Jimmy Dunne remembers his dad after scoring for QPR

Last Saturday should have been a joyous day for Jimmy Dunne. His 22nd minute goal was the second in Queen’s Park Rangers’ 3-0 home win over Norwich, helping to push the London club further away from the Championship relegation zone. It was their fourth successive win after a shaky start to the season.

As he accepted the congratulations of his teammates, the Blackrock lad had someone special on his mind - his father. Only days beforehand, Eamonn had passed away, succumbing to an illness from which he had suffered for some time.

Jimmy attended his father’s funeral Mass in St Oliver’s, Blackrock, on Friday before flying back for the game at Loftus Road. Scoring the goal, he said afterwards, must have been written in the stars when he spoke after the game.

Described by a local reporter as “not the prettiest” of the seven goals the 27-year-old scored this season, with the ball ricocheting around him into the net. But for the scorer, it was much more. “An emotional goal”, he said.

Eamonn Dunne had successful career in Gaelic football as a coach and footballer. He was born in Kerry, and then lived for a number of years in Dublin before moving to Louth. He immediately teamed up with Geraldines, and in 1995 lined out on the forty for the Haggardstown side in their intermediate championship win.

Gers’ final with Mattock Rangers went to two matches, and in the second of them, Dunne got among the scorers in a 1-9 to 1-6 victory.

His performances at club level earned the Gers man a place on the Louth team. Though handicapped by an injury he had sustained early in his career, he made an impression in the county colours. His debut, at full-forward, came in a 1996 O’Byrne Cup match with Wexford in St Brigid’s Park.

It was at the same venue where he had his finest outing for his adopted county in a National League match. Wearing the No. 11 jersey, he had no less than Dublin’s Keith Barr as his direct opponent, but played more than a bit-part in the 0-9 to 1-5 defeat of the reigning All-Ireland champions. After that, he lined out against Down and Cavan in the same competition.

When his playing career was over, he concentrated on coaching. He had charge of Geralidnes, St Joseph’s and Mattock Rangers at different times, and while on the line with Rangers, guided them to a county senior final. He won recognition from the Louth County Board, appointed to take charge of the county minors and later the under-21 side.

A teacher by profession, he also had outstanding success as a coach with Carrickmacross’s Patrician High School senior side.

It would have given Eamonn tremendous satisfaction when Jimmy, having shown tremendous ability in local schoolboy soccer, signed forms with Manchester United as a 15-year-old.

A senior career at Old Trafford didn’t beckon, but having been with other clubs, Burnley among them, the young man is now established with QPR. He’ll be looking to the sky, as he did on Saturday, every time he hits the back of the net.