League of Ireland Series – St. Patrick's Athletic
FC - this cache is one of a series based around League of
Ireland football clubs. The caches are all located at or near
venues where current League of Ireland soccer teams play.
The League of Ireland Series is open to everyone, if you
would like to place a cache at any other club in your area please
feel free to do so, you can follow the general format of my series
pages if you like.
St Patrick's Athletic Football Club is a football club from
Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the League of Ireland Premier
Division. Founded in 1929, they are based in the Dublin suburb of
Inchicore and play their home matches at Richmond Park. They have
won the League of Ireland title 7 times and the FAI Cup twice.
Their club colours are red and white, while their nicknames
include The Saints and Pat's. St Patrick's Athletic is strongly
linked with Inchicore and the local south west Dublin community.
The club operates schoolboy teams at every age group from under 10
to under 18.
Their first season was played in Phoenix Park, but in 1930 St
Pats moved into Richmond Park. The club quickly climbed up the
junior and intermediate ranks of Irish football and by the end of
the 1940s were established as the top non-League of Ireland side in
the country. After winning the FAI Intermediate Cup in 1948 and
1949 moves were made by the League of Ireland to entice St Pats
into their competition. In 1951 the club was admitted to the senior
ranks of the League of Ireland. St Pats made an immediate impact,
winning the league championship at their first attempt. Two more
league championship successes followed in 1954/1955 and 1955/1956.
The club had to wait until 1959 before their first FAI Cup success,
repeating the feat in 1961. Despite several appearances in the
final since 1961 the Saints have so far failed to secure a third
Cup win. 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 was Noel Campbell. Campbell spent
a number of years with St Pats (gaining the first of his Irish
caps) before moving to SC Fortuna Köln where he would play 8
seasons. Perhaps the brightest star to play for St Pats was Paul
McGrath. McGrath was signed by Saints' manager Charlie Walker from
junior side Dalkey United. Within a year he had won the PFAI Player
of the Year award and earned himself a move to Manchester
United.
The appointment of Brian Kerr as manager in 1986 was a major
turning point in the fortunes of the club. Kerr worked on limited
resources to create team capable of challenging the best. Playing
in Harold'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.
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.
When Kerr resigned to take up the Director of Coaching job with the
FAI, the good work was continued by Pat Dolan and then Liam 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 famous Celtic at
Celtic Park, the club lost the return leg in Tolka Park.
The club motto is Ni neart go cur le
chéile (as Gaeilge). This translates to No strength
without unity.
The cache is a magnetic micro - As this is a very busy area -
please watch out for muggles.