Christmas is a time for reflection, not least for Dundalk Football Club as we come to the close of what has been a trying year, on and off the pitch.
We want to express our heartfelt thanks to you, our fans, for your unwavering support throughout the season. Your backing is invaluable and we know you will be with us as we look forward to a better and brighter 2025 under Ciarán Kilduff.
We are less than two years away from marking the 100th-year anniversary of our very first game in the League of Ireland, and are striving to be a Premier Division club for that occasion in 2026.
Ciarán is a huge figure in the history of our football club, his goals against AZ Alkmaar and Maccabi Tel Aviv still vivid in our memories over eight years on. Now leading us from the dugout, we will give him all the support he needs to write another successful chapter.
We are building a competitive squad. Ciarán has been a breath of fresh air since taking over as our first-team manager last month. He has done a fantastic job in assembling the majority of his squad before pre-season training starts in the first week of January, and there is already a vibrant mood around the camp.
We reflect on September 16th, the day our great town held its breath as the club which makes it beat, teetered on the brink. As we move forward, we will not forget that dark day.
On behalf of everybody, I would like to thank John Temple and Chris Clinton for ensuring the doors at Oriel Park are still open. Without them, we would not be here today. All Lilywhites should be eternally grateful to them.
We are all custodians of Dundalk FC. Anyone who walks through the door here and assumes an influential position should be privileged to be involved in our famous football club, and work tirelessly to leave it in a better place than they found it.
I extend my sincere gratitude to our dedicated staff. I thank all the staff for their resilience during what has been a very stressful time. Now, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
In 2025, we will see our new Principal Partner ZOMA proudly emblazon the front of our jerseys. We thank ZOMA, and all of our sponsors, for their support. Blackstone Motors’ relationship with the club remains strong, and we are delighted that UHY, long closely associated with the club, is now on the back of our jerseys.
Thank you to our Academy sponsors, Dundalk Credit Union, Dole and Hanley Energy for their continued support of our young players. It has been a really positive year for our Academy, with Luke Mulligan, Vinnie Leonard and TJ Molloy becoming the three youngest senior players in our history.
We are now building towards our opening game of the 2025 League of Ireland First Division season. We are delighted to kick off the campaign at home to Athlone Town on Valentine’s Day, and look forward to seeing a big support officially welcome Ciarán back to the Home of Football.
Sadly, many of our supporters will not be with us on that night. During 2024, we lost huge figures in the history of our football club, among them the legendary Jim McLaughlin, the inimitable Mark ‘Maxi’ Kavanagh, 1967 league winner Kevin Murray, goal machine Liam ‘Mousey’ Munroe, and the wonderful Sonia Hoey, an FAI Cup winner in 2005 who fought against cancer so courageously.
We remember all the Lilywhites who have sadly passed this year, including:
Éamonn White
Noel Minto
Peter Quinn
Jimmy Fisher
John Dempsey
Declan Temple
Guiseppe (Joe) Grossi
Owen Gray
Rosie McGee
Aidan Carraher
Brendan Mackin
Paddy Williams
Lily Barnacle
Aaron Callan
Gerry Dullaghan
Eamon Carroll
Paddy Goodman
John Watters
Teresa Hearty
Philomena (Patsy) Hearty
Gerard Maher
Martin Gill (Snr)
Their loved ones are all in our thoughts at this time of year.
Christmas is a joyous time but it can also be an extremely difficult time for many. If you are struggling, please reach out to someone or use the supports that are available. You never know what someone is going through. Be kind to all.
Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain faoi Mhaise Daoibh.
C’mon The Town!
Peter Halpin,
Dundalk FC Chief Executive Officer.
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