AODH DERVIN COULD see the potential for the rest of his career when Damien Duff made him one of the first signings of a new Shelbourne era before Christmas 2021.
Until that point, the combative 22-year-old midfielder was playing part-time with local club Longford Town while juggling work as a postman.
Duff liked what he saw and offered a chance at full-time football. Dervin signed along with Mark Coyle from Finn Harps. The latter went on to become captain after Luke Byrne retired and lifted the Premier Division trophy last season.
Dervin was no longer part of the journey. Duff hailed him as one of the best midfielders in the country during that first year at Tolka Park and he started ahead of Coyle in what turned out to be a sobering 4-0 defeat to Derry City in the FAI Cup final.
“If you said it to me three years ago that I’d be here now, no, not a chance,” Dervin says. “I was signing for Shels to play for Damien Duff in the Premier Division. I wanted to stay there.”
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Dervin in action for Dundalk. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
It hasn’t happened. A return to Longford on loan at the start of 2023 was followed by a permanent move to Galway United that summer. He helped them secure promotion to the Premier Division but the following July he was on the go again.
This time Dundalk came calling as they sought to avoid relegation. “I don’t know what it is, maybe because I’m from a town too, but there is something mad about Dundalk that drags you in and gets hold of you,” he says.
That said, even by Dundalk and Dervin’s standards the off-field issues that consumed the club as they dropped back into the First Division was a step too far.
“Yeah, that’s the big thing now. Being able to focus on football because last year was a bit much. We didn’t know what we were getting in to. It’s a lot more settled and we can look forward to the football.”
Dundalk fans didn’t know if they would still even have a club when former owner Brian Ainscough set a deadline for new investment to avoid liquidation last year. It took a rescue package at the 11th hour from local barrister John Temple – not to mention some political will in the background – to prevent the unthinkable in September.
“I wouldn’t have been able to look at myself if I was after walking out on them after everything we’d been through. That’s not me,” Dervin says.
“As soon as I knew there was a chance for me to stay there was never going to be a case of me saying ‘ah, I’ll see what else there is’. You know the way players are, and understandably so, but it was never like that for me. I’ve moved around too much in the last few years and not been able to settle, it feels good for me now. I always felt like I needed a home and I think I’ve got that.”
Relegation, of course, meant a dramatic change across the board, allied with the ongoing financial situation of a club still in the grip of financial struggles.
Dervin celebrates promotion with Galway United. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
Manager Jon Daly departed and was replaced by former striker Ciaran Kilduff, who made the jump from the women’s game with Athlone Town after guiding them to a League of Ireland title in 2024.
Dundalk also switched to a model that allows for part-time squad members with training in the evening.
“This is where I wanted to stay and it was a pure football decision for me, I wanted to be a part of getting this club back up and it’s up to us now to make those nights under the lights at Oriel Park special again,” Dervin says.
Kilduff reached out to him on the day of his appointment and the pair met the following morning. It was a conversation that could easily have led to the midfielder needing to look for another club if the new boss decided on another change.
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“But he told me he wanted me to stay and told me exactly what he wants from me. It was exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Friday – First Division: Dundalk v Athlone Town, 7.45pm.
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'There is something mad about Dundalk that drags you in and gets hold of you'
AODH DERVIN COULD see the potential for the rest of his career when Damien Duff made him one of the first signings of a new Shelbourne era before Christmas 2021.
Until that point, the combative 22-year-old midfielder was playing part-time with local club Longford Town while juggling work as a postman.
Duff liked what he saw and offered a chance at full-time football. Dervin signed along with Mark Coyle from Finn Harps. The latter went on to become captain after Luke Byrne retired and lifted the Premier Division trophy last season.
Dervin was no longer part of the journey. Duff hailed him as one of the best midfielders in the country during that first year at Tolka Park and he started ahead of Coyle in what turned out to be a sobering 4-0 defeat to Derry City in the FAI Cup final.
“If you said it to me three years ago that I’d be here now, no, not a chance,” Dervin says. “I was signing for Shels to play for Damien Duff in the Premier Division. I wanted to stay there.”
It hasn’t happened. A return to Longford on loan at the start of 2023 was followed by a permanent move to Galway United that summer. He helped them secure promotion to the Premier Division but the following July he was on the go again.
This time Dundalk came calling as they sought to avoid relegation. “I don’t know what it is, maybe because I’m from a town too, but there is something mad about Dundalk that drags you in and gets hold of you,” he says.
That said, even by Dundalk and Dervin’s standards the off-field issues that consumed the club as they dropped back into the First Division was a step too far.
“Yeah, that’s the big thing now. Being able to focus on football because last year was a bit much. We didn’t know what we were getting in to. It’s a lot more settled and we can look forward to the football.”
Dundalk fans didn’t know if they would still even have a club when former owner Brian Ainscough set a deadline for new investment to avoid liquidation last year. It took a rescue package at the 11th hour from local barrister John Temple – not to mention some political will in the background – to prevent the unthinkable in September.
“I wouldn’t have been able to look at myself if I was after walking out on them after everything we’d been through. That’s not me,” Dervin says.
“As soon as I knew there was a chance for me to stay there was never going to be a case of me saying ‘ah, I’ll see what else there is’. You know the way players are, and understandably so, but it was never like that for me. I’ve moved around too much in the last few years and not been able to settle, it feels good for me now. I always felt like I needed a home and I think I’ve got that.”
Relegation, of course, meant a dramatic change across the board, allied with the ongoing financial situation of a club still in the grip of financial struggles.
Manager Jon Daly departed and was replaced by former striker Ciaran Kilduff, who made the jump from the women’s game with Athlone Town after guiding them to a League of Ireland title in 2024.
Dundalk also switched to a model that allows for part-time squad members with training in the evening.
“This is where I wanted to stay and it was a pure football decision for me, I wanted to be a part of getting this club back up and it’s up to us now to make those nights under the lights at Oriel Park special again,” Dervin says.
Kilduff reached out to him on the day of his appointment and the pair met the following morning. It was a conversation that could easily have led to the midfielder needing to look for another club if the new boss decided on another change.
“But he told me he wanted me to stay and told me exactly what he wants from me. It was exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Friday – First Division: Dundalk v Athlone Town, 7.45pm.
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Aodh dervin Damien Duff heartbeat League of Ireland League of Ireland First Division Dundalk