Tommy Connolly (footballer)

Tommy Connolly
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Connolly
Date of birth	1946
Place of birth	Dundalk, County Louth, Leinster, Ireland
Date of death	27 July 2021 (aged 74)
Place of death	Drogheda, County Louth, Leinster, Ireland
Position(s)	Inside forward
Youth career
	Rangers; Dundalk
Senior career*
Years	Team
1969–1973	Dundalk
Managerial career
1975–1983	Dundalk (youth team)
1984–1985	Dundalk
1984–1990	Leinster (youth team)
1985–1997	Dundalk (assistant manager)
1997–1999	Dundalk (joint manager)
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thomas O. Connolly (1946 – 27 July 2021) was an Irish footballer and manager who enjoyed a 40-year association as player, youth team coach, assistant manager and first-team manager with Dundalk.^[1]

Career

After starting out with Rangers in the Dundalk Minor League, Connolly joined the Dundalk youth team in the early 1960s. He made his first-team debut under Liam Tuohy in April 1970 against St Patrick's Athletic and went on to make a total of 29 appearances between 1970 and 1973.^[2] In 1975, under Jim McLaughlin, he became manager of the club's youth squad before taking charge of the Leinster youth team between 1984 and 1990. Connolly undertook his first stint as Dundalk's first-team manager in 1984. He had a further four more periods in that role, either as caretaker or joint manager, right up to 2005. Connolly's managerial services were also in demand at national level and he held the position of manager with the Irish Technical Colleges (1991), FAI U15 and U16 (1993–1995), National League U23 (1996) and the National League U20 squad (1997).^[3]

Honours

Player

Dundalk

League of Ireland Shield: 1971–72

Manager

Dundalk

League of Ireland Premier Division: 1987–88, 1990–91, 1994–95
FAI Cup: 1987–88
League of Ireland Cup: 1986–87, 1989–90

References

^ "Tributes paid as former Dundalk manager and Ireland underage coach Connolly passes away". The 42. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
^ "Tommy Connolly profile". Dundalk FC Who's Who website. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
^ "RIP Tommy Connolly". Dundalk FC website. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

[1] "Tributes paid as former Dundalk manager and Ireland underage coach Connolly passes away". The 42. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

[2] "Tommy Connolly profile". Dundalk FC Who's Who website. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

[3] "RIP Tommy Connolly". Dundalk FC website. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

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