Eamonn Darcy (8 March 1933 – 7 November 2022) was an Irish

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played as a

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

Career

Nicknamed "Sheila", Darcy began at junior club Johnville F.C. before joining

Shelbourne F.C. Shelbourne Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Shíol Bhroin) is an Irish association football club based in Drumcondra, Dublin, who play in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Shelbourne were founded in Dublin in 1895. In 1904 the club join ...

and then

Dundalk F.C. Dundalk Football Club ( ; ga, Cumann Peile Dhún Dealgan) is a professional association football club that competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division, the top tier of football in the Republic of Ireland. The club is based in Dundalk ...

After two years at

Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The history of Oldham Athletic ...

he came home to join

Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...

in 1956, making his debut on 7 October, and played in the club's first four

European Champion Clubs' Cup The European Champion Clubs' Cup, also known as Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens, or simply the European Cup, is a trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Champions League. The competition in its older format ...

games. Darcy earned one B cap for the Republic of Ireland national team in 1960. Darcy played in Rovers' trip to the US and Canada in the summer of 1961. He left for

Drumcondra F.C. Drumcondra Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Drumcondra, Dublin. Once one of the most successful clubs in Ireland in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, with a strong rivalry with Shamrock Rovers since the 1920s, they fell ...

in December 1962. Darcy saved a penalty in the

League of Ireland The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally us ...

's win over the English League XI in October 1963. In August 1967, Darcy had his testimonial. He signed for Shels again in May 1968. Darcy managed the Republic of Ireland women's national team in the 1980s and Newbridge Town F.C. in the 1990s.

Personal life and death

Darcy died on 7 November 2022, at the age of 89.Eamonn D'Arcy – 1933–2022
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Honours

Shamrock Rovers *

: 1956–57, 1958–59 *

League of Ireland Shield The League of Ireland Shield ( ga, Sciath Sraithe na hÉireann) is a defunct Irish football tournament which was introduced when the League of Ireland started in 1921 and ran uninterrupted until 1972. It was played before the league season began ...

: 1957–58, 1962–63 * Leinster Senior Cup: 1956, 1957, 1958 *

Dublin City Cup The Dublin City Cup is a defunct Irish football tournament which was played for by all League of Ireland sides (and not just those from Dublin city as the name suggests). It ran from 1933 and ran uninterrupted until 1973. In the 1975–76 se ...

: 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60 *

Top Four Cup The Top Four Cup was an association football super cup featuring the top four clubs in the League of Ireland. It was first held in 1955–56 and last played for in 1973–74. It was played at the end of the season. Shamrock Rovers were the in ...

: 1957–58 Drumcondra * League of Ireland: 1964–65

References

Sources

* ''The Hoops'' by Paul Doolan and Robert Goggins () {{DEFAULTSORT:Darcy, Eamonn 1933 births 2022 deaths Association football goalkeepers Republic of Ireland association footballers Republic of Ireland B international footballers Shamrock Rovers F.C. players Shelbourne F.C. players Dundalk F.C. players Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players English Football League players Drumcondra F.C. players League of Ireland players League of Ireland XI players Republic of Ireland women's national football team managers Republic of Ireland association football managers Association footballers from Dublin (city)