Dundalk entered the 1978–79 season, having won the previous season's League Cup and Leinster Senior Cup. But they had finished in a disappointing 11th place in the League, which meant there would be no European football in the new season. 1978–79 was Jim McLaughlin's fifth season as manager, and was Dundalk's 53rd consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football.
Season summary The previous season had been dogged by an early season row over player expenses, which had seen two players depart acrimoniously; while the death of club stalwart Brian McConville after returning home from a match in January 1978 had further affected the club. There were rumours that McLaughlin would be let go, despite retaining the Leinster Cup, and winning their first League Cup in a penalty shoot-out over Cork Alberts. Instead, the club supported the "reorganisation" he demanded, and used funds from the sale of three players (Synan Braddish, Derek Carroll and Brian Duff) to Liverpool, for a combined £55,000, to rebuild the squad and make ground improvements at Oriel.
The new season opened inauspiciously, with both the League Cup and the Leinster Cup being surrendered in their respective first rounds in early September. The League schedule commenced on 10 September 1978 and Dundalk continued their slow start, dropping points in eight of the first 15 matches to lie in fourth position. But, starting with a win over Shamrock Rovers on Christmas Eve, they only dropped three points from the next 14 matches to surge to the title with a game to spare. It was confirmed in slightly surreal fashion – with a win away to Cork Celtic (who were about to be expelled from the League) in front of 200 people; while the trophy was presented in Oriel Park 48 hours later after a final-day defeat to FAI Cup final opponents Waterford. Having made light work of reaching the 1979 FAI Cup final, they defeated Waterford 2–0, thereby completing the club's first League and Cup Double.
First-Team Squad (1978–79) Sources: No.NameYearsLeagueFAI CupLeague CupLeinster Senior CupTotalGoals1 Richie Blackmore 1974–1985 27 4 0 0 31 02 1977–1995 18 3 1 1 23 13 Paddy Dunning 1977–1983 29 4 0 0 33 44 1967–1986 30 4 1 1 36 15 1978–1981 28 3 0 1 32 06 1977–1983 23 4 1 0 28 97 Jimmy Dainty 1973–1980 29 3 1 1 34 78 Leo Flanagan 1978–1983 30 4 1 1 36 59 1978–1980 27 4 1 1 33 1310 1976–1981 18 3 1 1 23 111 Hilary Carlyle 1978–1984 26 4 0 0 30 1812 Kevin Mahon 1978–1979 12 0 0 0 12 113 Willie Crawley 1977–1995 12 0 1 1 14 214 Vincent McKenna 1978–1981 12 3 0 0 15 115 Liam Devine 1978–1980 8 1 0 0 9 016 Frank O'Neill 1977–1980 5 1 1 0 7 1
Competitions League Cup Source: First round
Leinster Senior Cup Source: First round
FAI Cup Source: First round
Quarter Final
Semi-final
Final
League Source:
League table
Awards Player of the Month MonthPlayerReferencesSeptember Dermot KeelyMarch Paddy DunningApril
References Bibliography
Citations
External links Dundalk F.C. on YouTube FAI Cup Final report on RTE evening news (YouTube)