DUNBAR CELTIC JAN 98

4/1/98


DUNBAR CELTIC:

Dunbar Celtic secretary Timmy Hewitt is delighted with the influx of young players to the club: "We have about twenty fellows in their early twenties and that, plus the contributions of the older heads, such as Tommy O'Brien, Paul Walsh, Kevin O'Connor, and Jimmy Crowley, has been a big help. Both teams are in contention in their leagues".



Dunbar's first team, managed this season by Charlie Crowley, are chasing

championship honours in 1B while the newly reformed B team, jointly managed by Der Calnan and Sean Walsh, are going great guns in 3B.



The inner city club though have a grounds problem; they haven't a place of their own. The A team share with Bosco's in Water Rock Park while the second string share with Ardmanning Celtic out in Crossbarry. Hewitt say the club has received many promises of help from local politician but he knows that you must put the work in yourself and to that end Dunbar have drawn up a five year "home of our own" plan.



Dunbar have had their ups and downs over the decades and indeed have been out of football on occasions before their re-founding in 1967. There have been hard times too in recent years and one man that came to their help in a big way was number one supporter Ken Healy of Barrett's Bar.



Season 1990/91 will always be remembered by loyal Dunbar Celtic supporters and players. That was the season that the southside club won their first ever trophy, ending a drought that had lasted since their founding in 1967. The men responsible for bringing Dunbar into the AUL that year were Donal Cronin, Tom Holland, Pat Buckley, Francis Higgins, and Christy "Ba" Holland.



As time progressed, great workers such as Jim Sullivan, Gary Wall, Denis and Jim Kelly, joined the ranks and, despite the lack of silverware, the club went from strength to strength. The South Parish men, at different stages, fielded a second junior side and a youth team.



The Dunbar Committee decided to abandon the three man selection system in

1985/86 and Eddie O'Connor was appointed player-manager. Still no silver, but promotion to the Premier League soon followed.



Pat Martin was in charge for that first trophy win but, that 90/91 season, he and all of Dunbar had first to taste the bitter fruits of defeat three times in finals. In the Spring, they lost to College Corinthians in the FAI area decider; next came the AOH final defeat at the hands of Villa Utd to be quickly followed by the loss to Greenmount Rangers in the final of the St Michael's Cup.



Three such heartbreaks piled one on top of the other would have flattened many a team. But Martin got his men to rise for one last try. They had been well in the hunt for the Premier League title all season and clinched it with a last game draw against Bandon at Water Rock Park. At last, the drought was broken and Dunbar had a cup to fill.



Victory in the league meant promotion to the intermediate grade and here they wasted no time at all in making their mark, beating Castleview in the final of the 1991/92 Shield competition. The second string also delivered the goods by winning the championship in League 3.



There have been some great characters in Dunbar over the years and two are honorary vice-presidents today: Denis Kelly (a former player and former chairman, now happily back to full health) and Denis "Super" Keane.



Chairman is Paul O'Neill. Hewitt is secretary and his assistant is Andrew

Geary. Frank Scannell and Tommy O'Brien are joint treasurers and the other committee members are Kevin O'Connor, Charlie Crowley, Der Calnan, and Sean Walsh. O'Connor is skipper of the first team while the B side is led by well known singer Dave Cahill.