Pat Cordelle: An old family tradition | OneFootball

Pat Cordelle takes a closer look at some of the families who have proudly represented Shelbourne Football Club over the years. From brothers and fathers to nephews and grandsons, these familial ties have left a lasting legacy on the club’s 130 year history.

The Conroy brothers—Ollie, Lar, and Mick—played for Shelbourne from 1957 to 1968. Ollie, a left winger, played regularly from 1957 to the end of the 1964/65 season. Lar was on the books for three seasons, making only a handful of appearances between 1959 and 1963. Mick joined in 1964 and remained at the club for four years. Ollie played alongside Lar on a few occasions and also lined out with Mick many times during his final season with the Reds. Ollie enjoyed a successful career, winning one League title and two FAI Cups.

Mick Conroy played in all three games against the Portuguese side, Belenenses, and scored the first goal in the play-off game. Ollie and Mick also played together in both games against Atletico Madrid in the next round.

Rory Dwyer and his less famous brother Sean were part of the squad in the championship-winning season of 1952/53. Rory Dwyer was a scoring sensation with Shelbourne, netting 62 goals in 79 league and cup appearances, including a remarkable 42 goals in all competitions during his debut season. However, a recurring knee injury ended Rory’s career in 1957.

Eddie Gannon started and ended his career with Shels after making a big impression with Notts County and Sheffield Wednesday. Eddie returned to the club as player/manager from 1955 until 1957. He was twice capped by Ireland during his time at Shelbourne. His nephew, Mick Gannon, was also later capped by Ireland, against Austria in 1971. Mick Gannon made almost 300 appearances during his Shelbourne career.

Tommy Carroll made his debut for Shelbourne at the age of 15 alongside his elder brother, Eddie. He was capped 17 times during his playing career with Ipswich Town and Birmingham City. Tommy won a League title and an FAI Cup with Shels in 1962 and 1963, respectively. He was also selected to play for an “All-Ireland” team against world champions Brazil in Dublin under the banner of a Shamrock Rovers XI in July 1973.

Dermot Curtis played for Shelbourne from 1952 to 1956 and won the League title in 1952/53. His brother Barney also played for Shelbourne around the same time. Dermot was capped twice for Ireland during his Shelbourne days. On May 8, 1957, he became the first Irish player to score against England at Wembley in a 5–1 loss in a World Cup Qualifier.

3 November 2008; Alan Keely, Shelbourne, in action against Daniel Corcoran, Sporting Fingal. eircom League First Division, Shelbourne v Sporting Fingal, Tolka Park, Dublin. Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE

Peter Keely, the father of former manager Dermot Keely, won two League titles in 1947 and 1953. He spent his entire League career with the Reds. Alan Keely, son of Dermot, had two spells at Tolka Park but tragically passed away in May 2021 at the age of 38.

In the 1940s and 1950s, brothers Frank and Gerry Malone lined out together in the colors of the Reds. Frank made 18 League appearances, while Gerry, the better-known brother, made 175 appearances and was capped once for Ireland while playing for Shels. Two sets of brothers, the Malones and the Dwyers, featured in the championship-winning side of 1952/53, just as the Baker and Geoghegan brothers did in the title-winning side of 1999/2000.

Jimmy Gregg, a left-back, joined Shels in the mid-1970s and made 15 League appearances. His brother Eamon was appointed manager in January 1994 but was sacked later that year in November. The Greggs are related to Mick Gannon through marriage.

In May 2000, the Reds defeated Bohemians 1–0 in an FAI Cup Final replay at Dalymount Park, achieving a historic League and Cup double for the first time in the club’s history. On that day, two sets of brothers—Stephen and Declan Geoghegan and Dessie and Richie Baker—played together, marking a rare occurrence in League of Ireland history.

Stephen Geoghegan, a Shelbourne legend, scored 109 goals in 265 League appearances over a glorious nine-year career. He won three League titles, three FAI Cups, and one League Cup with the Reds. His brother Declan, a left-back, was an unsung hero who won one League title, three FAI Cups, and one League Cup during his time at Tolka Park.

Dessie Baker made his debut for Shels at UCD in December 1995. He played for Shels from 1996 to 2004, making over 150 appearances and scoring 27 goals. With the Reds, he won two FAI Cups and three League titles. His brother Richie Baker had three spells with Shels, lifting four League titles and one FAI Cup (part of the historic double). Richie made his debut at the age of 18 against Shamrock Rovers in August 1998.

Gareth and Glen Downey, brothers from the North East of England, arrived at Tolka Park in 2001. Gareth, a goalkeeper, made a few appearances but failed to make a lasting impression. His brother Glen played alongside him in the same Shelbourne team when he came on as a substitute in an FAI Super Cup tie against Cork City on July 2, 2001, in a 1–1 draw.

Sean Brennan, the brother of Ryan Brennan, spent the 2013 season at Tolka Park, which also ended in relegation. Ryan played three seasons with the club, experiencing promotion, relegation, and promotion again between 2019 and 2021.

8 May 2007; Mark Leech, Shelbourne. eircom League of Ireland Cup Second Round, Shelbourne v Bohemians, Tolka Park, Dublin. Picture credit: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE

Mark Leech made 69 appearances and scored 18 goals during three spells with Shels. His father, Mick Leech, a League of Ireland legend, made five appearances for Shelbourne in the 1979/80 season.

Barry O’Connor, son of Jimmy O’Connor, scored eight goals in 18 appearances in 1994. His father holds the record for the fastest verified hat-trick in world football, scoring three goals for Shels in just 2 minutes and 13 seconds against Bohemians at Dalymount Park on November 19, 1967.

John Delamere had three spells with Shels during the 1970s and 1980s. He was the League’s top scorer in the 1978/79 season with 15 goals. His stepbrother, Paddy Turner, also played for Shelbourne. Paddy joined Shels in 1960 before moving to Greenock Morton in 1961, eventually earning a dream transfer to Glasgow Celtic. Turner became the first former Shelbourne player to play for Celtic.

Joey Wilson, a Shelbourne star of the early 1960s, was the uncle of Karl Wilson, who made five League appearances plus one European appearance in the 1993/94 season. Karl’s sons, Tyreke and JR Wilson, also played for Shels, with Tyreke winning a League title in 2024.

Pat Byrne, the player-manager of the League-winning team in 1991/92 and the FAI Cup-winning team in 1993, is a first cousin of Terry Byrne, an FAI Cup finalist in 1975.

No family has contributed more to the history of Shelbourne than the Theo Dunne family. Theo’s uncles, Bob and Paddy Thomas, were League winners with the Reds in 1928/29, and Bob managed the club to another title in 1952/53. Theo himself captained the 1960 FAI Cup-winning team, and his son Thomas Dunne played for Shels from 1993 to 1996. Theo’s grandsons, Gavin Molloy (now with Aberdeen) and Evan Caffrey, were both members of the Shelbourne League-winning squad in 2024.