The Commentary Box: Great to see Dundalk in the national limelight again

Saturday was a good day for Dundalk FC, as they picked up a number of awards at the PFA Ireland annual awards evening in Dublin.

Vinnie Leonard, Daryl Horgan, Sean Keogh and Harry Groome were awarded for being on the Players First Division team of the year. It's a great recognition for players who all contributed so much to the great season that has just gone by.

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For the second year in a row, Ciaran Kilduff won a managerial award of the year. Last season, it was for winning the League of Ireland's women's title with Athlone Town.

This year, he won the First Division manager of the year after he guided Dundalk to the title and back to the Premier Division promised land. It was great to see Dundalk in the national limelight again. Let's hope that continues in the Premier Division.

Dundalk manager Ciaran Kilduff has made his decisions as to who he wants to retain at Oriel and who to release, as he prepares for the new season. Vinnie Leonard, Leo Gaxha, Daryl Horgan and Aodh Dervin are all re-signed for next season.

After that, Kilduff must decide who he is keeping or who will depart. Players not in contract are free to depart from next weekend.

The Dundalk boss will be hoping to re-sign young players such as Luke Mulligan, Andy Paraschiv, Sean Spaight and TJ Molloy. Mayowa and Shane Tracey are expected to stay.

There were concerns that Mayowa was leaving when his name was listed on the PFA list of released players from clubs. But this was quickly sorted as a clerical error, with Mayowa stating clearly he wants to stay at Oriel.

Striker Gbemi Arubi is one player Kilduff will be anxious to hold on to. He has already said that since the season ended. But his staying at Oriel has been placed in doubt with Dundalk going full-time this season.

Gbemi scored 13 goals for Dundalk last season. He was the find of the football year in many ways. But Gbemi is a full-time student and also works part-time. The manager has known this and hopefully has found a solution to the problem.

But Stephen Kenny's Pat's have also shown an interest in the Dundalk striker. Thus, his position at Oriel remains unclear. A statement from Dundalk on who they wish to keep and who they are releasing was due at the weekend.

Ten days ago, Dundalk did sign two new players for next season. Their names have been kept under wraps until now. Cold water has been poured under speculation that Robbie Benson could be returning to the club as first-team coach.

Dane Massey left the club at the end of the season, as the new full-time status of the club did not suit the former full-back. Dane has a full-time job outside of football.

The manager will be on the lookout for a first-team keeper, with Enda Minogue possibly staying as the second team keeper. Peter Cherrie will stay as goalkeeping coach.

John Ross Wilson and Conor O'Keeffe did really well for Dundalk when they came in during the window in July. JR was excellent as a fullback.

It's not known if JR will be returning, as it's believed the full-time set-up will not suit him due to work commitments. It's a real pity, as I would see JR doing very well in the Premier Division.

Who knows, he might stay. Dundalk will want to keep Vinny Leonard. But he can leave in July for the UK as he will be 18 by then. But as he will be under contract, Dundalk will hope he can stay until the end of the season.

Aodh Dervin and Daryl Horgan are good players to have in the squad. Both were pivotal players in Dundalk's chase for promotion. Both players will do a good job for Dundalk next season.

Harry Groome is always a player I looked upon who has Premier Division class. His performances did flatter to deceive last season. But I think Harry will be a good squad player for Dundalk next season.

He should be kept. 29-year-old Declan McDaid is a player I would certainly keep. I got the impression from Ciaran Kilduff that he also wanted to keep the Scot who he signed in the window.

I spoke to the young Scot the night Dundalk clinched promotion. He certainly was very keen on staying at Oriel for the coming season. I would sign him. Striker Dean Ebbe will not be returning.

Again, a player who flattered to deceive at times, Dean scored 12 league goals. They were key to Dundalk's promotion challenge.

Having said that, I think it is the right decision to allow Dean to seek a new challenge with another club next season.

Eoin Kenny is a player who must be kept. The Northern Ireland international has only got better and better since he returned to the club last season. The striker come midfielder will do a job for Ciaran Kilduff.

I would be very surprised to see him leaving Oriel. TJ Molloy will stay. At 16 and an underage international, he is also the youngest player to ever score for Dundalk.

The manager must move to considerably tighten his defence. He also needs it to be physically strong. The same should be said for midfield as well. Dundalk need a top-class keeper. James Talbot left Bohemians in the past few weeks.

He has been an excellent keeper in his day. But he has been the second-choice keeper at Dalymount for some time. While Dundalk may make a move for him, they need a first-team keeper who will lead the charge.

The young Dundalk players away on international duty for the past two weeks returned home midweek last week. Eoin Kenny did very well for the Under-21 Northern Ireland international team.

He featured in both of the Under-21 Euro Qualifiers. He helped the side to a 1-0 win over Latvia. He won the free kick for the goal that the North scored to win 1-0. Eoin also started against Greece.

But he was unable to do anything about his team's 1-0 defeat. Meanwhile, Vinny Leonard and Sean Spaight returned home after a great challenge in the Under-17 World Cup in Qatar.

Ireland topped their group and qualified for the last 32. Vinny played in each of the Republic's five games. Sean came on as a sub in the first game.

Ireland were eventually put out in the last 16 team round. Vinnie Leonard managed to score in the game against Switzerland. Ireland were two-nil down at the time.

They just came up short and went down on a three-one scoreline. It was a tremendous performance from the Irish youngsters. The two local Dundalk lads did their club proud.

Luke Mulligan also did very well playing for the Republic of Ireland Under-19s. Luke is 18 and is studying for his Leaving Cert at Ballybay Community College.

He played the full 90 minutes last Tuesday night against the Netherlands. Ireland were beaten on a scoreline of four goals to two.

His flick from a second-half free created Ireland's second goal. Luke is certainly a player for the future. I will be very surprised if he is not snapped up by a top UK or European club next season.

The FAI are expected to recruit new coaches to fill some of the vacancies after it became clear that Dave Connell, Tom Mohan and Niall Harrison are leaving. The FAI have also sought 90 voluntary redundancies throughout their workforce.

Graham Gartland, who has had some coaching experience at Shamrock Rovers, is being tipped to pick up one of the vacancies in the Irish set-up. Dave Connell is a former Dundalk player.

After the PFA awards in Dublin, I spoke to the Dundalk boss Ciaran Kilduff. "I was delighted to win the award. I think it's a testament to the club, the group of staff, the players and the supporters. It was a tough year, especially from the onset.

"This was because we were the relegated club and were tasked with the job of finding our way back. There was also expectation and pressure to see if we could get promotion and return to the Premier Division in less than a year. We did do it.

"Obviously, it's been a very proud night for me to pick up a reward like this. I had my assistant, Ken, with me. Seeing Sean Keogh, Daryl Horgan, Vinnie Leonard and Harry Groome pick up their awards was also great.

"It's great that Dundalk were the centre of attention today. The club itself deserves to be on the highest stage. Thankfully, we are back. But we know there is a huge monster of a job ahead.

"We are going to find it difficult being back in the Premier Division in some ways, as Cork did. But we will take all the experience we have onto the field in the months ahead.

"To be fair, I am not going to announce any details on who we are releasing or on any new signings we have made. That will all be made available early next week. There is also a lot of work going into the licensing.

"We should have good news on that early next week. So we will put out the news on players and the licence together. We have been busy in the transfer market. We have some signings done.

"But the timing of announcing them is important to the club. We just want to make sure we do it in a right way. We want players leaving other clubs and coming to us to say their goodbyes in a proper way.

"I have four new signings already made. They will be announced in the coming week. We will probably see some more arrivals. There will also be some departures.

"The goalkeeping situation is being addressed at the moment. We may be looking at one or two situations. But nothing is done yet in terms of making sure we do it right by the people who are in the building.

"We know there are lads ready to come in. We are back training in ten days' time. That is why time is of the essence. I just think the club is doing everything right.

"We were not in the media for positive reasons recently. But now with the good news coming ahead for us in the next week, it will be a positive end to the year for us.

"I have not spoken to Bohemians keeper James Talbot or Drogheda midfielder Luke Heeney. I was also told last season that I had spoken to Luke when I had not. I have not spoken to either Luke's representatives so far.

"No, there is no truth that I have spoken to either player. On other matters, there is a potential coaching vacancy for Keith Ward. He is someone whose opinion I really respect in the game. He is someone I trust.

"Keith is somebody I am talking to right now. I do not want Keith to leave the club. But he is somebody who could find a playing role with some clubs.

"I want to get Keith in the right role to keep him in the building. Wardy joined the group last season at a time when I needed him to. He has been top class. He is someone I am very anxious that I want to keep in Oriel.

"Conor O'Keefe, Harry Groome and Declan McDaid are also very much in my plans. With a bit of luck, the three of them will be part of the positive news coming through this week.

"I am still speaking to Andy Paraschiv and Shane Tracey. They are young lads who are still at college. There is a bit of work to be done with them, given their college and other commitments.

"I am not in a position to confirm just yet as to whether they are staying. Gbemi Arubi is, of course, a player I want to stay like Andy and Shane.

"I have sat down with Gbemi as I have with the others. Gbemi is at college in Dublin. We are now a full-time club again.

"I have to see if there is a way I can work a way around this with Gbemi, as I have to do with other young players in similar situations. But hopefully the news will be good when the announcements are made next week.

"I am hoping to keep Declan McDaid at Oriel next season. He came in at such a pivotal moment for us in the window for us. I want him to stay. He is moving up to this area. So that, of course, is all very positive.

"We probably have to look at positions like left fullback that will be focused on, where we may need someone. This position was vacated by Sean Keogh. It was unfortunate Sean McHale was out through injury for much of the season.

"We did play JR Wilson at left back. But he is a right back. Yet he did play so well at left full. But we will need to look at this position.

"We are also trying to strengthen with a bit of firepower. So left full and a striker are the two areas I will probably be going after in the coming weeks.

"I really want JR Wilson to stay. But he does have other commitments. But he is another player who I am currently speaking to. I will be working with a squad of 22 players next season.

"I have to make sure I have the right balance between youth and experience. I think the Division that we are going into requires that we often do not want to have too much experience.

"Look at how well Vinny Leonard and our other younger players are doing. We have Luke Mulligan, Sean Spaight and TJ Molloy. We also have Callum Woods coming through. Norman Garbett is also another young player on my radar.

"He has great pace. His physicality is also very impressive. For the league, we are going into that will also be very helpful. I have spoken to Norman in depth. He has gone back to New Zealand for the break.But I hope and expect to see Norman back.

"I would like to think that Peter Cherrie will be staying on as my goalkeeping coach. I have said it from day one. I have nothing but the utmost of respect for Peter. He did everything I asked him to do last season.

"Peter is local. He loves the club. We have a good relationship. I hope to see him back. I will have to discuss whether or not we will sign Peter as a player.

"I will have to take Sammy and Enda into account. But if  Peter does sign as a player, it would not be from a starting point of view.

"I do not think you can get a holiday being manager of a football club. I got a day off, but still had to answer nine or ten phone calls that day. We start training from the middle of December.

"But I will get a chance to get a week away with the family before we start into the pre-season preparations. I will get four or five days off. The excitement is building among the players. I was talking to Daryl today about it at the awards.

"The fixtures are also coming out in just over a week. That will also add to the excitement as well. I have been speaking to the new owner on a regular basis. Chris is someone who I met in Oriel last season as well.

"He texted me today to congratulate me on the award. There has been a few messages between us back and forth since he took over. I feel very supported by the club. They really have facilitated my needs. So it's been great."

Thus, we can expect an announcement on the licence and on the players who will be staying and coming in days. The manager has already signed four new players for next season.

He will be bringing in at least two more. One has to be a keeper, a midfielder and a striker. If Enda Minogue is staying, I would see him as the number two keeper to whoever is brought in.

Last year's number three, Sammy Saffei, is a great prospect. But who knows what will happen with this position? But it is the most important one on the team.

Tributes have been paid to former Dundalk player Liam Dunne, who passed away suddenly on Saturday at the age of 54. Liam was on the panel of the famous Dundalk team that won the FAI Cup under Martin Murray in 2002.

But he did not play in the actual cup final. Liam spent four seasons at Oriel. He died suddenly on Saturday. He played with Irish League side Crusaders in 1994. He was a member of their Irish League title win that season.

He moved to Portadown in 1999. The Dubliner also played with Bohemians and, as mentioned, Dundalk. Crusaders Chairman Mr Laughammer says he could surely say on behalf of everyone who saw Liam Dunne play and knew him are all in deep shock at the news that he has passed, especially at such a young age.

The statement would be equally supported, I have no doubt, by everyone at Dundalk and all the other clubs Liam played for. 
Jimmy Dunne was on the score sheet for Queens Park Rangers on Saturday against Hull City.

He helped his side to a 3-2 win. Jimmy scored an equaliser for the London side and tied the game up at 2-2. QPR went on to win the game.

It was Jimmy's first goal for QPR since last February. Jimmy is, of course, from Blackrock and left for football in the UK when he signed for Manchester United from Rock Celtic as a teenager.

Jimmy is a son of the late, well-known teacher and Gaelic Football Coach Eamonn Dunne. His mother is the well-known music teacher Sharon Tracey Dunne. I knew Eamonn very well.

He was a teacher at the Patrician High School, Carrickmacross. His mum is the famous Sharon Tracey Dunne, who not only is a fantastic music teacher.

Sharon also set up the now-famous all-Ireland cross-border orchestra. I used to know Sharon very well as well.
Dundalk begin training in two weeks' time.

Their first game will be in the second week of January. The Malone Cup has been provisionally scheduled for the last Friday in January. It is due to be played in United Park in Drogheda, as the game was played at Oriel last season.

No date has yet been given as to when the new astro turf pitch will be laid at Oriel. It is going to have to happen imminently.

Have a safe week. Please look after each other. And remember, always be careful out there.