Buckley plays down off-field unrest as Dundalk prepare for Premier Division return

Keith Buckley insists that the off-field commotion swirling around Dundalk FC doesn’t bother him, even as the Bohemians legend agrees to join The Lilywhites before their return to the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.

Dundalk’s promotion as First Division champions in October has been followed by a highly publicised dispute between John Temple and Chris Clinton over the club’s ownership—an issue that has cast a long shadow over preparations for what will be Dundalk’s centenary season in League of Ireland football.

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Yet Buckley, the 33-year-old midfielder who amassed 379 appearances for Bohs, believes the situation at Oriel Park is far less troubling than it appears from the outside.

He said: “I’ve been just keeping an eye (on Dundalk) because of the likes of John Mountney, who was at Bohs last year and talking stuff about it, and Keith Ward; I’m good friends with Wardy.

“Then I met Kilduff, and he explained to me a lot of things going on, what’s happening and stuff. People might see things that are online, but it’s not all as bad as it seems.

“People might come in, and they might look at things, looking a bit drab sometimes from an away fan, but coming in here now, I haven’t seen all these new facilities since they were done in the European days. They’ve probably done it five, six years now; I haven’t seen them, but it’s good.”

Having spent the bulk of his career with Bohemians since his debut in 2011—interrupted only by year-long stints at Bray Wanderers in 2015 and Australia’s Blacktown Spartans in 2022—Buckley now brings a wealth of experience to Dundalk.

The Lilywhites will hope his seasoned presence can guide them as they look to firmly re-establish themselves in the Premier Division, with the league fixtures set to be released next Tuesday, December 16th, and the new campaign kicking off on Friday, February 6th.

“It’s going to be a different challenge,” said Buckley. “A lot of the time last year, they were winning a lot of games. It’s a young squad, so a lot of the learning for them will come from stepping up.

“It’s a big step up, but we’ve got to be ready. This club is at a bit of a boiling point, and I’m just waiting for it really to kick off, and that’s what I’m here to help to do.”

Buckley, long accustomed to the hostile atmosphere Oriel has presented to visiting players, hopes that same intensity will continue to work in Dundalk’s favour throughout 2026.

“We do always say it in fairness. Coming down here, the atmosphere is always good. They won the league one night when I was playing against them; that wasn’t a nice sight.

“This is what most people have in the town, it’s the club. They want to see it on the Friday nights, and we want to get them going again, get them excited again.”

Following defender Harvey Warren’s arrival from Bray last week, Buckley became Dundalk’s second addition of the close season, soon accompanied by Kerry’s gifted attacking midfielder Ronan Teahan, who amassed more than 100 appearances for the League of Ireland’s newest club.

Teahan, the 21-year-old who claimed Kerry’s Player of the Year award in 2025, said: “I’ve met a few of the players now today, and they’re all very welcoming, so I’m happy to be here and looking forward to getting started now.

“It didn’t really take much convincing, to be honest. Obviously, it’s a huge club here, and there’s a really good squad here as well, so it was pretty easy for me to make up my mind.

“It’s probably the biggest club in the country and a massive fan base as well, so it was an easy decision for me, but I’m grateful to everything Kerry gave me as well. They brought me through, and I had a good time there as well.

“I’m really looking forward to it now, and just can’t wait for the first games to come.”

Meanwhile, as reported by The Democrat last week, both Shane Tracey and TJ Molloy have re-signed for Dundalk ahead of the 2026 campaign.