Michael Kevin Meagan (29 May 1934 – 27 November 2022) was an Irish professional

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 ...

. He was the first manager of the Republic of Ireland national team to be given total control over selecting players.

Early days

Meagan grew up in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, Ireland. After appearing in a match against a

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

district team in Dublin, Meagan was signed by Everton in 1952.

Shamrock Rovers

As well as playing for the club Mick managed the Milltown outfit from 1974 to 1976 as player manager. History was made in the

FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...

in his last season at Rovers when he played on the same team as his son Mark who later went on to win the 1976

League of Ireland Cup The League of Ireland Cup ( ga, Corn Sraithe na hÉireann), also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', is an annual knockout competition in men's football in the Republic of Ireland. It is contested by League of Ireland clubs and invited c ...

and the 1978 FAI Cu

Mark's cousin Tom played for Shelbourne in the 1980s.

International career

Meagan's international debut came in May 1961 when he was chosen to play in the wing half position during a World Cup qualifier against Scotland national football team, Scotland at

Hampden Park Hampden Park (Scottish Gaelic: ''Pàirc Hampden''), often referred to as Hampden, is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The -capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland. It is the no ...

. Although Ireland lost 4–1, Meagan impressed enough to be selected to play in the return game the following week at

Dalymount Park Dalymount Park (Irish: ''Páirc Cnocán Uí Dhálaigh'') is a football stadium in Phibsborough on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as D ...

. Meagan won 17 caps for Ireland.

International management

In the 1968 European Championships qualifiers,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

again proved an insurmountable obstacle for Ireland. However, the improvements convinced the FAI that it was time to appoint a team manager and, in 1969, Mick Meagan became the first manager of the Republic of Ireland national side. Up until then, a team of selectors picked the side. However, this new professionalism didn't have any effect, as Ireland failed to win any of their qualifiers for the 1970 World Cup. The 1970s Ireland finished bottom of their qualification group for the 1972 European Championships, ending Meagan's tenure as manager. Meagan also managed the amateur Republic of Ireland national team in the qualifiers for the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

Personal life and death

Meagan died on 27 November 2022, at the age of 88.

Honours

Everton * First Division: 1962–63 *

FA Charity Shield The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier Le ...

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cov ...

Individual * SWAI Personality of the Year: 1970–71

References

Sources

The Hoops by Paul Doolan and Robert Goggins () {{DEFAULTSORT:Meagan, Mick 1934 births 2022 deaths Association footballers from Dublin (city) Republic of Ireland football managers Republic of Ireland national football team managers League of Ireland managers League of Ireland players League of Ireland XI players Republic of Ireland association footballers Shamrock Rovers F.C. players Shamrock Rovers F.C. managers Everton F.C. players Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players Halifax Town A.F.C. players Drogheda United F.C. players Drogheda United F.C. managers Bray Wanderers F.C. players Republic of Ireland international footballers Republic of Ireland B international footballers English Football League players Republic of Ireland expatriate association footballers Expatriate footballers in England Association football defenders