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| Full name | St Patrick's Athletic Football Club | |||
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| Nicknames |
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| Short name |
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| Founded | 1929; 96 years ago (1929) | |||
| Ground | Richmond Park | |||
| Capacity | 5,500[1] (2,800 seated) | |||
| Chairman | Garrett Kelleher | |||
| Manager | Stephen Kenny | |||
| League | League of Ireland Premier Division | |||
| 2025 | 5th of 10 | |||
| Website | www | |||
 Current season | ||||
St Patrick's Athletic Football Club, commonly known asPat's orThe Saints, is a professionalIrish association football club based inInchicore,Dublin, that plays in theLeague of Ireland Premier Division. Founded in May 1929, they played originally inPhoenix Park but they moved to their current ground ofRichmond Park in 1939.
St Patrick's Athletic have won many trophies inIrish Club Football, including eightLeague Titles, the fifth most inIrish Football, as well as fiveFAI Cups and fourLeague Cups.
The club graduated through the ranks of theLeinster Senior League and duly took their place in theLeague of Ireland in 1951, and won the Championship at their first attempt. The club's glory years came in the 1950s and 1990s when they won 6 of their 8 league titles. Along withBohemians, they are one of only two teams to never have beenrelegated from thePremier Division. The club play in red and white colours and their nicknames include theSaints,Supersaints andPats. The Saints also have a lot ofDublin Derby games with the likes ofShelbourne,Shamrock Rovers, andBohemians.
Football inInchicore dates back to at least 1898. There had been several previous local clubs called St Patrick's and St Patrick's Athletic, as well as clubs associated with the Inchicore railway works, theGreat Southern Railways (also known as the GSR). The more recent of these, GSR FC, started around 1927. They played in theAthletic Union League at first, with their home ground atBluebell, although most of their games from then on were played in the Inchicore Works or "Pond Field" with others atRichmond Park andChapelizod.
GSR fielded two teams in 1929-30; an "A" team in the Leinster League Division Two, and a "B" team in the AUL Division One. GSR's B team seems to have been dropped for the following season, 1930-31. It is possible that the demands of senior football were such that they did not want to take on a second team, or perhaps belt-tightening at the recently-consolidated company was taking hold.
Around this time, GSR were approached by a group of young footballers asking them to take on a second team. These included Pat Dunphy, who gave a first-hand account of the formation of the club in an interview in 1989.
Along with six of his fellow teenage friends who worked at the GSR, Pat states that they asked the company to take on a second team of younger players."We were looking for them to take us over and they refused us on a couple of occasions. They (GSR) wouldn't have anything to do with it. They were a big team, we wanted to go in with a smaller team. They were playing in the Leinster League. The GSR team had players around 20 at this time. I was about 16."
After the GSR had refused to take the new team on, the teenage friends held what would prove to be a historic meeting, which resulted in the founding of the club."The following week we had a meeting down in McDowell's (a pub located on Emmett Road alongside Richmond Park). Mr McDowell was a very decent man and was always very good to us. We decided to go into the bottom league, which was the Intermediate League. I was asked to go down to Parnell Square and look up the people who were running these Leagues. I went down and paid the entrance fee and they sent us word the following week that we'd be in the Intermediate League. The fee was only small - around a guinea (one pound and one shilling) - and we all bunched in to pay."
The club spent 1929 finding it's feet by playing friendly fixtures, with the first ever team photo taken in June 1929, before they began playing competitive games in September 1930, at the 15 acres in the nearbyPhoenix Park.[2][3][4]
During the late 1940s and 1950s, St Pats played in theLeinster Senior League. During this period they won the league title on six occasions. This included four successive titles between 1947 and 1948 and 1950–51. In 1947–48 St Pats completed a treble after also winning both theFAI Intermediate Cup andLeinster Senior Cup. The 1948–49 season would see St Pats win a Leinster Senior League / FAI Intermediate Cup double. In 1950–51 a youngShay Gibbons helped St Pats win the Leinster Senior League title for the fourth time. After St Pats first team joined the League of Ireland in1951–52, theirreserve team won two further Leinster Senior League titles in 1955–56 and 1956–57.
In1951–52 the club was admitted, along with Cork sideEvergreen United, to theLeague of Ireland. St Pats made an immediate impact, winning the league championship at their first attempt. Two more league championship successes followed in1954–55 and1955–56. The club had to wait until 1959 before their firstFAI Cup success, repeating the feat in 1961. Despite several appearances in the final since 1961, it took the Saints till 2014 to win their third
Many of the Pats players of that golden era are still recalled fondly today—Ginger O'Rourke, Harry Boland ('The Legend', 1926–2000), Jimmy 'Timber' Cummins (a cousin of one of the founders—Bart Cummins) Jimmy 'Growler' Cummins (a brother of Bart Cummins) Irish internationalShay Gibbons,Ronnie Whelan Snr. and Willie Peyton are players who contributed greatly during this era.
St Pats struggled throughout the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s with only the odd cup final or young star emerging to brighten things for long-suffering Pats fans. Among those players to emerge wasNoel Campbell. Campbell spent a number of years with St Pats (gaining the first of hisIrish caps) before moving toSC Fortuna Köln where he would play 8 seasons. Perhaps the brightest star to play for St Pats wasPaul McGrath. McGrath was signed by Saints manager Charlie Walker from junior side Dalkey United.[5] Within a year he had won thePFAI Player of the Year award and earned himself a move toManchester United. The World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks also played one match for St Pats, making him by far the brightest star to turn out for the club in 1977.
The appointment ofBrian Kerr as manager in 1986 was a major turning point in the fortunes of the club. Kerr worked on limited resources to create a team capable of challenging the best. At the end of the 1988–89 season, St Pats leftRichmond Park for what the board of directors called "a short time" while redevelopment work was done. 1989 saw a joint St Patrick's Athletic &Bohemians side play a friendly against theLibya national football team inTripoli, drawing 1–1 in what was a highly controversialfriendly duringMuammar Gaddafi's reign as leader of Libya.[6][7][8] The year 1990 saw the Saints draw 0–0 with theTunisia national football team inTunis and another 0–0 draw with theIran national football team inTehran, while in April of the following year they beatFinland 2–1 atDalymount Park, leaving the club with an undefeated record against international sides and without conceding a goal.[8]
Playing inHarold's Cross, Kerr's blend of young players (Paul Osam,Curtis Fleming,Pat Fenlon,John McDonnell) and experienced campaigners disregarded by other clubs (Damian Byrne,Dave Henderson) won the club's first league championship in 34 years on Easter Monday 1990. Most Irish football commentators expected the young Saints to dominate Irish football for some time. A series of takeover attempts saw the club thrust into turmoil and Kerr was forced to break up the team. In the summer of 1992, the club were hours away from extinction before a group of local investors raised £82,000 to save the club.
Having spent four years in Harold's Cross the club returned to a new look Richmond Park in 1993, their spiritual home in Dublin's Inchicore. Brian Kerr began the task of creating a winning setup once again. With the aid of a newly appointed Chief executive, and former player,Pat Dolan and by the club's new chairman, Tim O'Flaherty, the league trophy returned to Richmond Park in 1996.
A new generation of footballing heroes emerged in Pats colours with greats such asEddie Gormley,Paul Osam and Ricky O'Flaherty together with exciting young stars such asColin Hawkins andTrevor Molloy thousands flocked to Inchicore for Friday nights under the floodlights in Richmond Park. When Kerr resigned to take up the Director of Coaching job with theFAI, the good work was continued byPat Dolan and thenLiam Buckley installed as manager. The glory continued as further league championships were secured in 1998 and 1999 which led to European qualification and a creditable 0–0 draw with the famousCeltic atCeltic Park, the club lost the return leg in Tolka Park, Dublin but the away draw was a major boost for Irish football against such a famous club in the world game. The club, however, suffered a humiliating setback in the same competition one year later when they lost 10–0 on aggregate toZimbru Chișinău.
Into the new century, the success continued. St Pats won the Leinster Senior Cup in 2000/01. Controversy dogged the club in the 2001/02 season due to player registration irregularities. The club had 9 points deducted due to fielding an ineligible player (Paul Marney) in their first 3 games of the season, but this decision was revoked upon arbitration, on 22 March 2002. They then had 15 points deducted for playing Charles Mbabazi Livingstone in the first 5 matches of the season in spite of not having registered him until 12 September 2001. An FAI arbitration panel rejected the Saints' appeal against the point deduction and Shelbourne finished the season as league champions. St Pats disagreed with the decision so much that they claim they won the league in 2001–02, as they would have beaten Shelbourne to the title without the points deduction.[9][10] St. Patrick's however finished third[11] and would take their place in the following season'sIntertoto Cup.
That season also saw St Patrick's come close to merging with fellow League of Ireland clubSt. Francis. This move was greeted with anger by club supporters and although St. Francis went out of business (and therefore the league) the merger never happened.
New club chairman Andrew O'Callaghan was appointed in the summer of 2002 and has worked to modernize the club and face the new challenges ofUEFA licensing and ground development. St Pats made Irish footballing history in 2002 by becoming the first club to progress in theIntertoto Cup with a victory over Croatian teamNK Rijeka over two legs—the club were eventually knocked out of the competition only on away goals toKAA Gent of Belgium.
The club marked its 75th anniversary in 2004, also in 2004, a change of management happened with former favourite Johnny McDonnell taking over the helm at the club. In 2005 the club were forced to investigate the idea of sharing a new stadium inTallaght withShamrock Rovers in order to comply with the FAI's wish for Dublin clubs to ground share. The move was met with furious protests by the club's supporters and a group of concerned fans formed a committee under the banner of 'Pats 4 Richmond' . The committee was set up at a public meeting called in the Red Cow Hotel by lifelong supporters and former Director Dermot O'Hara. At this first meeting a committee was elected and a letter was draughted and delivered by hand the following day to the Clubs Board of Directors by newly elected Chairman of Pats 4 Richmond Dermot O'Hara. The letter contained demands for the Club to cease all negotiations regarding any move to Tallaght and to declare its intention to stay in Inchicore and commit itself to the development of Richmond Park as the Clubs permanent home and to cease all further negotiations regarding their planned move to Tallaght. Momentum quickly gathered for the Pats 4 Richmond campaign as the media and many other clubs in the league came in behind the fans demands to save their spiritual home in Inchicore. Subsequent public meetings were help in St Michaels Community Centre on a monthly basis and the pressure was mounting on the Club. At these highly charged meetings fans were briefed on the progress of the campaign. A petition was launched and over 5,0000 signatures were collected demanding the club cease any further plans to sell Richmond Park or to join a groundshare with Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght. Finally in July the Club relented and signalled their commitment to stay in Richmond Park. A lot of this was down to the fact that a new owner Garrett Kelleher had just bought the Club and would make a commitment to develop a proper stadium in Inchicore. Garrett Kelleher began this project by purchasing the Richmond House pub (also known as McDowell's) for use as an official clubhouse. To date the club is still in negotiations with the local council to construct a new stadium in Inchicore. The club lost yet another FAI Cup Final in December 2006 and their hunt for their third victory in the elusive competition continues. In early 2007 the club was purchased by a wealthy property magnateGarrett Kelleher. After a number of months of negotiations, Kelleher finally announced himself as Chairman of St Patrick's Athletic on 19 July 2007.[12] One of his first acts on taking over St Pats was to appoint ex-managerBrian Kerr as director of football. It was widely reported in Irish newspapers that Kelleher was preparing to spend €50;million on upgrading St Pats' Richmond Park home.
During the 2007 season Pats were neck and neck withDrogheda United for the title, but Pats slipped away andDrogheda United eventually finished up as champions.
It was the same again for the2008 season with Pats battling up the top withBohemians for the title. Also, this year Pats were in Europe because their second-place finish in 2007 allowed them to qualify for the2008–09 UEFA Cup. During their European run St Pats progressed through two rounds of the UEFA Cup beatingJFK Olimps Riga andElfsborg but the run came to an end when they lost toHertha BSC in the First Round proper. Pats also lost out toBohemians for the league title.
For the 2009 season Pats replacedJohnny McDonnell withJeff Kenna in January 2009. He didn't have the best of starts with a 3–0 home defeat to his former clubGalway United. He was immediately put under pressure when a bad run of results put them into a relegation battle. Despite the poor league form, once again Pats had another European run in the Europa League again progressing through two rounds of the Europa League, thus becoming only the second League of Ireland club (after Cork City in 2004 and 2005) to achieve such progress in two consecutive European campaigns. Pats this time won games againstValletta FC and Russian Premier League sideKrylia Sovetov to reach the play-off round where they were defeated byFC Steaua București.[13][14][15]In September 2009 with Pats struggling, Kenna resigned and was replaced for two games by Maurice O'Driscoll. Pete Mahon then took over until the end of the season and avoided relegation, winning two must-win games in the final two weeks of the season, away toDrogheda United and at home toDublin rivalsShamrock Rovers.
Pete Mahon was appointed as manager for the 2010 season with John Gill as his assistant. The Super Saints reached their firstSetanta Sports Cup final, where they met local rivalsBohemians after overcomingSligo Rovers 6–2 over two legs. They lost the final at theTallaght Stadium 1–0, however. The Saints were knocked out of theFAI Cup by archrivalsShamrock Rovers in a semi-final replay atRichmond Park, after knockingDundalk, Belgrove andSporting Fingal out. They were near the top of the table for the majority of the season; however, fell off somewhat near the end and finished in mid-table. The demise ofSporting Fingal saw the Saints take their European place for the 2011 season. Mahon led a successfulEuropa League campaign, knocking outÍþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja fromIceland andFC Shakhter Karagandy fromKazakhstan before eventually being knocked out in the third qualifying round byUkrainian sideFC Karpaty Lviv. The Saints won the2011 Leinster Senior Cup after beatingDublin rivalsBohemians 2–0 atDalymount Park. The Saints' bid to end their 50-year drought of winning theFAI Cup came to an end, after knockingCrumlin United,Waterford United andCork City out, the Saints faced old rivalsShelbourne in the semi-final. The Saints drew 1–1 atTolka Park, failing to make use of their one-man advantage for the whole second half. The game went to a replay at Richmond Park and things were going well whenDavid McMillan opened the scoring for the Saints, but goalkeeperGary Rogers was extremely harshly sent off early on and Shels went on to win, 3–1. Similar to the 2010 season, the Saints were near the top of the table for the most part of the season in 2011, but their title challenge petered out towards the end of the season and the Saints finished fourth meaning they would participate inUEFA Europa League qualifiers in the 2012 season.
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The Saints decided not to renew manager Pete Mahon's contract for the2012 season, appointing former player and managerLiam Buckley to the job, giving him a two-year contract with former player and assistant manager at the club,Trevor Croly as his assistant. Buckley refurbished the squad by bringing in fourteen and getting rid of sixteen. Among the new signings were sixBohemian players, notablyChris Forrester,Christy Fagan, andGer O'Brien. Meanwhile, six of those not retained by Pats went in the opposite direction, an indication of the change in circumstances at both clubs.
Buckley immediately introduced a more attractive brand of football than was witnessed under Mahon, whose sides had generally punched above their weight but ultimately lacked the quality to seriously challenge for the title. Pats started the season off well with the team playing wonderful football and being unbeaten in its first six games, which included the game againstShamrock Rovers which they demonstrated their wonderful football brilliantly in a 5–1 win over their fierce rivals.[16] Buckley took the reins of the club knowing of the European expectations at the club and he didn't disappoint, managing his side to athird qualifying-round place after knocking bothÍþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja andNK Široki Brijeg out afterextra time, to earn a tie with German powerhouseHannover 96, who knocked the Saints out in the third qualifying round. Buckley's side finished 3rd inthe league, 6 points off championsSligo Rovers. He also guided his side to the2012 FAI Cup Final, the club's first game at theAviva Stadium, but lost 3–2 inextra time toDerry City and extending the Saints'FAI Cup-winning drought to 52 years.
The Saints then endured a tumultuous pre-season, losingSean O'Connor,James Chambers, andBarry Murphy, as well as Buckley's number two,Trevor Croly, to rivalsShamrock Rovers. Crucially, though, Pats held on to a number of other players who had been strongly linked with Rovers, includingChris Forrester andIan Bermingham, and added some quality to the first XI in the form ofKillian Brennan (who would go on to win both thePFAI Players' Player of the Year and FAI National League Player of the Year awards), andConan Byrne (who contributed an impressive 9 league goals during the season).
St Patrick's Athletic clinched their ninthLeague of Ireland title on 13 October 2013 after a 2–0 win against holdersSligo Rovers with two games to spare.[17][18] They lifted the league trophy a week later at home toDerry City on 18 October and two days later played the2013 Leinster Senior Cup Final againstShamrock Rovers, losing, 1–0, atRichmond Park.[19]
The2014 season started off with silverware for the Saints as they beatSligo Rovers1–0 in the inauguralPresident of Ireland's Cup, withKeith Fahey scoring a brilliant volley into the top corner from 25 yards clinching the trophy.[20] The club crashed out of theUEFA Champions League at the first hurdle in the second round, bowing out toLegia Warsaw. In the first leg, they were denied a famous away win as Legia equalised in injury time to claim a 1–1 draw.[21] An injury-plagued Pats side lost the second leg 5–0 atTallaght Stadium, conceding 3 in the last 10 minutes.On 9 September 2014, a team of second-string players and young Saints beatLongford Town 2–1 away from home to win the2014 Leinster Senior Cup with Sam Verdon and Jack Bayly scoring.[22]The season ended in a perfect manner for Pats as they won theFAI Cup after a 53-year wait with a 2–0 win overDerry City at theAviva Stadium, withChristy Fagan immortalising himself with the club's fans by scoring a brace.[23][24] Fagan also won the2014 League of Ireland Golden Boot with 20 goals as well as being voted thePFAI Player of the Year for 2014.[25]
On 19 September 2015, the Saints won their thirdLeague of Ireland Cup, beatingGalway United on penalties atEamonn Deacy Park following a0–0 draw after extra time, with young goalkeeperConor O'Malley saving Andy O'Connell's final spot-kick to win the cup.[26]
In 2016 the Saints knockedJeunesse Esch ofLuxembourg out of theUEFA Europa League on away goals before being narrowly beaten 2–1 on aggregate toDinamo Minsk ofBelarus in the second qualifying round. Pats finished 7th in the2016 season, meaning they would be without European football for the first time in 7 years for 2017. They did, however, successfully retain theirLeague of Ireland Cup crown, beatingLimerick 4–1 inthe final at theMarkets Field with two goals fromConan Byrne and one each forJamie McGrath andGraham Kelly.[27][28]
The2017 season was the first in a change of theLeague of Ireland layout, meaning the bottom three teams in the Premier Division would be relegated in order to make the league a 10-team division rather than a 12-team one. The season turned out to be a struggle for the Saints and they sat bottom of the table at the halfway point. The mid-season signings including fan favouriteKillian Brennan, formerPremier League midfielderOwen Garvan and particularlyDutch centre backJordi Balk, proved to be pivotal as the club went on to win 6 of their last 11 games after picking up just 3 wins in their first 21 games of the season. They went into the last day of the season in need of a point away toDerry City, which they earned via a 1–1 draw with a goal fromKillian Brennan keeping their record of never having been relegated intact.[29]
The following season was a great improvement on the field as Pats sat in a European place at the halfway point in the league but later went on their worst losing streak in the club's history as they lost 8 games in a row, scoring just 3 goals along the way. They then managed to pick up their form, winning 4 out of 6 games but on 22 September 2018 the Saints suffered a 3–1 loss at home to a weakenedBohemians side with several of their under-19 side playing among the 11 changes to their previous starting 11.[30] This turned out to beLiam Buckley's last game in charge of the club as it was announced on 25 September that Buckley had left his post by mutual consent after a 7-year spell in charge of the club.[31]
Assistant manager to Buckley and former club captainGer O'Brien took caretaker charge for the last 5 games of the season, the first of those being theLeinster Senior Cup Final which they lost on penalties againstShelbourne atTolka Park. He also saw out a draw away to championsDundalk and had an aggregate score of 9–0 againstLimerick andDerry City as the club ended the season on a high note in 5th place.[32]
On 24 October 2018 it was announced thatHarry Kenny (who had been assistant manager in the2013 league-winning campaign) would be the new manager of the club, signing a two-year contract.[33] His new signings ahead of the2019 season wereGary Shaw,David Webster,Ciaran Kelly,Cian Coleman,Georgie Poynton,Brandon Miele,Michael Drennan,Rhys McCabe and old fan favoriteChris Forrester, stating that his aim was to get the club back competing in European competition.[34] Kenny's first competitive game in charge of the Saints was on 15 February 2019, a 1–0 opening-day victory over league runners-upCork City atRichmond Park, with the game attracting the biggest attendance at a domestic game since October 2010.[35] This was followed by a sell-out against rivalsShamrock Rovers on 8 March.[36] On 25 April 2019 it was announced that the club had been awarded a licence to compete inUEFA Europa League action for the2019–20 campaign ahead ofWaterford, who had finished one place ahead of Pats in fourth place the previous season, but were not awarded a licence due to their club reforming in late 2016 and thus breakingUEFA's 'three-year rule'.[37] Pats drewIFK Norrköping ofSweden and were beaten 2–0 at home and 2–1 away, knocking them out at the first hurdle.[38] With the team scoring just 24 goals in 29 games and attendances steadily dropping, fans became restless with Kenny and after ashock cup exit toUCD on 23 August 2019,[39] Kenny resigned by mutual consent the following day.[40]
FormerDundalk captainStephen O'Donnell was announced as the head coach on a two-year contract on 31 August 2019, his first job in senior management, following the resignation ofHarry Kenny.[41] His brought in his formerArsenal youth andFalkirk teammate (and former Pats player)Pat Cregg as his assistant.[42] His first game in management came on 6 September 2019 as his Pats side came from behind to win 2−1 away toFinn Harps thanks to goals fromDarragh Markey and substituteRhys McCabe.[43] The club finished in 5th place by the end of the season, missing out on aUEFA Europa League place but they did however win the2018–19 Leinster Senior Cup, beatingWexford 3–0 in the Fourth Round (underHarry Kenny),Cabinteely 1–0 in the Quarter Final, with Under 19's manager Jamie Moore managing a side made up of Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19's players in the Semi Final (beatingSheriff YC 3–1 away) and Final (beatingAthlone Town 4–0), as both games were scheduled after the senior team's season had finished.[44]
O'Donnell's first pre-season saw him make wholesale changes to the squad, releasing 10 players including some who were still in contract and bringing in 9 new signings;Jason McClelland,Robbie Benson,Conor Kearns,Rory Feely, Shane Griffin,Billy King, Dan Ward,Martin Rennie andOllie Younger.[45] The season was hit by theCOVID-19 pandemic after 4 games and following 4 months of postponements, a decision was made to half the season from 36 games to 18. The season finished in disappointment for Pats as they missed out on European football on the final day of the season, while they had previously been knocked out of theFAI Cup in the First Round byFinn Harps.
The2021 season was a hugely successful one for the club, as they secured a 2nd-place finish, securingUEFA Europa Conference League football for 2022,[46] as well as winning the2021 FAI Cup by beatingBohemians in a penalty shootout in theFinal, in front of anAviva StadiumFAI Cup Final record crowd of 37,126.[47]
On 2 December 2021, just 4 days after the club's2021 FAI Cup Final win, it was announced thatTim Clancy had joined the club on a 2-year contract to replace the outgoingStephen O'Donnell, whose controversial departure toDundalk had yet to be confirmed amid a legal battle between the clubs.[48][49][50] In late December 2021 aHigh Court action was filed against O'Donnell by the club.[51]
On 26 January 2022, it was announced that the club had sold academy graduateJames Abankwah to ItalianSerie A sideUdinese for an undisclosed fee believed to a record fee paid for aLeague of Ireland player,[52][53] in the region of €800,000 plus add-ons.[54][55]
On 2 May 2022, it was announced that the clubs would enter the2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League at the Second Qualifying round, rather than the First, followingUEFA's decision to ban Russian clubs from competing in their competitions for the season.[56]
Clancy's first taste of managing in European football came with a 1–1 draw at home toSlovenian sideNŠ Mura.[57] The second leg saw his side advance 6–5 on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time.[58] The next round saw Pat's beatBulgarian sideCSKA Sofia 1–0 away[59] before suffering the heartache of a 2–0 loss in the second leg atTallaght Stadium following a controversial late penalty.[60] On 2 May 2023, Clancy departed the club by mutual consent with this side in 7th place, 13 games into the2023 season.[61] Assistant managerJon Daly took charge of the team on an interim basis.[62]
After winning 3 of his 4 games as interim manager, it was announced on 22 May 2023 thatJon Daly had received the role of manager on a permanent basis, on a contract until the end of 2025.[63] The club's 2023 European campaign was short as they failed at the first hurdle, losing 2–1 away and 3–2 at home toF91 Dudelange, ofLuxembourg.[64]
On 12 November 2023, Daly led the club to a fifthFAI Cup title, as his side won the2023 FAI Cup Final, beating rivalsBohemians 3–1 in front of a record breakingFAI Cup Final crowd of 43,881 at theAviva Stadium.[65] On 1 December 2023,Chris Forrester was namedPFAI Player of the Year andSam Curtis was namedPFAI Young Player of the Year for their stellar performances throughout 2023.[66]
On 9 February 2024, Pat's competed in the2024 President of Ireland's Cup, but were defeated 3–1 byShamrock Rovers atTallaght Stadium.[67]
In March 2024, ahead of a friendly fixture away toMajor League Soccer sideMinnesota United, the club announced American investment group Kenosis Sports Group, includingNFL andNHL athletesJoe Flacco,Chad Greenway,Matt Birk andAnders Lee, as strategic investors into St Patrick's Athletic.[68][69]
On 7 May 2024, it was announced that Daly had been relieved of his duties as manager with the club in 7th place following 7 defeats in their opening 15 games of the2024 season.[70]
On 16 May 2024, the club announced a major coup, by appointing the most recentRepublic of Ireland national team managerStephen Kenny, as their manager on a contract until the end of the 2029 season.[71] On 25 July 2024, Kenny took charge of his first European fixture with the club, beatingVaduz ofLiechtenstein 3–1 in aUEFA Conference League tie atRichmond Park, withJake Mulraney scoring a brace and captainJoe Redmond heading home a third goal.[72] A 2–2 draw away toVaduz[73] then set up a tie withSabah ofAzerbaijan, who Kenny's side beat 1–0 atTallaght Stadium[8] before again winning 1–0 away at theBank Respublika Arena.[74] In theUEFA Conference League Play-Off Round, they facedTurkish sideİstanbul Başakşehir, drawing 0–0 atTallaght Stadium[75] before narrowly being beaten 2–0 in the return leg at theBaşakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium through 2 goals in the last 25 minutes while down to 10 men.[76] On 8 October 2024, the club claimed its first trophy underStephen Kenny when his second string side beatSt Mochta's 2–1 in the final of the2023–24 Leinster Senior Cup.[77] With the club in 8th place in the table going into their game on 1 September 2024, Kenny guided his side to a club record equalling 9 consecutive league victories to secure 3rd place at the end of his first season at the club, securingUEFA Conference League football for the following season.[78]
On 4 February 2025, the club agreed the transfer ofMason Melia toPremier League clubTottenham Hotspur, commencing on 1 January 2026 for an undisclosed record transfer fee for aLeague of Ireland player, reported to be €2 million up front, rising to €4 million with add-ons, plus a 20% sell on clause.[79][80]
The2025 season saw Pats go on another European run, as theirUEFA Conference League campaign saw them beatLithuanian sideHegelmann 1–0 at home[81] and 2–0 away which become the club's record away victory in Europe,[82] then beatingEstonian clubNõmme Kalju 1–0 at home[83] then drawing 2–2 away in the second leg after extra time to send them through.[84] The Third Qualifying Round saw them faceTurkish giantsBeşiktaş, in which they found themselves 4–0 down at half time in the first leg atTallaght Stadium, then won the second half by a goal,[85] before remarkably taking a 2–0 lead atBeşiktaş Stadium in the second leg to narrow the aggregate deficit to just 1 goal with 48 minutes of the tie left, before eventually being defeated 3–2 on the night and 7–3 on aggregate.[86] Kenny's first full season with the club proved to be a disappointment overall, despite having the most clean sheets and least goals conceded in the league, they missed out on a European place by finishing in 5th place, lost to bottom of the tableCork City in the Semi Final of theFAI Cup and were defeated byFirst Division sideDundalk in the Final of theLeinster Senior Cup.[87]
      1930s |     1975–76 |      1980–82 |      1982–83 |      1989–90 |      1990–91 |
    1991–92 |    1992–94 |    1994–95 |     1997–98 |     2004 |    2005–06 |
     2007–08 |     2009 |     2010–11 |   2012 | 2013 |  2014–15 |
   2016–17 |    2018–19 |  2020 |      2021 |  2022 |  2023 |
     2024 |
The club's first kit was a red shirt with a white collar and a white chevron, with white shorts and red socks.[88] Since then they have changed to a kit of a red jersey with white sleeves, white shorts and red socks, rarely changing from this format.
    1990–92 |     1992–94 |      1994–96 |      1999–2000 |     2001–2002 |  2003 |
    2004 |      2005–06 |     2006–07 |    2008–09 |      2010–11 |  2012 |
     2013–14 |      2015–16 |    2017–18 |   2019 |    2020 |      2021 |
    2022 |   2023 |      2024 |     2025 |
The most frequent away colours used by Pats are navy/blue but over the years they have ventured outside of the ordinary.
    2004 |  2008 |      2010 |    2011 |     2013 |     2016–17 |
 2018–19 | 2023 | 2024–25 |
The club have released some dedicated third kits in recent years, while in years that they haven't, they've usually used the previous seasons away kit as a third kit.
| Years | Manufacturers | Shirt sponsors (front) |
|---|---|---|
| 1930–1970s | Unknown | None |
| 1970s |  Admiral | |
| 1980–82 |  Adidas | |
| 1982–83 | Ideal Motors | |
| 1989–1990 | Spall | DHL |
| 1990–1991 | Peat Briquettes | |
| 1991–1992 | First Citizen | |
| 1993 | None | |
| 1994 | Liberty Air Technology | |
| 1993–1994 |  O'Neills | Aircare |
| 1994–2004 | Autoglass | |
| 2004–2005 | Umbro | |
| 2004–2006 | Smart Telecom | |
| 2007 | McDowell's | |
| 2007–2009 | Paddy Power | |
| 2010–2012 | Nissan | |
| 2013–2016 | Clune Construction Company L.P. | |
| 2017 | Pieta House | |
| 2018–2021 | MIG Insurance Brokers | |
| 2022–Present | Manguard Plus |
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Saints fans have widely become known as some of the most active and vocal throughout the country. Throughout the club's history, any period of turmoil was always met with protest by the loyal saints. In 2001, an ultras group called the Shed End Invincibles[89]were set up, for four years they created huge tifo displays, choreographed chants and created Richmond Park into a fortress. After a period of exile, the ultras group were reignited under new leadership. Since then, their work has been applauded by other fans. Big banners, flares, and smoke screens are a common sight at St Pats matches. Overseas visitors are regularly found at Richmond Park on a match night, including a Norwegian Pats' supporters club. As well as this, the club's supporters share friendships with supporters of clubs like such asRavenna from Italy,Sheffield United of England, andHannover 96 of Germany. Fans of these clubs, along with Pats fans, regularly travel to one another's matches. Famous fans include former Irish managerBrian Kerr, American actorWendell Pierce and ex-Ireland playerGlenn Whelan.[90][91][92][93]
The club motto isNí neart go cur le chéile (as Gaeilge). It translates toNo strength without unity. St Patrick's Athletic is strongly linked withInchicore and the local southwest Dublin community. In 2020 the club usedRichmond Park as a hub for a food bank to provide supplies to the vulnerable.[94][95] Such is the club's dedication to embedding itself in the community, they employ a full time Community Officer[96] who runs a long list of programmes such as the educational Primary School Community Programme in local schools.[97]
In 1996 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. took over the local women's football teamO'Connell Chics. The most notable former player isEmma Byrne who is the record appearance holder for theRepublic of Ireland Women's National Team, with the Saints being Byrne's first senior club.
In 2022, club legendIan Bermingham was appointed as Football Partnership Manager between St Patrick's Athletic andCherry Orchard and part of the partnership, the club will be progressing with their plans to field a team in the Women's National U17 League from the 2023 season onwards.[98][99]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
Players from the academy squads that are on professional contracts with the club and/or have been named in a first team match day squad.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| First-team Manager | Stephen Kenny |
| Assistant Coach | Brian Gartland |
| Assistant Coach | Seán O'Connor |
| Goalkeeping coach | Pat Jennings |
| Head of Performance | Graham Byrne |
| Assistant Head of Performance | Harry Cornally |
| Director of Football | Ger O'Brien |
| Technical Director | Alan Mathews |
| Equipment Manager | David McGill |
| Head of Academy Football | Ian Bermingham |
| Lead Academy Player Development Coach | Karl Lambe |
| Academy Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach | James McCrudden |
| Academy Strength & Conditioning Coach | Brian Hayes |
The club field an Under-20, an Under-17, an Under-15 and an Under-14 team that compete in theLeague of Ireland U20 Division,League of Ireland U17 Division,League of Ireland U15 Division andLeague of Ireland U14 Division respectively.
Set up in 2010, St Patrick's Athletic have a scholarship scheme in place withNUI Maynooth. The scheme allows Pats to offer young players the opportunity to play with the club's Youth sides whilst undergoing their third-level studies on a sports scholarship. There is a big St Pats influence in the scheme with the Soccer Development Officer at Maynooth being former Pats defenderBarry Prenderville as well as club captainGer O'Brien managing the side to their first-everCollingwood Cup win in 2014, with teammateBrendan Clarke as his assistant. The scholarship scheme is a big asset to St Pats, as it helps attract the top young talent in the country to the club ahead of their rivals. The scheme has also been a huge success, with the Saints Under-19s side winning theDr. Tony O'Neill Cup in 2015 to become the best side in the country, as well as a whole host of players graduating from the Youth Setup into the First Team squad. Among the top players to have come through the Programme areJake Carroll,Seán Hoare,Jamie McGrath,Darragh Markey,Ciaran Kelly,Paul Rooney andFuad Sule among others.[101][102]
In 2016, the club opted to disband their own youth teams that played in the Dublin & District Schoolboys Leagues, moving forward into a new model for the League of Ireland Under-19, Under-17 and up-and-coming Under-15s leagues. Pats struck up Affiliations with 4 of Ireland's top schoolboy clubsCrumlin United,Belvedere,Cherry Orchard and Esker Celtic in the best interest of both clubs and their players/facilities. On 1 March 2016, the Saints announced an Affiliation Agreement with the local sideCrumlin United, one of the country's top schoolboy clubs, to improve Pats Youth Setup while also benefiting Crumlin and their young players.[103] On 29 March 2017, the Saints announced an official partnership withBelvedere.[104] On 24 May 2017 St Patrick's Athletic announced an official partnership with localBallyfermot sideCherry Orchard.[105] On 13 July 2018 St Patrick's Athletic announced an official partnership withLucan side Esker Celtic.[106]
In June 2022, it was announced that a new football partnership had been made between Pat's andCherry Orchard which would see the clubs work together exclusively, with the aim of the partnership to provide players from Cherry Orchard with a pathway to the academy and to senior League of Ireland football for both boys and girls, with Pat's also creating a new full-time Football Partnership Manager role to oversee the partnership.[107][108][109]
Players inBold have senior international caps
James AbankwahRyan BurkeDarragh BurnsJake CarrollBrendan ClarkeKevin CornwallRob CornwallSam CurtisJames DoonaKevin DoyleRory FeelyDerek ForanLuke HeeneySeán HoareConor Kane
Dare KareemCian KavanaghJordan KeeganJosh KeeleyAidan KeenaCiarán KellyStephen KennyKian LeavyJamie LennonDarius LipsiucTommy LonerganJonathan LunneyBrian MaherIan MaherDarragh MarkeyJohn MartinBen McCormackJamie McGrathDara McGuinnessLuke McNallyMason MeliaAdam MurphyMichael NoonanGer O'BrienKevin O'ConnorConor PepperBen QuinnStephen QuinnKyle RobinsonPaul RooneyFuad SuleJake Walker| Competition | Winners | Seasons | Runners-up | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National competitions | ||||
| League of Ireland / Premier Division | 9 | 1951–52,1954–55,1955–56,1989–90,1995–96,1997–98,1998–99,2001–02,2013 | 5 | 1960–61,1987–88,2001–02,2007,2008,2021 |
| FAI Cup | 5 | 1958–59, 1960–61,2014,2021,2023 | 8 | 1953–54, 1966–67, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1995–96, 2003,2006,2012 |
| President of Ireland's Cup | 1 | 2014 | 3 | 2015,2022,2024 |
| League of Ireland Cup (discontinued) | 4 | 2000–01, 2003,2015,2016 | 2 | 1979–80, 1992–93 |
| League of Ireland Shield (discontinued) | 1 | 1959–60 | 2 | 1957–58, 1966–67 |
| Dublin City Cup (discontinued) | 3 | 1953–54, 1955–56, 1975–76 | 0 | |
| FAI Super Cup (discontinued) | 1 | 1999–2000 | 1 | 1998–99 |
| Provincial, Intermediate, Junior and All-Ireland competitions | ||||
| Leinster Senior Cup | 10 | 1947–48, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1999–2000,2010–11,2013–14,2018–19,2023–24 | 9 | 1950–51, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1963–64, 1980–81, 1987–88,2012–13,2017–18,2024–25 |
| Leinster Senior League | 6 | 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1955–56, 1956–57 | 0 | |
| FAI Intermediate Cup | 3 | 1947–48, 1948–49, 1952–53 | 0 | |
| FAI Junior Cup | 1 | 1940–41 | 0 | |
| FAI Youth Cup | 1 | 1944–45 | 0 | |
| LFA President's Cup (discontinued) | 6 | 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1971–72, 1990–91, 1996–97 | 8 | 1956–57, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1969–70, 1974–75, 1980–81, 1988–89, 1998–99 |
| Setanta Sports Cup (discontinued) | 0 | 1 | 2009–10 | |
Source:[110]
|
|
Colin Hawkins (1997–98)Mark Quigley (2007)Chris Forrester (2012)Sam Curtis (2023)Mason Melia (2024)Brendan Clarke (2013)Colin Hawkins (1998)Paul Osam (1999)Killian Brennan (2013)
|
|
|
Source:[111]
|
|
|
| Season | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1951–52 | Shay Gibbons | 26 |
| 1952–53 | Shay Gibbons | 22 |
| 1955–56 | Shay Gibbons | 21 |
| 1989–90 | Mark Ennis | 19 |
| 1998–99 | Trevor Molloy | 15 |
| 2008 | Mark Quigley | 15 |
| 2014 | Christy Fagan | 20 |
Source:[112]
P 2170W 909D 561L 699F 3148A 2766Pts 2883
Statistics are correct up to 2/11/2025
Above points tally is the number of points earned in real terms. In most seasons the league used a 'two points for a win', system.
If using a straight 'three points for a win, one for a draw', system, St Pats would have earned 3290 points.
Source:[113]
As of match played on 14 August 2025
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup / UEFA Champions League | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 23 |
| Inter-Cities Fairs Cup / UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League | 42 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 39 | 70 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League / UEFA Conference League | 18 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 21 | 22 |
| European Cup Winners' Cup | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
| TOTAL | 74 | 19 | 15 | 40 | 69 | 129 |
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 178 |  Jablonec | 7.820 |
| 179 | Sigma Olomouc | 7.820 |
| 180 | St Patrick's Athletic | 7.500 |
| 181 |  Milsami Orhei | 7.500 |
| 182 |  Levadia Tallinn | 7.500 |
Selection Committee (1929–54)Alex Stevenson (1954–58)Jimmy Collins (1958–63)Shay Keogh (1963–65)George Lax (1965–66)Gerry Doyle (1966–67)Peter Farrell (1967–68)
John Colrain (1968–71)Jack Burkett (1971–75) George Richardson (1975–76)Barry Bridges (1976–78) Ralph O'Flaherty (1978–79) Charlie Walker (1979–84)Eoin Hand (1984–85) Jimmy Jackson (1985–86)Brian Kerr (1986–96)Pat Dolan (1996–98) Pete Mahon(interim) (1998)Liam Buckley (1998–99)Pat Dolan (1999–03)Eamonn Collins (2003–04)John McDonnell (1 March 2004 – 10 January 2009)Jeff Kenna (14 January 2009 – 18 September 2009) Maurice O'Driscoll(interim) (18 September 2009 – 22 September 2009) Pete Mahon(interim) (23 September 2009 – 8 December 2009) Pete Mahon (9 December 2009 – 1 December 2011)Liam Buckley (2 December 2011 – 25 September 2018)Ger O'Brien(interim) (25 September 2018 – 26 October 2018)Harry Kenny (24 October 2018 – 24 August 2019)Stephen O'Donnell (31 August 2019 – 2 December 2021)Tim Clancy (2 December 2021 – 2 May 2023)Jon Daly(interim) (2 May 2023 – 22 May 2023)Jon Daly (22 May 2023 – 7 May 2024)Seán O'Connor(interim) (7 May 2024 – 16 May 2024)Stephen Kenny (16 May 2024 – Present)| Manager | Career | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | Loss % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen Kenny | 2024– | 82 | 41 | 21 | 20 | 127 | 81 | 46 | 50% | 24.4% | Won2023–24 Leinster Senior Cup |
| Seán O'Connor (interim) | 2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0% | 0% | |
| Jon Daly | 2023–24 | 49 | 25 | 8 | 16 | 75 | 54 | 21 | 51% | 32.7% | Won2023 FAI Cup |
| Tim Clancy | 2022–23 | 56 | 25 | 10 | 21 | 81 | 67 | 14 | 44.6% | 37.5% | |
| Stephen O'Donnell | 2019–21 | 70 | 33 | 17 | 20 | 97 | 72 | 25 | 47.1% | 28.6% | Won2018–19 Leinster Senior Cup,2021 FAI Cup |
| Harry Kenny | 2019 | 35 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 31 | 37 | –6 | 40% | 40% | |
| Ger O'Brien (interim) | 2018 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 40% | 40% | |
| Liam Buckley | 2012–18 | 319 | 160 | 60 | 99 | 511 | 355 | 156 | 50.5% | 31.2% | Won2013 League of Ireland Premier Division,2014 President of Ireland's Cup,2013–14 Leinster Senior Cup,2014 FAI Cup,2015 League of Ireland Cup,2016 League of Ireland Cup |
| Pete Mahon | 2009–11 | 114 | 54 | 27 | 33 | 175 | 111 | 64 | 47.4% | 28.9% | Won2010–11 Leinster Senior Cup |
| Maurice O'Driscoll (interim) | 2009 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 0% | 50% | |
| Jeff Kenna | 2009 | 38 | 13 | 5 | 20 | 29 | 49 | −20 | 34.2% | 52.6% | |
| John McDonnell | 2004–08 | 211 | 88 | 48 | 75 | 271 | 230 | 41 | 41.7% | 35.5% | |
| Eamonn Collins | 2003–04 | 48 | 19 | 18 | 11 | 70 | 58 | 12 | 39.6% | 22.9% | Won2003 League of Ireland Cup |
| Pat Dolan | 1999–03 | 55 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 66 | 63 | 3 | 36.4% | 32.7% | Won1999–00 Leinster Senior Cup,1999 FAI Super Cup,2001–02 League of Ireland Cup |
| Liam Buckley | 1998–1999 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | Won1998–99 League of Ireland Premier Division |
| Pete Mahon (interim) | 1998 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| Pat Dolan | 1996–98 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | Won 1996–97 LFA President's Cup,1997–98 League of Ireland Premier Division |
| Brian Kerr | 1986–96 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | Won1986–87 Leinster Senior Cup,1989–90 Leinster Senior Cup,1989–90 League of Ireland Premier Division,1990–91 Leinster Senior Cup, 1990–91 LFA President's Cup,1995–96 League of Ireland Premier Division |
| Jimmy Jackson | 1985–86 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| Eoin Hand | 1984–85 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| Charlie Walker | 1979–84 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | Won1982–83 Leinster Senior Cup |
| Ralph O'Flaherty | 1978–79 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| Barry Bridges | 1976–78 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| George Richardson | 1975–76 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | Won1975–76 Dublin City Cup |
| Jack Burkett | 1971–75 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | Won 1971–72 LFA President's Cup |
| John Colrain | 1968–71 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| Peter Farrell | 1967–68 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| Gerry Doyle | 1966–67 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| George Lax | 1965–66 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| Shay Keogh | 1963–65 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | |
| Jimmy Collins | 1958–63 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | Won1959 FAI Cup,1961 FAI Cup |
| Alex Stevenson | 1954–58 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | Won1954–55 League of Ireland,1955–56 Dublin City Cup, 1955–56 LFA President's Cup,1955–56 League of Ireland |
| Selection Committee | 1951–54 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0% | 0% | Won1951–52 League of Ireland, 1952–53 LFA President's Cup, 1953–54 LFA President's Cup,1953–54 Dublin City Cup |
