League of Ireland Condolences Thread

[placid casual]

The legend that was Miah Dennehy has sadly passed away. Growing up watching Rovers in the early 80's there was a lot of older fans who spoke very glowingly of dennehys goal scoring abilities and particularly in games against Rovers.
I believe he had been ill for a long period of time but his passing will be mourned greatly on leeside.
Would there be mention of his passing at the cup final today?

[Martinho II]

The legend that was Miah Dennehy has sadly passed away. Growing up watching Rovers in the early 80's there was a lot of older fans who spoke very glowingly of dennehys goal scoring abilities and particularly in games against Rovers.
I believe he had been ill for a long period of time but his passing will be mourned greatly on leeside.
Would there be mention of his passing at the cup final today?

There was a piece about him in Cup Final program today.

[joey B]

Death announced of Fran Rooney,former FAI CEO,League of Ireland player with Shamrock Rovers, Home Farm and St Patrick's Athletic and Ireland woman’s team manager from 1986 to 1992 .

[Martinho II]

Death announced of Fran Rooney,former FAI CEO,League of Ireland player with Shamrock Rovers, Home Farm and St Patrick's Athletic and Ireland woman’s team manager from 1986 to 1992 .

when was he FAI CEO Joey B? His reign didnt really do much if I remember correctly.

[joey B]

May 2003 till November 2004 according to Wikipedia….

[Mr A]

He was one of the better ones I think. Did an initiative to improve atmosphere at Ireland games by getting LOI fans into games together. He actually got fans which is not always the case. RIP Fran.

[Martinho II]

Had actually forgotten about this. Was at those Ireland games in Lansdowne Rd in LOI section!

[JC_GUFC]

Not sure if he posted on here but I’ve just heard the terrible news that The Clones Road Casual from Johnny Ward’s old messageboard, Joe Heron, passed away yesterday.

I think he was involved with Monaghan United’s matchday programme back in the day too.

May he rest in peace.

[redobit]

Tommie Gorman, ex RTE journalist, passed away aged 68. Tommie was a Sligo Rovers fanatic.
Very sad news.
RIP.

[Martinho II]

Tommie Gorman, ex RTE journalist, passed away aged 68. Tommie was a Sligo Rovers fanatic.
Very sad news.
RIP.

Yeah heard it at work. Very sad news. Very young age.

[Straightstory]

Nice piece here:

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024/0626/1456739-the-sum-of-our-parts-tommie-gormans-sligo-love-affair/

[Martinho II]

Nice piece here:

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024/0626/1456739-the-sum-of-our-parts-tommie-gormans-sligo-love-affair/

I know Rory Heuston well. Superb piece. Didnt know that TG was on their board at all. Very sad to hear of his passing!

[Eminence Grise]

Not sure if he posted on here but I’ve just heard the terrible news that The Clones Road Casual from Johnny Ward’s old messageboard, Joe Heron, passed away yesterday.

I think he was involved with Monaghan United’s matchday programme back in the day too.

May he rest in peace.

Jesus, I taught Joe on his master's. One of the smartest, quick-witted people I've known, and an absolute gent to top it all off. Just been on to a retired colleague and one of his class mates, all of us so shocked to hear this.

[Nesta99]

I do remember him on JWs old site, how time has passed. Ye already probably have it but just in case https://rip.ie/death-notice/joe-heron-monaghan-560552

[Eminence Grise]

Thanks, Nesta. I'm not too far from Newlands Cross as it happens and I'll be going along on Saturday.

[Martinho II]

Yeah I heard of him too but didnt know him personally. JW did a great tribute to him on LOI Central and also referred to Ruairi Heustons piece on RTE site on the late great Tommy Gorman. May JH rest in peace.

[ForzaForth]

Very sad news of the death of Wexford's former player, Joseph Barry Wallace, son of Mick, at the age of only thirty. Rest in peace, Joseph.

[Martinho II]

Very sad news of the death of Wexford's former player, Joseph Barry Wallace, son of Mick, at the age of only thirty. Rest in peace, Joseph.
Very sad to hear this.When did he play for ye Forza as I never heard of him before?

[ForzaForth]

Marty, I would remember Joseph more as an underage footballer with Wexford rather than as a senior player - I wouldn't say he played many times for the senior team. A lively and very fit midfielder and would have featured at the beginning of the 2010s.

[total hoofball]

According to my records Joe Wallace did make a substitute appearance for the Wexford Youths first team aged 17 in a First Division 3-0 defeat against Shels at Tolka Park on 3rd September 2011

[pineapple stu]

Minute's silence at the Bowl this evening for Jim McCabe, our first keeper in the LoI, who died yesterday. Played every one of our first 100 senior games actually. Formed McCabe's Wines while still a UCD player

[D24Saint]

Vinny Redding passed away recently. He was an ex journalist that started out in the Irish press and last worked for The Star. He was well liked at St Pats and was known to many. He lived in Bray for years so some of their fanbase might recognise the name. RIP.

https://rip.ie/death-notice/vincent-redding-wicklow-kilmacanogue-562998

[WeAreRovers]

Jim McLaughlin RIP

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024/0815/1465191-legendary-manager-jim-mclaughlin-dies-aged-83/

[placid casual]

By quite a considerable distance the greatest ever manager in the League of Ireland.
He had me as an 11yr old Rovers fan thinking Rovers were absolutely invincible and without equal, and he was right.
He was successful at pretty much every single club he managed at, unless I'm mistaken.
A massive loss to those of us in LOI circles of a certain age

[Nesta99]

Im a little surprised there hasnt been a few more comments on Jim McLoughlin's passing! Agree with PC the GOAT manager in LoI. I never had the privilage of seeing his 1st spell of Dundalk sides or his Rovers sides, Im not of that vintage. His great Derry side I certainly do remember. His return to Dundalk was at a bad time for the club, not something that should be a blot on a stellar managerial career, Pep wouldnt have saved Dundalk FC about then, a slow decline from winning the lague in 94/95 to relegation 97/98 under Mcaughlin via John Hewitt and Eddie May (feels uncomfortably similar to things currently)! Drogheda days, well they just did what Drogheda did best in yoyoing between the 2 divisions.

There are endless wee stories of his time at Dundalk that do the rounds, letting players have their own few minutes at HT to sort each other out if things werent going well, a team with Keeley, Lawlor, McConville, Dainty et al, full of leaders, McLoughlin obviously knew the times that the players didnt always need his words at HT. His health hasnt been good for long while but a few years ago he was in a local supermarket with his son, not really aware of his surroundings tbh, my nephew was wearing his Dundalk shirt and upon passing by, Jim lifted the head and grinned at my nephew when he spotted he shirt, there wa a glimmer of recall of the old (2016) town shirt.

While there are many stories as mentioned, my favourite and probably the most famous was when dealing with the Scottish media prior to the European Cup game against Celtic where he basically talked them in to complacency, the team being there for the free trip, curfews broken etc. Maybe an element of urban legend in the story but we did rattle Celtic, 3-2, 2 away goals made it nervy for Celtic in the home leg, ending 0-0, the much talked about Tommy Mc chance at the end of that game and the fine margin between a moral victory and a 1/4 final spot against Real Madrid. Saw some footage of the away leg once around 1994, it does exist though have never seen it again since. There is also some 8mm footage from Malta that year somewhere. It wouldnt be mentioned often as something a manager has to deal with but managing the tragic deaths of 3 players in a couple of years is something that McLaughlin faced during that time at Dundalk, with the deaths of Sean McLoughlin, Brian McConville, and Liam Devine - that hat to have been tough on he cub, squad, fans and manager!

What a time it must have been for Dundalk fans though, the Linfield invasion, Hibs Malta, the the record 18k in Oriel for home 2nd leg v Celtic. 8 years unbeaten at home in Europe under Jim v minnows like PSV, Porto, Spurs, Hajduk, Celtic. While domestically Jim continued to dominate as manager, backed by Kilkoyne money at Rovers he had the 3 titles as part of the famous 4 in a row, but the European run didnt continue. The modern day 'treble' he won with Derry of course, and hasnt been done again and wont be since the end of the League Cup.

On an average match night in Oriel Park, somewhere, someone is debating whether the Alan Fox, Jim McLaughlin, Stephen Kenny were the better sides. If Oriel or others have any stories on the leagues GOAT manager itd be nice to hear.

[brendy_éire]

Im a little surprised there hasnt been a few more comments on Jim McLoughlin's passing!

Unfortunately we've all been expecting this. He'd been ill for a while, but still sad to hear.
I don't remember his time as manager at Derry, but the lift it gave the town in a grim period of it's history is hard to quantify.
Absolute gentlemen too, by all accounts. He'll never be forgotten.

[seand]

Extraordinary man and extraordinary manager (and a very good player in his day too). It is rare to be a legend at one club, incredibly rare to be a legend at two clubs, but to be an solid gold legend at three different clubs tells its own story.

Jim's time at Dundalk was before my time, but I was lucky enough to meet him after a fans v legends match just after we put the artificial pitch in Oriel in 2005. I approached himself and Terry Eviston for a quick hello and the two of them sat with me and my wife talking football for the rest of the evening. What a gent, what a character. I've seen him around now and again in recent years when his health was deteriorating, the memory going, but he still had that charisma. He knew he was well known, he knew that people knew him even if he could no longer remember who everyone was, but he had this disarming charm til the end.

His managerial career was astounding.... took Dundalk from bottom of the league to 3 titles, 3 cups, 2 League Cups and redefined what was possible for an Irish club in Europe. Then on to Rovers who hadn't won the league in 20 years- 3 seasons, 3 leagues, 2 cups. On to Derry, finding their feet in the First Division.... promotion in his first season in charge, the treble two years later! Another league title alongside Pat Byrne at Shels in 92. 8 league titles, 6 FAI Cups, 4 League Cups.

[Martinho II]

Extraordinary man and extraordinary manager (and a very good player in his day too). It is rare to be a legend at one club, incredibly rare to be a legend at two clubs, but to be an solid gold legend at three different clubs tells its own story.

Jim's time at Dundalk was before my time, but I was lucky enough to meet him after a fans v legends match just after we put the artificial pitch in Oriel in 2005. I approached himself and Terry Eviston for a quick hello and the two of them sat with me and my wife talking football for the rest of the evening. What a gent, what a character. I've seen him around now and again in recent years when his health was deteriorating, the memory going, but he still had that charisma. He knew he was well known, he knew that people knew him even if he could no longer remember who everyone was, but he had this disarming charm til the end.

His managerial career was astounding.... took Dundalk from bottom of the league to 3 titles, 3 cups, 2 League Cups and redefined what was possible for an Irish club in Europe. Then on to Rovers who hadn't won the league in 20 years- 3 seasons, 3 leagues, 2 cups. On to Derry, finding their feet in the First Division.... promotion in his first season in charge, the treble two years later! Another league title alongside Pat Byrne at Shels in 92. 8 league titles, 6 FAI Cups, 4 League Cups.

Yeah it was thanks to JMCL that I got into LOI in mid/late 80s. Very sad to hear of his passing. RIP Jim he did such a phenomenal job at a lot of the loi clubs.

[oriel]

Im a little surprised there hasnt been a few more comments on Jim McLoughlin's passing! .

Age thing Nesta, Jim was DFC manager 1974-1983, that is 50 years from when he started, even at Rovers in 1984 its 40 years, a lot on here are probably in their 30's/ 40's, would have no memory.

He was the greatest manager Dundalk ever had, he surpasses Kenny (just but he does) even though SK won 4 leagues and 2 cups, as McLaughlin with 3 leagues, 3 cups, the euro stuff was just off the rocker from McLaughlin. Playing Celtic in last 16 of EC in 1979 and a whisker of beating them (lost 2-3 agg) and Spurs 2 years later, (ECWC) - lost 2-1 on agg, this was the Spurs team of Ardilles and Villia, Hoddle, Tony Galvin and Hughton (ROI), and Porto in between (1980), lost 0-1 on Agg, Jim was the master. Unbeaten at home in Europe, 76-82 (ended by Liverpool who won it in 84), some big clubs came to Oriel Park during Jim's reign, none won, PSV, H Split, (Linfield and Hibs Malta), Porto, Celtic, Spurs (already mentioned).

To be fair he went on to revitalise Rovers 84-86, Euro record was poor there, but they were an excellent side domestically, then back to his home spot Derry for more, the treble in 1989, one of the few times it was ever achieved in Ireland and later Shels for a one off league title. What a man.

Not forgetting his tenure in charge of the excellent Ireland Olympic team 86-88 for the Seoul games, what a team that was, Rovers mainly, then the holy trinity of Alan O'Neill, Gino Lawless, Barry Kehoe from DFC and the superb Jackie Jameson (Bohs), some great games in that group, I was at a good few.

RIP Jim.

[ToberonaTornado]

Brilliant tributes to Jim.
i really cant add anything more to the thread other than offer my condolences to Jims family. May he now RIP.

[SkStu]

Ger Byrne, staunch Bohs fan and all round brilliant and funny fella passed away. I spent so many epic days and nights with the guy when I was living back home and still considered him a good friend. He was a great man, a great Bohs man and a League of Ireland supporter (hated Rovers of course!). He posted here occasionally too I think. I’m sure many of you will know him and want to pay your respects. RIP Ger.

[ger121]

Ger Byrne, staunch Bohs fan and all round brilliant and funny fella passed away. I spent so many epic days and nights with the guy when I was living back home and still considered him a good friend. He was a great man, a great Bohs man and a League of Ireland supporter (hated Rovers of course!). He posted here occasionally too I think. I’m sure many of you will know him and want to pay your respects. RIP Ger.

Very sad news. I actually got to know Ger through work rather than Bohs. He was a lovely funny guy. RIP Ger.

[ger121]

Sorry to hear about the passing of Maxi. RIP.

[smasherdrog]

So sad to hear about Maxi , what a legend , stood up to the FAI , devoted to his club.
may he rest in peace.

[nigel-harps1954]

Had a couple of great chats with Maxi over the years. Mad as a bag of cats but his heart was always in the right place. Sad to hear of his passing. RIP

[outspoken]

Only spoke to him outside Oriel last monday, he was in great form. So sorry for his family

[Martinho II]

I would have heard of Maxi over the years but never met the bloke. May he rest in peace.

[pineapple stu]

His daughter posted on facebook an hour ago to say rumours of his demise are exaggerated (although I had heard he was seriously ill, and that still seems to be the case)

"I’m just letting everyone know my dad is still breathing, thank yous all for your texts but he’s still here"

[outspoken]

His daughter posted on facebook an hour ago to say rumours of his demise are exaggerated (although I had heard he was seriously ill, and that still seems to be the case)

"I’m just letting everyone know my dad is still breathing, thank yous all for your texts but he’s still here"

Aye, I saw a prominent LOI account "broke" the news before deleting it. His legend will be even greater now if he pulls through, keep fighting Maxi

[Nesta99]

Maxi and Dundlk FC are following similar paths at the moment, in a lot of trouble, seemingly hanging in there the end was called prematurely. I wish Maxi all the best and hope he is back on the terraces one day sooner than later and at a Dundalk FC 1903 version match!!

[oriel]

Guys, he's not dead but its really not looking good.

Such a colourful character, I knew (know) him to talk to, always stopped for a chat, so sorry to hear of his current challenges.

Told me once during the SK era in a really excited voice ' I just knew this time would come'...............really hope you enjoyed it Maxi, we all did.

[ger121]

Oh ****! I wish I had not posted that but glad to hear he is still alive.

[joey B]

Maxi confirmed to have passed away this evening RIP

[Longfordian]

RIP Maxi. Never met the chap and obviously he went too far that one time but you couldn't say he didn't love Dundalk FC.

[oriel]

Very sad to hear about Maxi, he led a colourful life, the Shed lads had a nice tribute banner and candles and scarfs outside the ground. I think he was 50, no age really.

RIP

[Neish]

rip. Maxi a LOI legend

[Nesta99]

There are no shortage Maxi yarns, my fvourite was the week before the 2002 cup final and The Mirror had a double page spread on Dundalk FC's 'Head of Security'. He certainly policed the players tunnel over the years in a security bib or without, but that brazenness gave me a good laugh. I have no idea if it was pure mischief, partly believed, or just a good old fashioned Irish spnning a yarn but it was fun regardless! I also dont know how he made ends meet as a Taxi driver in the town, Im sure Im not the only one who spent an age in his taxi, outside home, taling about Dundalk FC and then the arguement when he refused to take payment for the taxi fare. For any of his faults or past beef with the FAI he was a very likeable chap and will be remembered far longer and wider than the vast majority of us LoI fans!! RIP Maxi.

[Buckett]

Very sad news, condolences to all the Dundalk supporters and of course to his family and friends. I'm sure there'll be a minutes applause in Terryland on Friday night.

[ToberonaTornado]

That's so funny and will have elaborate again but if Maxi knew you were a Dundalk fan and he got you in the taxi then that was you and him chatting for at LEAST half an hour lol.

Loved Dundalk, the Town/city whatever you want but he really loved the club and I'm so sorry to hear of his passing. RIP max

[oriel]

https://www.facebook.com/thisisiradio/videos/dundalk-man-david-keenan-got-in-a-taxi-and-well-its-the-best-video-youll-see-tod/845035448890866/?mibextid=WC7FNe&rdid=LwUryAGhNZgDQpmT