One of the great things about football is the history that is tied up with almost every club. From the biggest Premier League clubs to the smallest teams in the lower divisions, every team has a storied history and a loyal fanbase which has stuck with it throughout the decades.
One such team is St. Patrick’s Athletic F.C., based in Inchicore, Dublin. They have won many victories in Irish Club Football since they were founded all the way back in 1929, and they are still going strong today.
Today, we’re going to look at the history of the club, and where they might be going in the future.
| Topic | Fact |
|---|---|
| Full Name | St Patrick's Athletic Football Club |
| Popular Nicknames | Pat's Saints Red Army |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Stadium capacity (Richmond Park) | 5346 |
| Current Captain | Ian BerminghamIan Bermingham |
Recent Performance of St Patrick’s Athletic FC
St Patrick’s Athletic Football Club are one of the highest performing Irish association football clubs gracing the football scene in Ireland. Their origins are deeply engrained in the history of Irish football, having been founded almost a century ago in 1929. In the 93 years since their conception, St Patrick’s Athletic FC have gained prestige in the Irish league through their acquisition of four League Cups, eight League Titles, and five FAI cups. From humble beginnings in Phoenix Park, the team have undergone much growth and evolution, and now play at Richmond Park in Dublin. Newly managed by the experienced Stephen Kenny, who has committed to a five year contract taking the team to 2029, St Patrick’s Athletic FC have entered an exciting new era of football.
FAI Cup
Perhaps St Patrick Athletic’s most impressive string of performances in recent times could be seen in the 2023 FAI Cup. With few challenges, the young squad worked their way through the early rounds with relative ease. In the final, they faced off against Bohemians, a strong team based in Dublin, and managed by Alan Reynolds. The game started poorly for St Patrick’s, with the Bohs going one up as Jonathan Afolabi struck home a penalty. St Patrick’s showed absolute determination and scored back an immediate equaliser in the 23rd minute, and two further goals, with the third in the 86th minute. This nail biter of a game saw St Patrick’s go 3-1 up and claim the FAI cup for the second time in three years, following their victory in 2021, where they beat Bohemians with a final score of 4 – 3. This rivalry will no doubt continue in years to come.
Premier Division Performance
Though St Patrick’s have reached prestigious heights in the FAI Cup, they have been performing relatively poorly in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Alongside Bohemians, St Patrick’s are the only other team to have never been relegated from the Premier Division, though as of June 2024 they are dwindling on the precipice, positioned in eighth place, trailing just behind Bohemians, but with a relatively significant lead over Dundalk and Drogheda United, though the team will not be getting complacent. Though St Patrick’s have a lead over Dundalk, they lost to the side on the 3rd June. Morale seems to be at a bit of a low, and Stephen Kenny will no doubt be doing his utmost to whip up some optimism and spirit in the team. St Patrick’s are a side which really benefit from playing on home turf, more so than other teams, likely due to their famously loyal supporters and their roaring cheers. The team have won 2 of their 5 most recent home games, and lost all of their away games in the same duration. They will be facing off against Shamrock Rovers on June 13th for a highly pivotal match in deciding their fate in the division. If they prevail, however, they may gain the confidence they need to rebound from their recent losses.
History
In May of 1929, the club were originally based in Phoenix Park, a few kilometres from the centre of Dublin. By 1930, though, they had moved to Richmond Park.
In their earliest days, the club played in the Leinster Senior League. Up to the beginning of the 1950s, they won the league six times, successively four times from 1947 to 1951.
After their fourth win in the 1950-51 season, they were finally promoted to the League of Ireland. They would play in this league in the following ’51-52 season. Here, they managed to win the championship on their first season in the lague.
They would go on to win the championship twice more in the ’54-55 and ’55-56 season, a clear streak of success in their early days.
Despite that, harder times were ahead. They struggled through the ‘60’s, 70s and into the 80s, rarely winning any significant trophies or having any emerging star players. When Brian Kerr was appointed manager in 1986, a turning point was reached.
In 1990, the club won their first league championship in 34 years. Unfortunately, takeover attempts sowed the seeds of chaos in the team—Kerr was forced to break up the team and by 1992, the club seemed close to disappearing forever. Local investors were able to raise a whopping £82,000 to save the club, and Kerr once again looked to setting up the team for a win.
By 1996, the league trophy was once again in their hands, and the future seemed bright once more.
From here, many big-name footballing stars would make a name for themselves in the team. Players like Paul Osam, Ricky O’Flaherty and Eddie Gormley played at Richmond Park and brought glory to the Saint’s name.
They continued to take home league championships in the 1998 and ’99 seasons. They even ended on a draw with Celtic, really beginning to make a name for themselves.
Their success continued into the early 200s. They won the League of Ireland cup in the season of 2000-’01, and Johnny McDonnell eventually took over management on their 75th anniversary in 2004.
The team would change hands a lot in the coming years, struggling with failure in the years leading up to 2009. As Liam Buckley, former player, was appointed to the manager job in 2012, success continued again.
Today
So, where are the team today? They have certainly had a turbulent history, with a lot of peaks and troughs. But they seem to be firmly in a peak at the moment. They have played sold out games to their loyal fans since 2018, breaking their own records, and in 2021 they managed to take home the FAI cup again.
They are currently managed by Tim Clancy, who took over from Stephen O’Donnell in December of 2021. They have secured UEFA Europa Conference League for 2021, and so their future only seems brighter from here.
Few clubs have endured as much turbulence as St. Patrick’s Athletic F.C. and emerged as strong.
