Kenny’s local roots fuelled Dundalk’s First Division triumph

Eoin Kenny capped off what has been a breakthrough season in the Dundalk FC attack, with the 19-year-old playing a central role in guiding The Lilywhites to promotion from the SSE Airtricity League First Division.

A former Rock Celtic schoolboy, Kenny showcased his attacking flair throughout the campaign, netting 10 goals and contributing eight assists as Dundalk surged to the title with an emphatic 10-point lead.

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The journey, however, was far from straightforward. After scoring in a 2–1 victory over Longford Town at Oriel Park in March, Kenny endured a challenging 15-game goal drought before rediscovering his scoring touch in July, striking in a 4–0 triumph over Kerry in Tralee.

“I started the season strong enough, got a couple of goals at the start, then there was obviously a period in the middle where I wasn’t finding the back of the net,” Kenny reflected at the Town End Podcast’s end-of-season event.

Having produced 13 of his 18 goal contributions in his final nine appearances, he added, “You just can’t lose faith. The manager fully understands, and he would’ve always instilled me with confidence—not that I was playing necessarily in a certain way, but just couldn’t, for whatever reason, get the ball in the net for a stretch there in the middle.

“My teammates around me were very supportive, and the manager was brilliant. Then I was able to finish the season—I think I doubled my goal tally in one week or something; I don’t know what happened there.

“I pushed on from there, and I’d like to think personally that it was a good season for myself. But that is all down to teammates being there for you and providing you with good stuff on the pitch and off the pitch, and the staff always being there for you as well.”

Born in Derry in 2005, during the period when his father, Dundalk legend Stephen, was managing Derry City, Kenny was still a child when his family moved to Blackrock.

He later attended the Marist, where he completed his Leaving Certificate last year. Now an adopted local, he says that helping Dundalk return to the Premier Division has been something truly special.

“I’ve been coming to Oriel since I was six, when my dad was the manager,” he recalled. “It’s hard to believe—that’s when Ciaran (Kilduff) and all were still playing. I know what it means to play for Dundalk because I’ve been there for that long.

“I moved here when I was 12, and people in town have been nothing but supportive. Even last season, when it wasn’t going well—nothing but supportive. This season, you’re walking around town, and everyone is just wishing you all the best. The support from the people has been excellent.

“Playing at Oriel is always special because you’re coming when you’re younger. A lot of lads be watching Premier League, but when you see it at Oriel, that’s where you want to play, that’s where you want to be. It’s a real privilege to play at Oriel.

“We’ve had really, really memorable nights this season. Obviously, I wasn’t able to play the Finn Harps one, but even being there was absolutely special—to lift the trophy with family and that.

“I remember Cobh, 1-0 here, first game of the season—the crowd was unbelievable. I’ve absolutely really enjoyed playing for Dundalk as a local person.”

While the season has concluded for most of the Dundalk squad, it continues for Vinnie Leonard and Sean Spaight, who will travel with the Republic of Ireland to Qatar for the FIFA U17 World Cup finals.

Meanwhile, Kenny—capped three times this season for the Northern Ireland U21s—hopes to retain his place in the squad as they prepare to host Latvia next month before travelling to Greece for UEFA European Championship qualifying.

“It was great,” he said of his first call-up in September. “I had a good week with Dundalk, and then Tommy Wright just called me and said, we want to call you up, how do you feel about it?

“The way that he spoke to me and the way he treated me, I really wanted to do it. We went up and we played—it was a mad experience. We went to Georgia, probably a country you’d never go to, and we got a good result away from home.

“Obviously, there was a whole thing here that I couldn’t play that game against Finn Harps. It wasn’t my decision; it’s FIFA regulations to protect the national teams. Once you’re called up, that’s that—you don’t have a say in it.

“We played Malta, we won 2-0, and then we played Germany. The level that some of them lads are playing at—the lad who scored against us scored against Dortmund for Leipzig and all—it’s mental. So, to have those experiences will be special. Now we’ve two more games against Latvia and Greece coming up, so hopefully I get in those squads. There’s no rest, but great experiences.”