The Graduates - UCD’s famous players

Although UCD have only been in the League of Ireland since 1979, the club itself is as old as the college and can be traced back to the 1890s, under the name of the Catholic University. Over the years, we’ve had many famous players – for footballing and other reasons, either as students in the College or signed for the first team.

Our look back at our famous graduates starts in the 1950s, when David Andrews was at the College. Andrews, a former Minister for Foreign Affairs and TD for Dún Laoghaire and current chairman of the Irish Red Cross, began as a student in UCD and played for the soccer team. In this role he was following in his father’s footsteps: CS Andrews – or Tod, as he was known – also played for UCD and went on to be a prominent public servant, having been appointed as chairman of CIÉ among other bodies in the 1950s. David lined out for College in the 1950s as an undergraduate, winning the Collingwood at UCD. He later went to UCG as a postgraduate student and he won another Collingwood Cup medal with the Westerners in the twilight of his academic career.

Another former politician to have played for UCD was Brian Lenihan. Lenihan, a forward, played for UCD when we reached the FAI Cup proper for the second time in our history, in 1955. We took Sligo Rovers to a replay, and Lenihan scored in both games. He later had a spell with Athlone Town (where he grew up) and was capped at amateur level by the Republic of Ireland. He entered politics in the early 1960s, being elected a TD and appointed a minister within a short time of his first election success. He also had a spell in Seanad Éireann and served as a cabinet minister in several Fianna Fáil-led administrations. Brian was a candidate in the Presidential elections in 1990 and came second to eventual winner Mary Robinson. He died following a liver transplant in the late 1990s, although his name is kept on through his sons, Conor and Brian, both prominent politicians as well. His picture is still to be seen hanging in the UCD Sports Bar.

In 1959, the Republic of Ireland played South Africa in a B international – playing at centre-back that day was Willie Browne, to this day the player to have been represented at the highest level for Ireland while at UCD. He moved on to Bohs and won four full international caps in his time there before playing for his home-town team Longford Town, then in the Leinster Senior League.

Arguably our most famous player – certainly the one who achieved most footballing success – came to UCD in 1973 to play soccer and Gaelic Football. In 1976, Kevin Moran won a Collingwood Cup medal for UCD and the All-Ireland for Dublin, achieving the latter feat again the next year. He had a brief spell with Bohemians, where he made four appearances, and moved on to Pegasus, the UCD graduates’ team, playing for them in the FAI Cup in 1977. His performances for the Graduates in the FAI Cup brought him to the attention of Manchester United, and it was from Pegasus that United signed him shortly after. He was unusual in that when he went to England, he was 22 and had a commerce degree in his back pocket. After a successful career in England, where he won an FA Cup medal (becoming the first player to be sent off in the Final in the process!), he moved to Spain and played for Sporting Gijon before finishing his career with Blackburn Rovers, with whom he won the English Premiership. He gained 71 caps for the Republic of Ireland, going to the 1988 European Championships and also the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. He still hasn’t forgotten his roots at UCD though, and his high regard for our Scholarship Scheme was responsible for Kevin Grogan coming over to UCD from Manchester United on a two-year loan in 2000.

In our last season as a non-league side, we had a starring striker in Hugo McNeill. In the 1978/79 season, he notched a remarkable 46 goals for UCD and was, unsurprisingly, Player of the Season. As only Mick O’Byrne and Darren O’Brien have scored more senior goals in their entire UCD careers than McNeill managed in that one season, it was a blow when he graduated from UCD just as we were elected to the league. He did a post graduate in our beloved (!) Trinity, and concentrated more on his rugby career. His efforts were rewarded as he gained his first international cap soon afterwards. He was a member of Ireland’s Triple Crown winning squad in 1985 and also played in the 1987 Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand.

One of Ireland’s leading sports agents, Fintan Drury came to UCD in the late 1970s and went on several of the tours (to the likes of China and Jordan) organised by Dr. Tony O’Neill. He was club captain the year we were elected to the League of Ireland and had the distinction of scoring the club’s first goal in the League in a 1-0 win over Home Farm at Tolka Park. However, he only managed one more that season! He started his business career in sport in partnership with Liam Brady, a partnership which lasted until Brady took up the reins at Glasgow Celtic in the early 1990s. He subsequently went into the agency business where he employs former UCD full back Éamon McLoughlin and former Irish international Richard Sadlier. One of their claims to fame is the now infamous Paddy Power Logo on the hurley episode, which was a brainchild of Drury Sports Management.

In 1980, Dave Norman was struggling to get into the first team at Vancouver Whitecaps, and his manager, one Johnny Giles, suggested that he try wintering in the League of Ireland to improve his chances of making the grade in Canada. UCD signed him for the winter of seasons 1980/81, 1981/82 and 1982/83. Dave was in the squad that won the Leinster Senior Cup in 1980/81 and chalked up 43 league appearances and scored seven league goals during his time here. Born in Glasgow, he became a naturalised Canadian and was capped many times by his adopted country. He was a member of the 1986 Canadian World Cup squad which played at the tournament in Mexico that year – the only time Canada have reached the finals.

A midfielder, Paul Dempsey played Universities football in Britain for Cambridge University, playing in the famous Oxford v Cambridge game at Wembley. Paul joined UCD in 1982 to do his postgraduate degree and played thirteen times before injury ended his season. At the end the season, he was offered a job in Belfast by BBC Northern Ireland as a sports reporter. Despite a very attractive counter offer to play for UCD in the 1983/84 season, which culminated in us winning the FAI Cup, Paul chose Belfast. He subsequently ended up at Sky Television where he has presented results on Sky News as well as fronting boxing and football programmes for Sky Sports channels ever since.

In 1980, Dundalk drew Glasgow Celtic in the second round of the European Cup. A 3-2 first leg defeat in Celtic Park was followed by a 0-0 draw in Oriel as Dundalk, marshalled by teak tough central defender Dermot Keely, rattled their more illustrious opponents. A story goes that Celtic offered him a contract after the game on the condition that he shaved his beard off (and that beard really had to be seen to be believed!). Keely refused, and three years later found himself player-manager of UCD. He played eight games for UCD, scoring once, before signing for Shamrock Rovers for a reputed £4,000 fee. Ironically, he was to finish with an FAI Cup runner’s-up medal as UCD beat Rovers in the Final! His managerial career has seen him take the helm at (deep breath here!) UCD, Shamrock Rovers (where he won the league), Sligo Rovers, Longford Town, Dundalk (winning the League again), Finn Harps, Athlone Town, Home Farm Everton, Shelbourne (again winning the league), Kildare County, Derry City and Dublin City!

While manager at UCD, Keely signed Alan O’Neill from Shamrock Rovers, already an FAI Cup winner. In 56 league games over two seasons for the Students, he only conceded 48 goals and kept 24 clean sheets! He was a member of the FAI Cup winning team and starred in the European Cup Winner’s Cup tie against Everton the following season. When UCD released their semi-professionals for financial reasons in 1985, he moved to Dundalk where he won the league in 1988 and 1991 and the Cup in 1988. He moved back to Shamrock Rovers in 1993 and won a league medal with the Hoops in his first season. He took on the manager’s role (with Terry Eviston) at Shamrock Rovers in 1995 and finished his playing career at Sligo Rovers in 1996/97. He became UCD’s goalkeeper coach and assistant manager (to Noel King) in 1997 and spent one season at Belfield before becoming goalkeeper coach at Bray Wanderers the following season. He is now the Republic of Ireland Under 21s’ goalkeeper coach.

Another of Keely’s signings was Peter Lorimer, the great Leeds and Scotland midfielder. Renowned for his fierce shot, Lorimer played three games for UCD before signing for Aston Villa. He subsequently returned his wages to the club as he felt he hadn’t done enough to warrant them!

Paddy Dunning, one of the greatest centre-backs ever to play in the League of Ireland, began his career in the late 1960s with Shelbourne .He was capped twice at senior level by the Republic of Ireland in 1971. He came to UCD via Dundalk in 1983, where he captained our Cup-winning team. That was his last great success as in 1985, he joined Shels, who were relegated to the First Division, before winning the First Division with Drogheda. Eugene Davis, one of the few League of Ireland players to score more than 100 league goals, began his career at Shamrock Rovers but made his name with Athlone Town in the 1970s, helping the team to runners-up spot in the League. He played alongside current UCD players John and Robbie Martin’s dad in the famous Town side that played AC Milan in the UEFA Cup and held them to a 0-0 draw at St.Mel’s Park and were only beaten 3-0 in the return leg. In the 1984/85 season, he joined us on loan from Pat’s and scored five goals in six games, plus a hat-trick in a reserve game! How we could have done with a scoring rate like that earlier in the campaign when Eugene’s goals could have got us into Europe!

In 1987, UCD signed 17-year-old Tony McCarthy from Home Farm, where he had already made two league appearances. He was one of many UCD players to be capped at under-21 level while at Belfield – others include Ciarán Martyn, Clive Delaney, Mick O’Byrne, Robbie Doyle and Hugh Davey (for Northern Ireland). Tony left UCD for Derry in 1990 following our relegation and, after a spell with Shels, signed for Millwall, who were not long after the highest point in their history when the strike force of Teddy Sheringham and Tony Cascarino briefly propelled the small club to the top of the old English First Division. He enjoyed a few seasons at The Den before moving to Crewe (on loan) and Colchester. He returned to Ireland in 1999 to re-sign for Shels. Tony is also not alone as a former Student to go to England – Joe Hanrahan (Manchester United), Ken O’Doherty (Huddersfield and Crystal Palace), Kevin Grogan (Millwall) and Clive Delaney (West Ham) are some who’ve gone over, proving you can wait and get a full education before heading over into the unknown.

In 1994, another dual soccer/GAA player joined UCD – Jason Sherlock. He took a while to establish himself as a regular in the first team at Belfield but he was busy trying to break into the Dublin Gaelic Football team at the same time. He became a regular midway through the 1994/95 season, grabbing eight goals in 27 league appearances. UCD won the First Division Shield, First Division Championship and also the Leinster Senior Cup in his debut season. The following season he had an injury interrupted campaign, but he did manage to lift the Sam Maguire – the last Dublin team to do so so far, beating Peter Canavan’s Tyrone in the final. The hype surrounding him in 1995 was unprecedented and we had young kids coming to matches in Belfield Park just to be able to meet him and get an autograph or photo with him. His best season at Belfield was his last when he grabbed 13 League goals in the 1997/98 season when we stayed up beating Limerick FC 5-2 on aggregate over two legs. Althogh he had trials in England, it was Shamrock Rovers who took him from Belfield for a reputed £20,000 in 1998, but after 1½ seasons, he opted to play Gaelic Football instead, when forced to choose by Shamrock Rovers’ then manager Damien Richardson. He plays Gaelic for the Na Fianna club and was a beaten finallist in the All-Ireland club championships recently. He was briefly joined in the senior Dublin panel by another UCD dual player, Eóin Bennis.