venue.

This match, during the title-winning season, was no different. The Derry side, featuring Felix Healy, Stuart Gauld, Kevin Brady and other stalwarts, were no match for McNulty, who settled the game when he broke through from midfield to slot home from Martin Lawlor’s long ball.

A crucial victory on the road to the title.

7. Spoiling the Party, Part 2 Dundalk v Bohemians, 11 April 1993

By the time this game was played, Dundalk knew they had narrowly missed out on the title following a defeat at the Brandywell.

On the previous Thursday night, a Brian Irwin goal had put a huge dent in Shelbourne’s hopes of winning the league and, three days later, it was Tom’s turn to play party pooper.

An expectant Bohs side arrived at Oriel Park requiring just a point to win the title but, after a late arrival when their bus broke down, they were beaten by McNulty’s 66th-minute low drive from the edge of the box.

Having halted the charge of both Shelbourne and Bohemians, the main beneficiaries were Cork City, who overhauled the two Dublin clubs in a prolonged play-off series.

6. A Night in Budapest Honved v Dundalk, 16 September 1991

Tom’s European experiences with Dundalk were mixed, with disappointing defeats to Wettingen in 1989 and Malmö in 1995.

But in 1991, in the words of the Irish Independent, “Dundalk wrote another chapter in their European history book in Budapest with a well-earned draw against the Hungarian champions. They held a side containing six current Hungarian internationals... and had them almost broken into submission when Kispest snatched a late equaliser to spare their blushes.”

The match is available on YouTube for anyone interested, and McNulty was magnificent. Dundalk were resolute, superbly organised and unlucky not to win after Ricky McEvoy’s stunning 27th-minute goal.

Adrian Negrau scored a fortunate equaliser in the closing stages from the rebound after Plokai had hit the bar.

5. Brandywell Favourite, Part 2 Derry City v Dundalk, 19 December 1998

A club in turmoil, losing players and threatened by relegation... but it was Tom McNulty in the Brandywell, so who knew what might happen?

If this were a countdown of Tom’s greatest goals, this would be a strong contender for number one.

Three minutes before half-time, Sean Hargan cleared Ray Campbell’s cross into Tom’s path and he blasted the ball past David Platt from 25 yards into the top corner.

A real Christmas cracker, followed by a virtuoso display from Steve Williams to preserve all three points.

4. On Top At Tolka Shelbourne v Dundalk, 23 November 1990

Dundalk’s recovery from the opening-day 5-1 defeat to Shelbourne was completed after this exciting match at Tolka Park on a cold Friday night.

McNulty, who seemed to be collecting man-of-the-match awards on a weekly basis, produced yet another virtuoso performance. He opened the scoring in the 25th minute, converting from the rebound after Jody Byrne had saved from Gino Lawless.

However, it was the second goal that lives longest in the memory. Midway through the second half, McNulty knocked the ball past Anto Whelan on the halfway line and, as Jody Byrne charged from his goal to cover, Tom produced an extraordinary lob that dropped just beneath the crossbar.

Dundalk held on for a 2-1 victory.

As Charlie Stuart wrote in the following day’s Irish Press: “Dundalk gained sweet revenge for their 5-1 hammering by Shelbourne at Oriel Park back in September when they triumphed in a vastly entertaining game at Tolka Park... It was Dundalk’s vast experience that told at the finish.”

3. Blitzing the RDS Shamrock Rovers v Dundalk, 14 April 1991

Dundalk looked as though their title prospects had slipped away when, after 72 minutes, Derek Treacy converted from Wayne Cooney’s corner to cancel out Ronnie Murphy’s first-half goal.

With Cork City winning in Sligo, Dundalk could not afford to drop points.

Enter Tom McNulty.

Almost straight from the restart, he latched on to a knockdown from Peter Hanrahan and swept an outrageous 18-yard strike emphatically past Paul Kavanagh.

A title challenge that looked to be fading suddenly had fresh life.

2. Title Winner, Part 1 Dundalk v Galway United, 23 April 1995

Forget anything you experienced during the 2014–2019 era, or anything that occurred during the McLaughlin era. The 1994/95 league title success remains the most sensational, dramatic and unexpected championship triumph in the club’s history.

The situation was simple. Derry City needed only a point against lowly Athlone Town. If they left St Mel’s Park empty-handed and Dundalk won, the title would return to Oriel Park in a season that had almost imploded six months earlier as the club battled to survive the threat of liquidation.

News filtered through from St Mel’s Park that Dan Golden had given Athlone the lead, but a Derry comeback appeared inevitable once Liam Coyle quickly equalised. Athlone, however, continued to hold firm, with Shane Curran notably saving a penalty from Stuart Gauld.

Meanwhile at Oriel Park, Dundalk had been frustrated by Galway’s well-organised defence.

Then, after 75 minutes, Eddie Van Boxtel’s clearance allowed McNulty to beat the Galway offside trap and calmly round Power before sliding the ball into an empty net.

Oriel erupted.

Mick Doohan added a second goal and then everyone waited for the RTÉ commentary from St Mel’s Park, being broadcast over the PA system, to reach its conclusion.

After an incredible goal-line clearance from Rod de Khors in the dying moments, the result was confirmed and Tom had secured his second league title medal.

1. The Greatest Moment Cork City v Dundalk, 21 April 1991

Finally, our countdown of the top 20 moments of Tom McNulty’s career reaches that unforgettable day in Cork.

It is arguable that this could be the greatest moment of the past 100 years of Dundalk FC history... but we will leave that debate for another day.

Tom’s incredible winner at the RDS (see No. 3) was followed three days later by a Peter Hanrahan double in a 2-0 victory over Galway United. On the same evening, Cork slipped up when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Shamrock Rovers at Turner’s Cross.

The dynamic of the fixture changed completely. It became winner takes all. A draw would have resulted in a play-off.

A sell-out crowd of 12,000 witnessed a tense and dramatic contest. Dundalk produced all their customary guile and resilience to keep Cork at bay.

Then, in the 73rd minute, Mick Shelley won possession in midfield before Terry Eviston allowed Gino Lawless to take control and slide the ball into the path of the advancing McNulty.

Harrington quickly came off his line, but McNulty calmly guided the ball beyond him and into the net.

It was a truly great moment.

Indeed, it may never have happened had Dundalk not successfully appealed a suspension that Tom was due to serve, which would have ruled him out of the match.

Terry Conlon wrote in the Argus:

“What a way to win a league. Written off from the opening game of the season, but with an unquenchable belief and granite-like character, Dundalk kept up the quest and made it across the finishing line first in thrilling fashion at Turner’s Cross.”

Tom McNulty had delivered the defining moment of a remarkable career.