McHale joins Dundalk FC on loan from St. Pats

Ciaran Kilduff was delighted to welcome Sean McHale to Dundalk FC after the 19-year-old defender completed a season-long loan move from St Patrick’s Athletic on Friday.

Meath-native McHale becomes the 16th confirmed member of Kilduff’s squad, as The Lilywhites prepare themselves for life in the SSE Airtricity League First Division.

Having made just two first-team appearances for St Pats, both in the Leinster Senior Cup, the centre-back spent the 2024 campaign on loan at Wexford, where he made 29 appearances in all competitions last season, as well as scoring two goals from the back.

Less than 24 hours after being confirmed as a Dundalk player for 2025, the former Republic of Ireland U18 international played the second half of The Lilywhites’ 1-0 defeat to Shelbourne in a behind-closed-doors friendly at the AUL grounds on Saturday.

“It’s a great coup for the club,” Kilduff told dundalkfc.com. “Sean is one that I’ve been pursuing since I took the job. He has got great attributes. St Pats rate him highly as well and the fact I could get him in for the season is a great coup for the club.

“Going forward, he’s going to be a great addition, both in the dressing-room and on the pitch, so I’m delighted to have him.

“I would have seen him play against Athlone and he was playing for Maynooth University, which is close to home for me, and I would have had a direct link with Maynooth University, so I’ve seen him play a lot of games. We scouted him well and he ticked the profile of the type of player that we were looking for.

“There were a couple of conversations with Pats and Stephen Kenny. They rate him as highly as we do. Where we’re at in our build and where they’re at, it was a perfect opportunity for Sean to come in with us and strengthen our group.”

Kilduff says his relationship with St Pats manager Stephen Kenny, who he played under at Dundalk between 2015 and 2017, did not influence the deal to bring McHale to Oriel.

“It wasn’t a favour or anything like that, not at all,” he said. “Sean had been out on loan from Pats to Wexford last year, so he was one you were looking at as a young up-and-coming player and maybe they were heavy in that position.

“I obviously know Stephen well, it was a conversation that I had with him, I was picking his brain on his availability and then dealing with Pats separately, Ger O’Brien and people like that in the club, and was thankfully able to get the deal done.

“Sean is physical, he played in the league last year, he’s ambitious, he’s fit, he’s strong, and I think he’s going to add a lot to the way we want to play. The league we’re in, all of those attributes are important, as well as being in the league last year, that experience.

“He had a very, very good season as well with Wexford and scored a couple of goals, so he can be a threat in both boxes. He’s a perfect fit with the young, hungry players who look at this as a huge opportunity joining Dundalk, and getting some valuable game-time for him and his career.

“I got him on loan, but I would have been happy to sign him either. He is someone that I’ve targeted, that I wanted to bring into the club, and thankfully I was able to do that. He’s on a two-year with St Pats and will be a Dundalk player until the end of 2025.”

Meanwhile, former Lilywhites midfielder Robbie Benson looks set to join Derry City, while the Dundalk manager has left the door open for a possible reunion with Richie Towell, after the 33-year-old midfielder’s contract with Shamrock Rovers expired.

2025 Dundalk FC Squad (as of January 12th): Enda Minogue, Peter Cherrie; Conor O’Keeffe, Mayowa Animasahun, Sean McHale, Vinnie Leonard, Sean Keogh, Luke Mulligan; Aodh Dervin (vice-captain), Harry Groome, Daryl Horgan (captain), Norman Garbett; Gbemi Arubi, Dean Ebbe, Leo Gaxha, Eoin Kenny

Confirmed Departures: Ross Munro (Falkirk), Felix Goddard (Ebbsfleet United); Andy Boyle (Waterford), John Mountney (Bohemians), Bobby Faulkner (Doncaster Rovers – end of loan); Koen Oostenbrink (released), Robbie Benson (released), Robbie Mahon (Loughgall), Ryan O’Kane (Shelbourne), Sam Durrant (released), Jad Hakiki (Sligo Rovers); Josh O’Connor (Crusaders)