Local boy Animasahun savours Dundalk’s promotion glory

As a 13-year-old in 2016, Mayowa Animasahun dashed onto the Oriel Park turf, swept up in the euphoria as Dundalk FC celebrated their third consecutive League of Ireland title.

On Friday night, the roles were reversed. The Avenue Road native was no longer the supporter but the star of the show—mobbed by young Lilywhite fans eager for autographs and photos after Dundalk’s emphatic 3–0 victory over Finn Harps secured the SSE Airtricity League First Division trophy.

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Off the pitch, Animasahun remains the embodiment of grace and humility—warm, approachable, and generous with his time. But once the game begins, he transforms into a relentless competitor.

On this night, he was immense, marshalling the defence with power and composure as Dundalk sealed their triumphant return to the Premier Division.

“It was a great night, one of those nights you live for, really,” he told The Democrat amid the jubilant celebrations. “I remember coming here as a young boy, coming to these trophy lifts as well.

I remember vividly the gaffer (Ciaran Kilduff) scoring against Galway, and there was a trophy lift to win the league.

“Those are nights you dream of but probably never would’ve thought would happen. Albeit the First Division, we know there have been many special nights here—we’re just delighted.”

As he has been throughout the season, the former Glenmuir United schoolboy was exceptional at the heart of Dundalk’s defence in the victory over Finn Harps.

Yet, he credits his success not to talent alone but to the countless hours he spent as a youngster developing his skills on the Muirhevnamor Astro.

“Nights like these are what you dream of, especially being a local,” he said. “I’ve honed my skills in the small Astro in Mucko, so everything you see on this pitch was made in Mucko Astro growing up as a boy.

“There’s a bit of pride that goes along with it, and I did feel like I owed it to the fans after the heartbreak of last year. I did feel like I owed it to them, in a way, to at least just bring us back to where we belong.

“We didn’t make it easy for ourselves; we probably could have had it wrapped up a bit earlier. As a young squad as we are, we made it difficult, so it was just nice to finally get over the line and finally just say, okay, we’ve won something. To put something to your name is nice, especially doing it at your hometown club.”

Alongside captain Daryl Horgan, Animasahun passed a late fitness test to feature on Friday night—and it proved a blessing for

The Lilywhites. The 22-year-old defender delivered a commanding display at the heart of the backline beside Vinnie Leonard, standing firm as Finn Harps pressed with a barrage of long throw-ins during a tense, goalless first half.

“They started fast, and we had to defend a lot of long throws,” he recalled. “They put a lot of balls in directly; I think (Hans) Mpongo was nearly in as well.

“They did start quick—by no means were they trying to make it easy for us—so we fought, and we managed to find a way.

“I had this (knock) from last weekend, last Friday, towards the end of the game. I tailored my training, but then I just said, I’ll play today; you can’t miss a game like this. First 10 minutes, I felt it, and I thought, oh, it’s a long day, but you get on with it.

“The gaffer is probably protecting me there by taking me off for the last 10 minutes. He probably knew we had it in the bag—but I’ll give my all.”

Despite the knock, the former Coláiste Rís student is eager to take the field against Cobh Ramblers this Friday in the season’s final First Division fixture, insisting he has no intention of seeking a rest from his manager.

“We’ll probably fight over that as well,” he laughed. “To be fair, it’s the last game of the season, but we’ll see when the time comes.”

For Animasahun, who then re-joined his teammates and family in celebration, it is clear that this is more than football—it is a celebration of hometown pride, a journey that has come full circle from young fan to revered hometown hero.